A hot water tank that ruptures is one potential cause of a basement flood.
Water that leaks into your basement or, worse yet, floods your basement, can be a major problem for homeowners. The water can cause mold and mildew to grow in your home, damage your home's foundation and damage or destroy any property that you are storing in the basement. You can take some basic steps to help eliminate or minimize existing water problems while preventing larger problems from occurring. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Grade the soil around the foundation of your home so that it is higher than the surrounding ground and causes water to flow away from your foundation. Water that collects next to the foundation can seep into your basement through cracks in the walls.
2. Install drainage systems to carry water away from the foundation. This can mean installing a French drain along the walls both inside and outside of the basement, as well as preventing water from your downspouts from collecting next to the house by placing rain barrels underneath the downspout or building a drainage system that leads from the downspout to a low-lying spot away from your home. Installing a sump pump can also help drain water from the basement and pump it outside.
3. Patch cracks in the walls and floors where water can seep through. This is done by chipping away at the concrete to get beneath the crack and filling it with a patching compound.
4. Apply a waterproofing sealant onto the surface of the walls. This forms a barrier that prevents water from seeping through the walls and entering the basement.
5. Fix any plumbing leaks on the pipes in the basement. This can involve soldering a leaky joint or removing a damaged section of pipe and replacing it. Also, replace your water heater if it's leaking from the tank or is more than 6 or 7 years old. This can help you save on energy costs by installing a new, more efficient water heater, while preventing a situation where the tank could burst and flood your basement.
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