Damp Basement Problems
There are serious issues that can develop if water starts to fill your basement. It can ruin the walls, furnishings and carpeting, but more importantly it will almost certainly lead to the development of mold which can threaten the health of those who live inside as well as cause a considerable amount of structural damage.
If you are experiencing damp basement problems, then you need to take steps to correct the problem and protect your home.
Determine the Cause
The very first step is determining the cause of the water entering your basement. You may need a professional restoration expert, a home inspector, or foundation expert to help you solve this problem.
The most common damp basement problems arise from:
– Water on the surface running down the walls of the foundation
– Groundwater seeping up from below via hydrostatic pressure
– A clog in your sewer line backing up water into your basement
– Overflowing storm sewer lines backing water into your basement
– Gutters and downspouts that do not divert water away from the foundation far enough
If you have damp basement problems after a storm, then you can narrow down that cause pretty quickly. However, if it occurs without storms, then you will need to check for other causes. Some flooding issues can be rather difficult to spot because they are often overlooked. Clogged rain gutters are a common issue or poor drainage from the home when it rains.
Fixing the Problem
Once you have made the determination, the next step is correcting the problem. If it comes from clogged rain gutters then it should not take much time or be that expensive. Many times routing water further away from the house does wonders. You should use extensions on your downspouts so that water is released ten feet or more away from the homes foundation. You also want to make sure that the water pumped out from the sump pump (if one is installed) is released ten feet or more away from the homes foundation.
If you have reoccurring damp basement problems and all the water from your gutters is routed away from the home, be prepared to spend some money in correcting the issue which may mean installing a sump pump and a drain tile system to pull away the excess ground water to keep it from affecting your basement. You can install drain tile on the inside and outside of the home. You can also install a vapor barrier system and plastic membrane that routes any water that gets through the foundation into the drain tile and then into the sump pump.
Plastic Membrane on outside of foundation
Cleaning Up the Basement
Once you have addressed the source, the final step is cleaning up and sanitizing the basement so that mold does not take hold. Of course, if you should spot signs of mold even before correcting the issues which are cause damp basement problems, then you should do so in order to stop the mold in its tracks.
Remove all the furnishings, have the carpet professionally cleaned if present and sanitize all of the affected areas of the basement to destroy any mold or mildew that might be present. You’ll want to fully dry out the basement as well so that whatever mold is missed does not have the moisture to grow and expand. You may need to use several dehumidifiers and fans to dry the basement thoroughly. Many times you will have to dispose the carpet and padding completely because padding soaks up moisture like a sponge.
You’ll want to clean your furnishings with household cleaners or industrial grade cleaners in certain cases to ensure that pockets of moisture do not collect on the surface. Once everything has been clean, dried and sanitized, you can then move everything back into your basement.
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