Basement Home Theater Gallery
Four Simple Outdoor Repairs To Keep Your Basement Dry
Spring showers and snow melt don’t have to lead to a leaky basement if you take action now. A few easy steps added to your autumn yard clean up plans can prevent basement leaks in the spring.
Because most damp basement problems begin outside your house, now is the perfect time to eliminate them and experience a dry basement in the years ahead.
Here are four common problem areas to investigate in order to fix a leaky basement.
Gutters: Clogged gutters blocked with debris are the most likely cause of rain and melting snow runoff that drains into your house’s basement. When gutters are clogged, water running off the roof has nowhere to go but over the edge of the gutter. That usually spills the water right next to the foundation.
Cleaning out gutters ought to be a regular part of your fall and spring clean up routine. Inspect your gutters in the fall after most leaves have fallen and then again in the spring to look for winter damage and debris that may have built up over the winter.
Downspouts : Make sure your house’s downspouts are draining at least eight-to-ten feet beyond the foundation. If you are utilizing troughs or downspout extensions to lengthen the drainage area, adjust so that they are angled down hill.
The Foundation: Ensure the earth around your house’s foundation and make sure that it drains down and away from the foundation. If you need to add soil, use fill dirt or soil with high clay content. Avoid using black dirt. Black dirt is too porous and water running off the roof will soak right through it before it has the opportunity to drain away.
Also ensure concrete sidewalks and patio slabs that ajoin the foundation. If the concrete sections are sloping down towards the foundation, they should be be mud jacked up or replaced. If there is only a little incline, you may be able to get away with caulking the joint where the slab hits the basement wall with a waterproof caulk.
Basement Windows: If your home has window wells, check to make sure the gravel at the bottom of the well hasn’t been clogged with leaves or that plants are growing in the window well. Clean out the plants and debris and rake the gravel to help loosen it and restore drainage.
Use your autumn home repair routine to get ahead of spring basement leaks and keep your basement dry.
To learn more about how to keep your basement dry and leak free, visit basement-leak-repair.com.
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