Tips to Reduce and / or Eliminate Basement Leakage

Also Published in April 2011 Edition

With the coming of the “April Showers”, homes prone to basement leakage may start to experience some difficulties.  Fortunately, basement leakage can often be resolved by some exterior maintenance without spending a huge amount of money.  Foundation walls are not waterproof; they are water resistant.  If water is kept up against a foundation wall, eventually the water will push its way in. Keep the water away from your foundation and there won’t be any water to leak into the basement.

There are three yearly maintenance items that need to be done, even in new homes.  Firstly, clean the gutters (eaves-troughs) of debris such as leaves, dirt, roof shingles.  Rain that falls onto a home is collected into the gutters and directed to the downspouts.  Clogged gutters overflow allowing rain to pound down on the ground causing the ground to depress and create pools.  Secondly, ensure that the downspouts are not blocked and extended about six feet away from the home. Downspouts that do not extend away from your home take all the collected rain and put in all in one location.  Splash pads do not work over time as they too depress causing pools of water.  Thirdly, now that we have all the water away from the home it needs to stay away by ensuring the ground slopes away from your home. The first six feet of ground around your property should slope away.  The slope away from your home doesn’t need to be very much.  A 2% slope (a drop of just 1.5” over the 6’) is the minimum you need to get the water to flow away from your home.  If it flows away, the water won’t be there to force its way in.

On a rainy day, if you walk around your home, you will see if the water is flowing away, pooling or worse – flowing toward your home.   Keep in mind that if you are already experiencing leakage that means the ground around your home is already saturated.  Doing the above will not fix the problem right away in your case.  It can take months for the ground to dry out.  Once dry, the next time it rains only the top layer of soil will get wet and the rest will flow away.

I have seen century homes with exposed stone foundations that didn’t leak using nothing more than the three exterior maintenance items above.  Before you consider more costly alternatives like excavation and waterproofing your foundation, try cleaning your gutters, extending your downspouts and improving the lot grading.

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