5 Signs You May Need Basement Waterproofing

5 Reasons You May need Basement Waterproofing

Water damage restoration in your basement is something that should be prevented, as it’s no nice thing to mention at all. So, let’s take a look about the reasons your basement may be leaking water.

Floor Drain Clog

Many conditions can make the floor drains to clog. Among other conditions, sanitary sewer water from one clog in your home’s sewer line or the municipal sewer line can make sewer systems to back up right into your home’s drain system, causing water to come up through floor drains and sink drains in the lower levels of your home.

Municipal drain clogs cannot be controlled, though if you have access to a waterproofing system, which is designed to filter out water properly and drain it away from the home, you will be more protected against any emergency water damage to your home.

Water Pipes Conduits Leaking

Any hole or space in a concrete foundation is a liable source for water leaks. So when the water conduit, line, or sewer pipes were installed, a hole was actually drilled through the wall. The builder would eventually have sealed the holes using a water plug, made from a cement material on the outside and inside of the hole which was drilled for the pipe.

The problem there is that the water plugs just have the capability to be installed 2″ into each opening; this means there is a space between the openings which can collect water. Any time water is collected, there’s a way for a leak, making water pipe conduits a major reason why your basement can leak water.

Honeycomb Leakage

Honeycomb is a cute word to represent air pockets, which resemble real honeycombs produced by air pockets or concrete mixed poorly when it was firstly poured. The air pockets form cavities that water can conveniently compromise leading to leakage. Particularly, these can be sealed easily and are one of the simpler fixes in basement waterproofing.

Top of the Wall Basement Leak

Water can find a way into your basement through the top of your basement or foundation wall or worse, sloping into the house when the ground is near level. If rainwater drains back towards your house, instead of away from it, then the possibility that it will leak above the basement wall is quite high. If your downspouts are not pointed properly away from the home or not really long enough, this could be directing rain water from your roof to your basement over the top of the wall.

Usually in older homes, the soil close to the home may be more settled over time compared to the undisturbed soil in the surrounding. As the soil near the home settles, it causes low spots where water can drain into the home.

Mortar Joint Leak

For homes with basement walls built with cinder block, wood brick, or stone instead of concrete, detecting a leak in the wall can be a bit challenging because the walls are not solid. Instead, they are constructed using mortar to hold each block in place. As with many factors, the mortar will deteriorate as time goes by.

During deterioration, the mortar becomes less water-resistant, permitting water to slowly find its way through the mortar and then to your basement through the disclosed joints between the top of block wall and the blocks.

The reason why these block walls are more difficult to diagnose the source of the leak, is because water will actually leak through a particular mortar joint which has been compromised over time, after which it runs through the space of the blocks and then into the interior of the basement several feet away.

To get more information on why your basement may have leaks, or for a FREE no obligation inspection on your property, feel free to visit www.clarkebasementsystems.com or call 1-416-221-9981.