The Basement Flood: A Story of the Human Spirit

As the lowest point in your home, your basement is the most likely space to experience flooding or water damage at some time. Unfortunately, professional flooded basement cleanup services can range anywhere from $1,000 to $7,000, depending on the extent of your flooding.

To help prevent spending hours cleaning up your basement or paying thousands for a professional to come out after it floods, we’ve put together 8 tips to help prevent your basement from flooding.

Table of Contents

7 Tips to Prevent A Flooded Basement

Taking even one of the following tips can help prevent you from dealing with a flooded basement and avoid water damage or mold growth in your home.

Install A Basement Waterproofing System
Fill Foundation Cracks
Improve Water Drainage from Your Home
Replace Water Supply Line Hoses
Address Plumbing Problems
Install A Leak Detection System
Invest in Flood Insurance

Install A Basement Waterproofing System

If your basement is naturally prone to flooding because of where your home is located, the best thing to do is install a waterproofing system. There are many different types of basement waterproofing systems, all working to keep water and moisture out of the space.

Different Types of Basement Waterproofing:

Sump pumps automatically turn on and pump water away from your home when groundwater levels rise
French drainage systems are installed around the sides of the basement to drain water away before it enters
Floor drains can be beneficial to help resolve constant flooding on its own
Fully waterproofing walls and floors are best for crawlspaces or unused spaces

If you install a sump pump, you should be sure to purchase a backup generator or a sump pump that doesn’t require power to work. The times where you need your sump pump the most are also when heavy rainstorms can cause power outages.

Fill Foundation Cracks

Any crack or opening in your foundation makes it significantly easier for water to enter through basement walls. Any time it rains or excess snow melts, you’ll likely notice water coming through the walls.

You can use epoxy to fill small foundation cracks that don’t pose a threat to the integrity of your home’s structure. If you find any serious cracks or shifting, you should immediately call a professional to inspect it.

Improve Water Drainage from Your Home

When water isn’t properly navigated away from the foundation of your home, it increases groundwater levels and makes it more likely for water to seep into the basement. To improve drainage, you can do the following:

Make sure gutters are clear of debris and flowing freely
Extend gutter downspouts further away from the foundation
Slope landscaping up towards your foundation, so that water naturally flows away

Replace Water Supply Line Hoses

Most water supply lines are only designed to last upwards of 7 years. Any time after that, your risk of it coming loose or leaking increases year after year.

Many appliances use water supply lines that can cause your basement to flood when they are detached. These appliances include washing machines, dishwashers, ice maker lines, water filtration systems, or even your air conditioning unit. It is crucial to ensure that these connections are secure and reliable, which is why choosing a high-quality hoses supplier is essential.

Address Plumbing Problems

If you ignore plumbing problems in your home, they can end up flooding your basement. Frozen pipes can burst, small leaks can turn into large ones, and if you don’t have your septic system routinely serviced you can end up with a sewage backup in your basement. Anytime you notice a plumbing issue in your home, address it immediately. Once something breaks or overflows, water will flow down until it reaches the lowest point and floods your basement.

Install a Leak Detection System

Since we can’t see what’s going on behind walls or inside appliances, it’s not always easy to spot a water leak before it turns into a flood. If you install a leak detection system, it can automatically turn off the water in your home when it senses an abnormal flow or change in water pressure.

These systems can be installed on specific appliances like water heaters or installed to detect for the entire home. These can provide a huge peace of mind and help prevent a flooded basement all by itself.

Invest in Flood Insurance

Unfortunately, some homes are in flood zones which are naturally prone to flooding. In these areas, even if you take all the steps outlined here, your basement can still flood after an intense storm.

If your home is in a flood zone, you should heavily consider purchasing additional flood insurance for your home insurance policy. When you have this additional coverage, flooding that wouldn’t normally be covered is. This means that the insurance company will cover flooding from groundwater, something that isn’t covered in standard policies.