Prevent Your Basement from Flooding : Water Management Strategies that Work

If you’re a homeowner of an older historic home in Orangeville, Caledon, Alliston or anywhere else in rural Ontario, you’ll notice that your basement typically remains wet and humid especially after a significant storm or in the springtime when snow melts. Due to the location of your basement being below grade (underground), it is inherently subjected to moisture issues through high water tables, foundations in contact with wet soil, poor drainage and lack of modern vapor barriers built into the basement walls.

Water naturally wants to seep into dry spaces from surrounding wet soil and a heavy storm could overwhelm your drainage system resulting in a wet or flooded basement. Failure to manage water and allowing it to collect in your poorly ventilated basement can cause mold growth leading to severe health problems and structural damages to the home foundation if left unattended.

Older homes were not built with the appropriate preventative measures such as properly sized drainage, ventilation, waterproof plastic materials and modern moisture barriers leaving you at risk for water collecting in your basement and around your home foundation.

Water Management Strategies to prevent a Wet Basement or a Flooded Basement

Here are 2 easy steps that you can take to ensure that your basement stays dry even during the worst storms

1. Check and Clean Drain Pipes

Drain pipes are the essential piece of your home water management strategy by directing water away from your basement and foundation. Drain pipes appropriately sized and installed in the right locations will effect manage water in and around your property. However, your drains can get clogged by soil, roots and debris over time. Your drains must be regularly maintained and flushed to ensure that they do not clog or get backed up during the most critical times.

Manax Plumbing provides professional drain cleaning services to keep your drains flowing year round. We have equipment that will snake, rod, and jet your drains while checking the current conditions of your drains with a video scope. Our licensed plumbers are insured and their work is guaranteed.

2. Sump Pump System with Battery Backup

An adequately sized sump pump is designed for water management in the instance that your basement gets flooded by removing the water entering your living space. As a general rule, we recommend 1 sump pump for every 1000 ft of basement area although more pumps may be needed based on your area’s rainfall, home site and drainage. When water begins draining in to your basement and your drains are overwhelmed, the sump pump detects the presence of water and beings pumping water out of your basement away from your home. This serves as the final line of defense for your water management system.

But what happens when the lights go out and your pump stops working during a heavy storm?

In these worst case scenarios, Manax recommends a sump pump system with a battery backup so that your pump continues to function when it is needed the most. When the electrical grid fails, the battery backup system kicks in to power your pump and keep your basement dry preventing thousands of dollars in damages in the process.

Our licensed plumbers are trained to install these systems so that they can handle the worst case scenarios. You can have peace of mind knowing your historic home and your health are protected.

Conclusion

Waterproofing basements in a modern home is difficult and expensive while being virtually impossible in an older home. The best way to manage water is to assume that there eventually will be a failure and to put a proper water management system in place that prioritizes drainage over complete waterproofing.

If you don’t already have drainage systems in place to manage water around your home, get them installed as soon as possible. Inspect and maintain your drains regularly to prevent backups and clogs. Finally, install a properly sized sump pump system with a battery backup to guarantee protection of your home during storm.

With these 2 preventative steps implemented in your water management strategy, you can rest assured that you’ll keep your basement and foundation dry which will extend the lifespan of your home, preserve your family’s wellbeing and reduce your overall maintenance costs further down the road.

Don’t gamble with your most valuable investment.

Call Manax Plumbing Today for a Drain Inspection or a Sump Pump Install.

Contact us to schedule an estimate today!