Flooded, wet, or humid basements can be a massive thorn in your side that never goes away unless you're armed with the correct knowledge to rectify and eliminate the possibility of a problematic and dangerous basement situation.
If the flooding is from a large-scale localized event or natural disaster, there's little you can do but take corrective measures to restore the basement. But flooding and water damage from various other issues can be controlled to some degree based on your decisions and the subsequent corrective actions. This article is the best, most complete article on flooded basements. It's a guide for homeowners who've experienced flooding or water damage in their basements.
With this article, you should be able to formulate a game plan that fits your specific situation concerning flooding, leaks, seepage, humidity issues, and other problems associated with your basement.
WARNING: If your basement is flooded, do not enter the basement before cutting off all electrical power and gas to the basement and home if necessary. Safety is a significant concern with dealing with water and energy. That first step into a flooded basement may be your last if you fail to cut the power before entering the space.
Why Is My Basement Flooding?
Ah, the age-old question. The problem is that there are a plethora of potential issues that can cause flooding in the basement outside of natural disasters. Most moisture or water-related issues in the basement have nothing to do with large-scale flooding. We'll break down the possibilities and give you practical guidance and information to help you understand your situation.
Leading causes of basements flooding
Plumbing leaks, including basements, are the number one cause of water damage. Once you get past plumbing leaks, the other sources are permeable basement foundations and walls, especially if the basement is built below ground surface levels.
Basements built on the side of a slope or hill are only partially below ground surface grade and are less prone to this issue. Permeable basement foundations and walls are fairly high on the last after plumbing breaks and problems. This is due to rain or groundwater issues.
Hydrostatic Pressure From Groundwater
This issue is the most troublesome and costly to correct. It's not water running across the property's surface; the ground is saturated, effectively making your basement act like a bowl of water in a swimming pool.
A swimming pool has waterproof liners that keep water in the pool and prevent it from seeping into the ground that holds it in place. In a basement, you need the equivalent on the outside of your basement walls, all the way down to the bottom of your foundation, so that it can divert the water away from your basement walls and foundation.
In older homes without a sump pump, you likely have a built-in drain system on the basement perimeter that diverts the groundwater to the city's sewage infrastructure. Depending on the severity of the issue, a sump pump may be the solution you're looking for.
You would be better off having a professional inspect your situation and give guidance on the proper path to take corrective action on anything groundwater-related.
Why do you need a professional? Because you have a better draining option. Installing a below-the-slab drain is more costly, but the benefits are incredible. It diverts the water into the city system. Since it rests below the slab, it drains groundwater, relieving the hydrostatic results before reaching the bottom of the foundation slab.
Your Home’s Location
The location of your home and the location of the home on your property plays a big part in the possibility of water and moisture infiltrating your basement. Let's discuss some common factors involved with location and see what path you're currently on with your basement. This is the first step in determining your specific course of action to correct your current issues.
In an area that floods
Flash floods or large-scale flooding events happen, and there's little you can do to avoid these types of events. The best thing you can do to protect against this type of event is to ensure you have flood insurance if you live in or near a known flood zone. Check the riders/terms on the policy to ensure you have the coverage you want or need to protect your home.
Your home is at a low point
When buying a home in a neighborhood, you never know if your lot and home are on a low point of the property. While easily corrected, the cost can be expensive, if possible. Zoning laws can prevent you from building up an area close to your home, sloping the grade away from your home to drain water away from the structure.
If it causes other homes in your neighborhood to flood, you'll likely be denied permission to do a proper build-up of the ground and slope to correct the issues. There are options, such as drainage pipes strategically placed on the property. These could include french drains or drains into the public water system.
Another possibility is that your foundation is too low to add more fill dirt and create a slope. You may turn it into a moat around your home if it's too low to effectively slope the grade away from the home.
Your home sits at the bottom or on the side of a hill
Water running downhill into your foundation can be troublesome, setting the stage for basement flooding, seepage, and massive erosion. This is also a simple fix, but having enough fill dirt and aggregate to build a slope that divides and diverts the water flow downhill to the two sides is expensive.
The buildup could also be equipped with French drains to help remove water from the area close to the home's foundation. The quicker you remove the water flow from proximity to your home's foundation, the better your life will become.
Bad Weatherproofing
Concrete slabs, cinder blocks, interior ceramic tiles, and other masonry products are not impervious to water. Windows, doors, and other breachable parts of the system that make up a basement are easily compromised by water infiltration.
Check windows, plumbing coming up through the slab, and other things compromised via infiltration. Flash and use silicone caulk around windows and any other penetrations through walls, floors, and ceilings. Gaps and cracks can be filled with expanding foam and then caulked over.
Bad Drainage
It all comes down to having proper, effective drainage in the areas prone to cause problems. Clogged-up drain lines can cause backups within the system, causing basement flooding. French drains outside of the basement should be checked for clogs. There are many places where drainage issues could increase the odds of a flooded basement becoming your reality.
Clogged Gutters
Oh, the damage I've seen from bad gutter maintenance! Clogged gutters and downspouts, gutters full of debris, and improperly installed or hung gutters causing water to infiltrate the facia and soffit are bad news. That's just direct damage from rain.
What happens when all of that water sits on the ground close to your foundation? You end up with hydrostatic pressure, which will eventually destroy your home.
You hear and read about it all the time, but there are four things in a home you need to clean twice a year and have inspected at least once a year. A handyman or contractor's annual home maintenance program should be a priority.
It catches issues before they become an issue. Believe me; it's cheaper than your insurance deductible in the short and long term when you have only four key areas to inspect.
Here's the list in no particular order:
- Roofing and Gutters
- Plumbing
- AC unit and system
- Electrical
Failing Downspouts
If you do not keep your gutter channels clean, your downspouts will be riddled with blockages that prevent your gutters from doing their job effectively. The job of a downspout is to wash the water away from your home's foundation. If it's full of organic debris, you are making your gutters ineffective and worthless, plus you overflow the gutters, rendering them worthless, and they become threat to your property. Quality gutters aren’t cheap, and replacing them before their natural lifecycle is complete can cost you thousands. Quality aluminum seamless gutters should last 20 to 30 years, depending on your location. Make sure they stay clean because the potential damage to your basement and foundation can cost thousands of dollars in repair or replacement costs.
They would serve their purpose well if you installed a perforated drain line 10 ft minimum from your home's foundation. The perforated drain line would need to be set up as a french drain, transferring the water further away from the foundation.
Leaking Basement Windows
If your basement has cinder blocks or solid concrete walls, windows should be checked, flashed, and caulked. You can do a simple visual inspection every six months to ensure they are in good working condition and watertight. Blowing rain and poor gutter maintenance are the top culprits for leaking windows that are compromised. If any windows are broken, worn, or at the end of their lifespan, replacement is a must.
This is the easiest and cheapest problem unless you have gutter or drainage issues.
Leaking Basement Foundation
If water is infiltrating via the foundation, it's likely hydrostatic issues. Remember, masonry is not impervious to water. This is a job for professionals only unless you're a contractor. There's just too much to deal with for the DIY person. The contractor has to go under the slab to correct issues. There are a couple of different methods to accomplish this goal. Your contractor should be able to advise you on the options available so you can make the right decision and take the correct part to recovery.
Your contractor can give you details specific to your situation that we can't cover in this write-up. There are too many variables to give more specific information.
Plumbing Leaks
Plumbing leaks account for more water damage in the home than any other source. A broken or burst pipe can flood an entire basement quickly. It can be in the basement or in the house that sits above. If the break happens in a wall, you may not notice it upstairs because it's finding its way into the basement through the walls. Water, like life, always finds a way if allowed. Everything is subject to the second law of thermodynamics. Things break down over time when dealing with the elements of this world.
Water Main Leak
The main line into your home holds pressure and is buried in the ground. It's difficult to see the damage until it saturates the ground below and around your home and creates absolute chaos. Hydrostatic pressure can destroy your foundation and, subsequently, your home.
This is also a job for professionals. They have the proper tools and equipment to locate and correct the leak in short order unless it's under your slab. If it's under the slab, you have more expensive issues, including disruptions in your life for the repair process.
Sewer Backup
This is a very nasty topic and event to deal with. If this happens in your home, let it be understood that you must call a professional. There are three basic categories of water infiltration. Clean, grey, and black water.
Here are the basics.
Clean water is what comes from your plumbing pipes. Where city water or a well, the same applies.
Grey water is commonly known as water that has been used but has limited contaminants. This could be shower or bath water, used water from a dishwasher, or a clothes washing machine. This water could be used in your garden and houseplants.
Blackwater results from extensive flooding, where homes are overwhelmed, mixing household and commercial chemicals with rising water. It also contains sewage, one of the most toxic substances to humans. Blackwater is as dangerous as electricity in a flooded basement.
During Hurricane Katrina, rescue crews advised survivors to avoid the contaminated flood waters until rescue boats were nearby. Despite being alive, those who plunged into the water were essentially condemned due to exposure to toxins. A simple cut or water in the mouth, nose, or ear was often fatal.
Blackwater isn't to be underestimated; survival often leads to lasting health complications due to exposure.
Water Heater Leak
This is a common cause of water in basements. While water heaters last longer now than at any time in the past, they still wear out, as do the plumbing fittings and pressure relief valves. Inspect it annually. It's in the top 4 causes of water damage in a home. While catastrophic floods are the most costly of all mass home damage, they pale compared to the amount of water damage caused in homes by plumbing issues on a day-to-day basis.
Faulty Sump Pump
If you already have a sump pump, check it monthly. It's better to do regular checks on the system than to deal with a flooded basement by far. Check the fittings, check the plumbing lines in and outbound, and listen to it run.
Correct the issues if anything is wrong or sounds a bit off, whether you decide to DIY or call a pro. You can likely do essential maintenance on the sump pump if you're handy.
How To Fix a Flooded Basement
Turn off all electricity, gas, or other fuel sources before doing anything. Setting up lighting based on flashlight types of battery-operated systems is better for safety purposes. Many options for modern LED lights can turn a dark room into a well-lit room.
Now that we've covered the initial safety precautions list other safety equipment needed to finish the job.
- Rubber gloves
- Rubber boots
- Waders
- Wet vac
- Mop and bucket
- Fans or blowers
- Rags
- Towels
- Squeegees
- Dehumidifiers
- Working sump pump and hoses
- Moisture meter to check moisture levels in wood, concrete, and other building materials.
I did not add cleaning solutions because they would change between a finished and an unfinished basement. This would also affect the time and money involved in correcting the issues. The logical move is to explore water content indicators and learn to manage them well in your home.
Use a Mop For Small Spaces
You would likely be fine with a mop and bucket if it's a small flood, maybe 20 or fewer gallons. This usually applies to smaller plumbing leaks. Otherwise, the mop and bucket could be used after using a wet vac and sump pump.
Use a Wet/Dry Vacuum For Larger Spaces
Get your wet vac ready if you've got a couple of inches of water standing. It will be the fastest way to extract a low volume of standing water within a basement. If it's over a few inches deep, or you have plenty of sq footage, you'll need a pump to remove the excess water.
Fans and Blowers
You can't have enough fans or blowers when drying out a basement. Blowers move air faster and more forcefully than most common fans, so blowers are optimal, whereas fans will take much longer to dry your basement. The added benefits of blowers are that the larger motors can also help generate heat, which will help dry your basement. Dehumidifiers can remove the excess moisture from the air, condense it, and send the water outside, where it belongs. But dehumidifiers are not the only way to reduce moisture in your basement.
If you're doing it yourself, you can likely rent these blowers. Make sure you dry the basement as quickly as possible before mold starts its prolific growth process. We don't want to add insult to injury; mold does not take long to grow after water damage or infiltration.
Add a dehumidifier
Although we briefly mentioned dehumidifiers above, we must understand why they're needed. Dehumidifiers condense moisture in the air (humidity). You can dry all of the surfaces in a home, but you can't dry behind a wall covering. A dehumidifier can. You can open the windows and dry them, though, right? Maybe not. It's a matter of temperature and humidity levels at the dew point. You would often be better off running your air conditioner than opening a window. Keep the doors and windows closed if using a dehumidifier to be on the safe side of that fine line.
This is why we use professionals to take care of these issues. They know when they can open doors and windows without the possibility of allowing even more moisture into your basement. They have the tools to calculate these factors to decide on the best action plan for mitigating the issue.
Call a Professional Water Damage Remediation Company
Your best bet in a flooded basement situation is to call a professional water damage restoration company that serves your area. This is what we do professionally. If it's a plumbing break, there's a good chance your homeowners' insurance will pay for the restoration from start to finish. Hiring professionals in catastrophic situations will save you money, especially when your entire home may be at risk.
They already have the tools, equipment, and chemicals needed to do the job correctly the first time. They ensure the restoration sticks and no mold growth will happen after the fact, plus they are licensed and insured to do the job according to state and applicable federal standards.
