How does water get into my basement?  Any solutions?

A lot of rain has fallen already in 2019.

When a river comes out of its banks after heavy rain, it can quickly climb beyond flood level and end up on your property. If it reaches your home’s foundation, the pressure can allow the water to seep through the walls and into your home. 

Even if rivers and streams haven't flooded, heavy rainfall that continues over the course of several days can be detrimental to your home. Over time, the ground becomes saturated and it cannot hold any more water, so that water begins to move. Often, it ends up moving around your foundation and into your basement.

Also, your gutter system plays a role in keeping your basement free from water. If your gutters are overflowing, if your downspouts are clogged, or even if your downspouts do not drain the water from your roof appropriately, flooding may occur.

When you install a sump pump, the lowest point in your home becomes the sump pit. We recommend an automatic sump pump, which means the pump motor will trigger via a float mechanism. Once the float arm reaches a certain level, the motor turns on, the pump removes excess water.  Once the float goes back to its normal position, the motor turns off.

Other items that can be useful in heavy rains are utility hand pumps, mops, mop buckets.  Also, if you own a business, it can be wise to purchase wet floor signs to alert customers of potential hazards.

If you notice during the heavy rain that the water is not moving like it should around your property,  metal or dual-wall corrugated culverts can be installed to help with this problem in the future.