Individuals who have encountered the problem of flooded basement know that it is a serious as well as an expensive problem. There are many people who have to face this problem. There are insurance claims of more than $1 billion that are filed every year for flooded basement and individual claims average around $5000 or more.



How does water enter the flooded basement?

There are many ways water enters the basement and floods the area. Heavy rains or melting of the snow due to an increase in the temperature results in the basements getting flooded. A leak in the basement walls is enough to allow water into the basement and result in a flood. There are several other ways water gets into the flooded basement:

* It might be that there are gutters that are flooded or there is a leakage in the downspouts or that it has got clogged and that has resulted in the water flooding the area.

* Inadequate drainage.

* Non-operational sump pump.

* Improper functioning of the sewer system.

To stop your basement from getting flooded it is best to start with the roof of the basement. After you have finished checking it for cracks you can proceed to inspecting the ground and finally checking the plumbing system of the house.

Gutters and downspouts

These help to take the water away from the roof and away from the foundation of the house. If there are no proper gutters the water would wet the edge of the foundation and then in all probability inch towards the flooded basement. It is important to check that the gutters and the downspouts are not clogged with debris to enable water to flow without any obstruction. You should also see to it that the downspouts drain the water away from the house, more than 3 feet away.

Grading the land surrounding your house

The land around your house should slope down from the foundation to allow water to run down. To make a proper grading you can add soil and increase the level of land that is near the foundation and then slope it downward from there. By doing this you would lessen the chances of water coming in contact with the foundation walls and seeping into the basement.

How to maintain sump pumps

If you have installed a sump pump you should take care to see that it is cleaned at regular intervals. If your sump pump gets clogged it will not be able to function at all. You would also have to keep in mind that the discharge pipe is kept at a distance from the foundation. This will prevent the water from entering the flooded basement again.

Making your basement flood proof

It is necessary that you have a backwater valve that would prevent the water as well as the sewage that has collected from flowing back into the basement.

It is not at all difficult to prevent flooded basement. By following some simple steps you would be able to do most of the work yourself.