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June 2004 - Basement Seepage

Advisory Concern:

Basement Seepage

Those wet basements are back!

As the recent heavy rains fell, thousands of Wisconsin home owners found water trickling into their basements. A flood of calls to basement waterproofing and repair firms ensued, prompting expensive, sometimes unnecessary work.
Many Wisconsin homes will have basement seepage at some point, frequently occurring in late winter to early spring. About 90% of water problems are from surface water that drains toward the house and gets into the basement. Any home can experience seepage because concrete walls are not waterproof. Water will actually pass through them quite quickly.

What Is A Homeowner To Do?
Simple homeowner remedies, such as unclogging gutters, extending downspouts or sloping soil away from the house foundation can solve most problems.
There are many inexpensive things a homeowner can try before attempting any major repairs.
Typically, if you see stains more towards the top of a wall you're probably dealing with surface moisture problems. This type of problem is easily solved, usually with improved grading, gutter cleaning, and extended downspouts.
When you have stains predominately at the very bottom of the walls and you grading is already in pretty good condition, you are probably getting into more expensive repairs. Your drain tile system is probably not functioning well.
The floor drain's Palmer Valve may be stuck closed. You can shine a flashlight in the floor drain about a foot down and try to open it. If the valve is not the problem, I would suggest a drain test. It will cost approximately $400.00 to have a contractor conduct the test and I would suggest hiring a foundation consultant to oversee the test. This will require an additional investment of approximately $100.00, but that will be money very well spent.

FOLLOW THE "GROUND RULES" TO KEEP THINGS DRY!

Your basement will stay dry if you follow the "ground rules".
The ground should slope away from the house foundation and all other anti-seepage measures should be geared towards moving water on and through the ground as far from the house as possible.
Twice a year, check inside and outside the basement to make sure the basic anti seepage equipment and methods are still functioning correctly.
In addition, here is a great basement maintenance checklist that you can follow:

Grading: Soil should be sloped away from the house, with no low spots. Concrete pitched toward walls should be re leveled or replaced.
Gutters and Down-spouts: Remove leaves and debris, seal leaking joints and make sure extensions and splash blocks carry water at least four (4) feet away from any exterior walls. For down-spouts emptying into underground cast iron receivers, test using a water hose to ensure the line to the tank is clear.
Sump Pump: With above ground discharges, make sure water is carried far from any exterior walls. With below ground discharges, check for leaking connections and susceptibility to freezing. Make sure the pump works and that the water level is at least eight (8) inches below the basement floor.
Window Wells: Remove all debris. make sure the bottom has at least 18 inches of No.1 stone (roughly 1 inch in diameter) for drainage. Check that the well edges are tightly fitted to the walls. Grade the surrounding area to carry water away from the foundation.
Palmer Valve: Check to see that the valve like door where the drain tile meets the floor drain works freely. If it sticks, water will back up through the floor cracks and around the edges.
Wall Cracks: Normal cracks resulting from settlement and/or shrinkage of construction materials may open and close slightly with temperature changes and are no cause for alarm, Horizontal cracks in concrete walls result from a walls inability to withstand external forces and may require professional reinforcement.