Don’t remove the water quickly Never try to pump out the water too fast out of your basement. You may feel it is the right thing to do, to pump out water quickly, but it is not. Hydrostatic pressure is created in the soil around the walls of your basement and your foundation which forces the water to move from an area of high pressure to low pressure. It is possible that there may be high hydrostatic pressure outside and the water inside your basement may be balancing the pressure outside. If you pump out the water quickly from your basement, it is possible that more water will pour in and your walls may crack and crumble due to the intensity of the hydrostatic pressure outside the walls of your basement. In order to safely evacuating the water from your basement, make sure that the water outside your house has receded and then start pumping out the water using a submersible pump or dry/wet vacuum.
Use of Gasoline Pump You can also use a gasoline pump to pump out the water but make sure it is done in a ventilated and airy basement. If the basement does not have proper ventilation, it is not recommended to use a gasoline pump because using this pump will create fumes and due to lack of oxygen, it will create carbon mono oxide. It can lead to health hazards and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Checking the water level After you have removed about 1/3rd of the total water, ensure that no more water is pouring into the basement. Check all seams, windows, and cracks. If more water is pouring in, the clean-up will be a never-ending process. Mark the wall to see the amount of water which has been pumped out of the basement. then take a break and check if more water has leaked into the basement by checking the mark on the wall. If you don’t find the mark, it is evident that more water is pouring in and you need to locate the source. If the water level has remained unchanged, start evacuating the water. Stop if you notice cracks If you notice any cracks and crumbling while pumping out the water, you should stop pumping out the water immediately as it may lead to more serious damage to your walls and structure.
Step 5: Cleaning the Mess Once you have removed the water from your basement, the next step is to clean the entire area and dry everything. You will also need to sanitize the area so that interior air quality is maintained and mould growth is prevented. Removing Porous things The firs
Washing the walls You will need to wash the walls and remove all the dirt before the dirt is dried and hardened. You will also need to get rid of all the mud and debris which gets accumulated on the basement floor with a shovel. It is recommended to do it fast while it is damp.
Checking for leaks and cracks Scrutinize your basement walls and floor for all kinds of cracks and leaks and repair them immediately to prevent any type of future flooding of your basement. If you notice cracks in your foundation or the walls of the basement which are likely the cause of flood in your basement, you should find what is causing these cracks. If the cracks have occurred due to the accumulation of hydrostatic pressure in and around your basement, repairing the external drainage system of your house will help your cause. If the cracks have appeared due to structural problems then using straps and anchor bolts you can fix the connection and footing and seal all the gaps. You will have to repair and heal the cracks but the root cause behind the cracks will be solved with the above fixes and it prevent your basement from flooding.
Step 6: Taking Preventive Measures Enduring a flooded basement for once is way too much physically exhausting and having to spend your hard-earned money on fixing your furniture and personal belongings is even worse. You have to ensure that you never get another flooded basement in your home. You need to take preventive measures so that it never happens again.
Hiring Professionals
You can hire a professional waterproofing expert and let him examine your basement and structure so that you will know, what all needs to be repaired. You can also invest in a waterproofing service as it will be a one-time investment and will save you from any flooded basements in the future. Educating Yourself Apart from the professional help, you can learn about the various Do’s and Don’ts of maintaining a waterproof basement and ensuring that all the precautions are taken care of.
Interior Waterproofing Interior waterproofing of your basement is usually easy and affordable. You start by looking for any holes or cracks in the walls, windows, doors, and floor of your basement. Aft5er locating these cracks, you properly seal them and make them watertight with the use of special sealants. These sealants are effective in waterproofing your basement and come with extended guarantees. They also keep the humidity level down of your basement which prevents condensation. This will help in keeping your basement dry and free from moisture. You can coat them on the basement walls and floors. But these sealants will not prevent the root cause of the leaks in your basement is usually found outside your house.
Step 7: Working with Professionals Although you can remove the water on your own from your basement, it will require a lot of physical strength, equipment and expertise to do it correctly. Also, it will take up a lot of your time for the entire cleaning process and drying your basement to the core. It is much easier and convenient to work with professionals who will do all the dirty work for you. You use the experience and expertise of waterproofing professions and contact at www.canadawaterproofers.com. We have very economical prices and after handing your home in our hands, we ensure to give you a waterproofed, clean and dry basement back to you. If you are tired of your attempts of pumping the water out of your basement or for keeping the moisture away from your basement, we can help you in a professional way to remove the water from your basement, repair any cracks and leaks and finding the interior as well as exterior waterproofing solutions for your home.
Winters mean holidays and fun but it also comes with the problems of flooded basements. No one wants to ruin their holidays by mopping out the water from a flooded, leaky basement when you can easily enjoy with your family. It is general perception and basement flooding and leaks occur during the heavy rains but it is not so.
Leaking basements are very common during the winter due to a variety of reasons. Although there are many triggering conditions, the concluding factor is the moisture accumulation in your basement.
This accumulation of moisture can happen due to rains and also due to snow. Snow may seem harmless but comes with a lot of problems too. It is best to have your basement waterproofed so that you can enjoy your winters and don’t have to worry about any basement leaks or flooding of basements.
Here are the most common reasons due to which the waterproofing of your basement may fail during winters and you may be stuck with a leaky basement. It is best to be aware of these reasons beforehand and take precautionary measures to avoid leaky basements.
We are aware of the gravitational pull of the earth, in the same way, the force exerted by a fluid due to the force of gravity is known as the Hydrostatic pressure.
It is one of the most common causes of leaky basements across the world. Your basement radiates heat during the winters which cause the frozen soil and snow to melt around the walls of your basement due to which trapped moisture gets accumulated around your basement. The hydrostatic pressure pushes down that trapped moisture.
The hydrostatic pressure can be very strong and it forces the moisture through the cracks and nooks of your foundation. It can also be so strong as to create cracks in the walls of your basement or your foundation so that the moisture gets a path to flow out. This is what causes the flooding of your basement during the winter.
While it is freezing outside and the whole neighbourhood is covered in a white sheet of snow, your basement is much warmer than the outside. Since your basement is below the ground level, it is insulated and is much warmer and cosier than outside. If your basement is unfinished, it will be less warm and if it is finished, it will be cosier.
But the soil and ground around and outside your basement is cold, frozen and covered in snow which causes a temperature difference between your basement and the outside world. As we all know, heat radiates from warmed to colder places, your basement walls radiate heat towards outside and the frozen snow and soil around your basement start melting.
It is common knowledge that basement walls radiate up to 8″.This causes the snow and soil to melt and the moisture starts accumulating. The basic cause of leaks is moisture and this moisture comes from the melting of snow by the heat radiation by your basement.
When this moisture finds no way out and is trapped between the soil and the walls of your basement, the problem starts and leaks might build up.
You may feel that the soil on which your house is standing is not important but it is not so. If the soil surrounding your basement is not the right type, you can expect a lot of leaks and flooding during the winter.
The soil plays a crucial role as the right type of soil helps in the proper drainage and irrigation of trapped moisture into the earth and does not let it leak into your basement.
The best type of soil is clay soil which helps in preventing any leaks because it absorbs the moisture trapped in the soil and expands due to which no hydrostatic pressure in-built near the basement walls thus avoiding any cracks and leaks.
If you do not have clay soil around your basement, it is recommended to have the area around your basement filled with clean fill dirt and topping it with stone. It will prevent any leaks, cracks in the foundation and walls and the stone will prevent erosion.
Properly designed, installed and functioning drains, troughs and eaves are very important for the proper drainage system of any household. These ensure that the water used in your house gets routed out in an efficient manner without creating any leaks and ultimately flooding.
But if these downspouts and troughs are not designed properly and are not functioning to their optimum level, they do more harm than good. When they function correctly, they work to get all the used water away from your house and avoid any leaks.
But if these drains, troughs, and eaves are not functioning properly or if they are not maintained properly, the water which was supposed to be carried away from your home, starts getting accumulated near your home and in turn your foundation. Once this water gets accumulated, hydrostatic pressures pull it down causing it to leak into your basement and start flooding it.
In order to ensure that no such thing happens, especially during the winters, it is recommended to properly maintain all your gutter and drains. Keep them clean and avoid any blockages. Also, ensure that the downspouts are at least 4 feet away from your foundation to maintain a safe distance.
Although your basement may look fine and warm, the most common cause of leaks in the basement is the cracks in the basement floor and the walls. There are many causes of cracks in the basement like Storms, earthquakes, plumbing leaks, extreme heat, flooding etc.
While these causes may be beyond your control, but it important to identify these cracks in your basement and fix them properly. When the snow starts melting during the winters, it starts getting trapped in the soil around your basement walls and the foundation, causing the moisture to get trapped in and around your basement, it searches for every outlet it can get and the hydrostatic pressure starts building.
It causes the water to seep through the cracks in your basement floor and walls, resulting in a wet and flooded basement in the winters. If the cracks are not repaired or eliminated, the water will keep on seeping through them into your basement until the hydrostatic pressure is relieved.
The slope of the soil surrounding your foundation should always slope away from your foundations. The minimum slope should be at least 6 inches facing away from your home. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but even this short slope helps in guiding all the flowing water away from your foundation, protecting it against the outer moisture.
If the slope is rounding or worse it is not there, it will cause the water to accumulate near your foundation and will cause frequent leaks into your basement. An improper slope will lead to improper drainage and will cause leaking of your basement.
The slope should always slope down at least 6 inches away from your foundation. Kindly ensure this while buying a house or ensure that a clear downwards path is created for the water to flow out and away from your foundation.
While it may seem very simple that clogged drains will obviously lead to leaks but still it is one of the most common causes of leaks basements. People can simply avoid a lot of hassle of a flooded basement if they keep their drains unclogged and maintain them properly.
Clogged drains cause the water to go back up into your pipes and overflow your house and basement. The clogs can occur in any of the pipes in your homes or even the sewer line of your home or the main municipal sewer lines.
While you may be able to do anything for keeping the sewer lines from getting clogged, you can simply keep your drains clean and maintain them to keep them unclogged so that the water flows freely and avoid any flooding of your basement.
If your Sump Pump is faulty or not working properly it can cause flooding of your basement. A Sump Pump function is to collect the excess water in and around your basement and pump it out and away from your house. If your Sump Pump is faulty or not functioning, the water will accumulate in the sump pit and flood your basement very fast.
A Sump Pump is usually installed in one corner of your basement by creating a pit ( sump pit) in the floor of the basement where the water gets accumulated and when the pit is filled, the sump pump is activated and pumps out the water away from your basement and foundation.
There are a variety of reasons for faulty Sump Pumps like a failure of power, poop maintenance, improper installation or clogged drains. You should double-check your sump pump before the winter season arrives because it not checked and maintained, you will end up with a flooded basement in the middle of the holiday season.
While the windows in your basement allow the light to flow in your basement and make it bright, but leaky or open windows can allow the water to enter your basement as well. The basement windows should always be free of any cracks and properly sealed.
The areas around your basement windows which are known as window wells should have proper drainage system so that the water does not accumulate in the wells and seep in your basement but flow out of the wells properly. The leaks in the basement window wells are also one of the most common causes of basement leaks, so you should keep a close eye on them.
The lateral pressure is caused when the soil around your foundation and basement expands and increases the pressure against it. During normal weather, the water drains out of the soil but during winters, even the water in the soil is frozen, and when it starts melting, the soil absorbs more water, which leads to more expansion of the soil.
Detection of Leaks
Water tends to find the path of least resistance and will try to find every outlet to release the hydrostatic pressure which causes the basements prone to leaks and flooding. Sometimes, detecting a leak is very easy in your basement but sometimes it can be more subtle and you need to look for a few signs to know that your basement is having leaks before it is too late.
These early warning signals will help you in detecting the leaks in your basement so that you can get them repaired in time and avoid the flooding of your basements.
Conclusion
The above the top ten reasons due to which the basement leaks are found and it can lead to serious flooding of the basement if not treated in time. As the winter season approaches, it is recommended you take precautionary measures well in advance and prepare well for the strong winters coming your way. You can get in touch with www.canadawaterproofers.com who are experts in this field.
You should always remember that if it is not raining, moisture is still present, in one form or the other. It can be in the form of hailstones, snow or rain. You should cross-check the 10 factors given above and ensure that none of these things is happening with your basement. It is much easier to stop a small leak or repair a crack which might only take an hour, against the pumping out a flooded basement which will not only waste your time but also money.
If you are like most people, your amateur plumbing skills leave something to be desired. Would you like to be able to update and repair it yourself? If you have decided to learn more about how to better maintain your home’s plumbing, read on for some ideas. The advice provided in the below article can help you improve your home plumbing.
If you have noisy pipes that sound like hammering or squeaking, this is something that is easy to fix. Exposed pipes need to be anchored. If pipes are located in the floor, ceiling or walls, you might want to have a professional help you complete the project.
If you have a clogged toilet with a low water level and a plunger isn’t doing the job, it’s time to try adding a bucket of lukewarm water to the toilet from a around three feet or higher. The water needs to be at a low level again in order to repeat the process.
You should put a strainer over your drains to catch anything that could clog your drain up. Your kitchen sink strainer needs cleaning every time something big gets stuck in it. Keep the bathroom drains cleaned out too.
Each month, treat your drains by pouring one cup of baking soda down it, and then follow that with a cup of regular white vinegar. Use a plug or rag to cover the drain, because there will be a chemical reaction in the pipes. Wait for a little while and then allow boiling water to go down the drain. This method should clear your pipes of accumulated hair and soap scum.
Be sure that the overflow holes are free of debris. Overflow holes catch the excess water from an overflowing sink. They may not sound like a matter of great importance until you actually need them. When you do periodic checks for any other problems or repairs that are needed, take the time to clear the holes that are there to protect you from overflow.
Putting in shower heads that are energy-efficient can save you a lot of money in energy costs. Most hot water is consumed in our showers. When you install energy-efficient heads in each bathroom, you will save around 100 dollars or more per shower.
Having water leaking into the dishwasher, however annoying, is luckily an easy fix. The hose that runs from the kitchen sink to the dishwasher is not installed properly, and can be corrected quickly. This hose must lead uphill and downhill to prevent mixing water between the kitchen sink and the dishwasher.
You should always clean your dryer’s lint trap. This is preventative maintenance that will prevent many problems, including fires. Also, check the lint trap to see if there are telltale signs that lint may be leaking into your pipes through holes and tears.
Keeping up with maintenance is the number one way to keep plumbers from having to come fix issues. One of the major repairs is clogs. You can clog your drains with hair. This can be prevented by using a drain cover or screen to keep the hair from going down the drain. It is much easier to remove the hair from a screen than it is to get it out of a pipe.
Sometimes, you will be forced to use a certain plumber, but that doesn’t mean that looking him up on Angie’s List or a similar site isn’t a good idea. If your insurer has just given you the name of a plumber, see if they have a website, read any testimonials and other feedback so you know what to expect once they arrive at your home.
After reading this article, you should be a little excited to start handling plumbing projects on your own. These new ideas may help yield positive results in your work. If they do not work, keep trying until you get pleasant results!
How about some tips regarding plumbing and basement waterproofing ? This is something that you will always be able to use for the rest of your life. You owe it to yourself and your family to take a few minutes and read this article in order to get the best advice on plumbing.
Before starting any plumbing project on your own be sure to do a great deal of research. There are many resources available to assist you in understanding your plumbing system and help you to avoid many common mistakes made by do-it-yourself novices. Reading about other people’s mistakes can make the difference of saving or losing money.
If you have noisy pipes, you can cushion them with a rubber blanket or add additional anchor straps. Banging pipes are usually caused by loose pipes, water hammering to a stop as you turn it off, or hot water pipes shifting in their position. All of these problems can be solved by cushioning and anchoring the pipes.
Periodically check your pipes for leaks and cracks, also check for cracks on your foundation to make sure the water dosen’t leak down to your basement. These can be forgotten, since pipes are usually hidden away, but checking for leaks and cracks can help you identify a small problem before a big problem occurs. You may have to enlist the help of a family member to turn on and off the water stream as you are checking.
If your sink is letting rusty water out and it will not drain, it is mostly likely because of the biological scum and grease that is built up in the pipes. You need to have your drains professionally cleaned, allowing maximum flow through your drains. Your drains must be open completely.
Iron will cause orange or pink stains in and on your fixtures if you have a well. A water softener can filter out unnecessary minerals, and leave you with clean, usable water.
If water is not coming to the dishwasher, you most likely have a blockage somewhere. You will need to turn off the water supply and remove the hose that leads to the dishwasher. After securing the hose, turn the water back on. See if it feeds into a bowl. If not, then you must find the block where it is at which may include removing more piping.
Make sure you get a good recommendation or check the references before you hire a plumber. With good recommendations, it will assure that you are hiring an experienced plumber. If the experienced plumber is professional, he will have a fully stocked truck and be able to complete most small jobs in one visit.
If water is backing up into multiple fixtures all over the house, it is no longer going to be effective for you to use chemicals or a small hand snake. This is evidence of a blockage in the main line, and you must contact a professional to take care of this problem for you.
To avoid freezing pipes in the winter, make sure to insulate any exposed pipes in you basement before winter comes. Pay extra attention to pipes near the outside walls. If you have had a problem with any particular pipe freezing in the past, apply some heat tape to insulate those pipes.
Before embarking on a plumbing or basement waterproofing project, make sure that you’re aware of where the shutoff valve for water in your home is, as well as the valves for shutting off individual structures like sinks, toilets, etc. This way, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to stop the water flow, or else this can cause a flood or leak into your home basement.
Be careful with putting household cleaners in your toilet. They can cause the toilet to malfunction. The debris that these cleaners leave can sit in your toilet’s pipes and harden, making them almost impossible to get rid of. If it does harden, it usually requires the help of a professional.
Regular maintenance of your plumbing lines is a great idea. Your options are getting your lines snaked or jetted. Jetted is a technology that is proven more effective than snaking is. It gets deeper and cleans harder. So jetting is a good idea next time you are having maintenance performed on your lines.
If you are looking to get new piping in your home, try to stay away from copper ones. Copper tends to have problems, due to water and soil corrosion. It is also harder to install these kinds of pipes. Steel or lead pipes tend to offer the best quality and are the most durable.
It may be that you cannot control which plumber is sent to your house, though it is possible to read up on their qualifications. If your insurance provider has set up the appointment, check the company website to see customer reviews and feedback. This allows you to have some information before they arrive.
Every now and then, you should pour a large bucket of water down your basement floor drain. This will help to keep the trap seal full and prevent certain gases from coming up into your home. Also, be sure that you have your floor drain checked by a professional every few years.
Do a routine check around your house each month on each and every faucet to make sure there are no signs of leaks or drips. Over time, leaks can add a lot of money to your water bill and will worsen if you do not take care of the problem.
To summarize, you knew it would be a good idea to refresh yourself on a few plumbing tips or to get yourself a general background on it. There is a lot of advice available and hopefully you were able to find this article both informative and useful for your home.
