Preventing Water Seepage in Your Home & Basement

These last few weeks (and years) have made it apparent that Iowa’s rain fall can be unpredictable year to year. In the last year we’ve gone from drought to watching our gutter spouts, hopefully, working to protect our home from intrusive water. Our tips on how to try and avoid a wet basement might come in handy. These tips may not completely prevent all water from finding its way in somehow, but our homes are valuable investments and every little bit we do to protect it will reap its rewards. Here are some ideas on how to try and keep an upper hand on controlling the water from reaching your basement/foundation.

DIY Route
-Annually clean out all the gutters around your house. Once cleaned, get a hose to make sure the down spouts are cleared and not clogging up anywhere.

-Point all downspouts approx. 3 feet away from the foundation of the home.

-Make sure that the ground surrounding your home and foundation slope away from the house. The slope grade can be very slight but make sure that you are not making a slope that would allow water to pool near the home.

-Install a check valve for backup sewer. Flooding does cause street sewer lines to back up, and could lead back into your home!

-Where the sump pump is, try making the hole deeper so it will collect longer before it floods out onto the floor.

Professional Route

-Drywells and in-ground perforated tanks that can collect water run offs may be installed. These are 55-gallon oil drums with holes punched in them. This allows water to fill up 10 ft away from your home and collects snowmelt or rain fall and slowly slopes them away from the house to prevent water damage in your foundation.

These tips and steps could save you headaches in the future and keep some cash in your pocket.