Why basements flood

Quickly removing the water and beginning the drying process is essential to lessen the possibility for mold to form, which can greatly increase the damage and cost involved. We have the experience, qualifications and knowledge needed to help you quickly deal with a flooded basement cleanup, because we handle these types of jobs all the time. Let us deal with the stress and get your basement back in working order.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service. Water Damage. Call for Service. Share: Copied! What to do when your basement floods? Start with these steps: Shut off electricity and gas to the area. Try to determine the source of the water. Excessive rainfall or a burst pipe are two top reasons why your basement may flood. Sewers are also located in the ground. This includes all varieties — storm, sanitary, and combined. While in most cases, sewers are below the level of the basement, the water level in the sewers can be, at times, above the level of the basement floor.

Gravity does its best to move water from high to low. If either the groundwater level or sewer level around your home is above the basement floor, gravity will try to move that water into your basement. A crack in the foundation floor, for example, provides gravity with a perfect path for water to be pushed into the basement. Sanitary sewers always have a path to the home, by design, and it is called the sanitary sewer lateral.

While under normal conditions, the lateral allows water to flow from your home to the sewer, there is the potential for water to move from the sewer toward your home. The circumstances described are shown in Figures 2 and 3, which are discussed in more detail below. In order to understand why a basement might flood, it is important to show the more common pathways, intentional or not, that permit water to flow into or around your basement.

Figure 1 indicates a typical home in the City of Kingston, and how it is serviced during normal conditions. Not all homes in Kingston have a storm sewer lateral as shown in the figure , but most just have a single sanitary sewer lateral.

Figure 1 highlights common problems in red that all might contribute to a higher risk of flooding. Some of these problems include:. Most flood events do happen during wet weather, but it is quite possible for a flood to occur during dry weather too. Three of the most common reasons are as follows:. A blocked or failed sanitary lateral. The sanitary sewer lateral, just like the shingles on your roof, or your paved driveway, is a feature that will degrade over time. As a lateral degrades, several things can happen.

For example, tree roots might penetrate and the lateral might collapse because of gradual deterioration. Water can come into your basement in several different ways. Before you can fix the problem, you need to know how the water gets into your basement. Gutters filled with leaves and debris clog and send water down into the ground where cracks in the basement and foundation can lead to water getting into the basement.

Do you have windows in your basement? No matter how the water gets into the basement, it can cause structural damage over time as well as problems with mold. If the water comes into the basement through cracks in the walls or foundation, then find a way to fill them.

There are do-it-yourself ways to manage the cracks in your basement walls, but having it done by a professional is the best route.