The basement area is a valuable space for any house. The most popular usage of the basement is to accommodate unwanted stuff like old furniture, paint cans, worn out gadgetry, and suchlike. However, homeowners also utilize it in so many other ways as well. For example, creating a room for rental purposes, seeking seasonal comfort, erecting additional bathroom or bedroom, and so on.
But do you know that a wet basement can turn out to be a liability rather than an asset? It can literally cause irreparable damage to your overall property. Therefore, you have to be on top of your game when it comes to keeping the basement dry.
In other words, you must know how to fix a flooded basement and drive off the water. After reading the following tips, you will be able to attend both these issues with a reasonable command:
FIXING THE WET BASEMENT
- Insulate pipes
When pipes are exposed to cold temperatures, they end up catching a lot of moisture. If allowed unchecked, the condensation could gradually drip from the pipes, and the floor will soon witness puddles. On the surface, condensation might seem like a negligible problem, but it has far-reaching consequences in the long run.
Although you can do away with the issue right from the get-go by connecting with a plumber, this might prove to be a rather costly solution. Therefore, it is recommended to insulate the pipes on your own. Buy foam insulation and wrap it around the moist pipes. Depending on the severity of dampness, you may even insulate multiple times.
- Plug pinhole leaks
Several factors could lead to pinhole leaksunbound water pressure, weak piping system, and corrosion, to name a few of them. The plumbing world offers a variety of options to fill these gaps. That said, it is highly advisable to apply polyurethane or hydraulic cement on the cracked spots because they are budget-friendly alternatives. Albeit cheap, this is one of the most effective methods to keep excessive water at bay from your basement.
- Install gutter extensions
It is not uncommon for basements to be flooded with water during rainy days. The reason behind this is not difficult to crack. Many houses lack proper slopping. As a result, the rainwater stays around the foundation of the house for a more extended period before it eventually breaks into the basement area.
That is where gutter extensions can save the day for you. They will ensure that the water is immediately drained away from your property. As a rule of thumb, gutter extensions should be five feet long at a minimum.
GETTING THE WATER OUT
- Safety first
Not many things are as dangerous as the combination of electricity and water. Hence, electrical injuries are quite commonplace when people are engaged in getting the water out of their basements. It signifies that your safety should take precedence over everything else.
For example, if the electric outlets are completely drenched with water, it would be safe to call basement flood control experts. Even when the situation is not that bad, switching off the main breaker is mandatory.
- Find out the source of water
The next step is to unearth the loopholes that are directing the inflow of water to the basement. It is not a tedious task as it might apparently sound. You just have to inspect every nook and cranny with vigilance. Once the leakage source is identified, you should block it right away before commencing the cleanup process.
- Scrap off the dirt
Water typically brings a considerable quantity of dirt with itself. You should make it a point to kick-off cleaning by removing dirt. Because rinsing off dirty particles is relatively demanding after they become dry and hard. Hosing off is a tried and trusted technique to get rid of this nuisance.
- Remove the belongings
Usually, the basement is jammed with numerous items. So the odds are that you will not have ample space to walk around unless it is free from all the belongings. This could also speed up the cleaning because you may gang-up with a couple of friends or family members.
- Dry the basement
Given the availability of modern-day equipment, drying basement is not an uphill task anymore. A vacuum can get the job done quite comprehensively. To avoid this problem in the future, you may consider installing a quality dehumidifier. Because a fair proportion of basements share the problem of poor ventilation.
Concluding remarks
From the above discussion, it is not difficult to conclude that water is the biggest enemy of your basement. So you should not leave stone unturned to keep the place dry. If followed religiously, the tricks mentioned above will surely help you to meet this objective.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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