There’s not a basement built in the Chicago area that’s not susceptible to wetness.
Basements are built below grade, and water-usually rainwater-can enter in a number of ways.
“Seventy-eight percent of all homes will leak, especially in the Chicago area,” says Bob Cooney, general manager of Lombard-based Ever-Dry Waterproofing. “And this can happen to homes that are more than 50 years old, and I’ve seen it happen to homes that are a few years old.”
Wet basements, however, are mostly a nuisance. The most common problems associated with leaky basements are mold and mildew, and rust and rot.
Water heaters, washers and dryers and other equipment-as well as possessions stored in a basement-can also be damaged by water if it climbs high enough. And in rare cases, continued water damage can weaken a home’s foundations.
When it comes to basement flooding, every home is individual, says Mike Nagel, president of the Professional Remodeler’s Association of Chicago.
“A lot can depend on where a home is located topographically, the elevation of the land, the type of soil, and if there’s underground water sources,” he says.
Even a home that has never leaked can begin accumulating water in the basement if the environment around it changes-say, the construction of a new subdivision across the road.
Although there are no permanent repairs for wet basements, there are certain steps you can take to reduce seepage. The cost of these steps can range from a few dollars to the thousands.
The first step is to determine how water is getting in. Then you can decide on the appropriate action. And waterproofing should be heavily considered by anyone contemplating finished space in a basement, the experts say.
What follows is a list of the different ways water can get into a basement and the potential solutions.
Through the cracks
One of the most common ways for water to enter a basement is through seepage during rainy periods.
“The ground around the house saturates with water and the pressure of that water forces it through the small cracks in the basement walls and floors,” says Nagel.
Water is most likely to enter from the joint where the basement walls meet the floor.
Possible remedies:
– If there is minor seepage, one low-cost solution is to patch any cracks and holes from the inside with hydraulic cement, a quick-setting mixture that expands when it reaches water. Another low-cost solution is waterproofing paint made especially for basements. Both are available at home improvement stores. The cement usually costs about $20 while the paint, depending on the brand, can cost several hundred dollars to cover all the floors and walls of a large basement.
Both the cement and paint are usually viewed as a temporary solution, the waterproofing experts say.
“You can’t really solve the problem from the inside; you’re just going to delay it,” says Frank Holomshek, a manager with the Chicago-based Elston Ace Hardware. “Eventually, the water will look for the next weakest point of entry.”
But the processes may be enough to stop minor seepage.
– You can also try to divert water away from the foundation walls by making sure the ground slopes down from the house. If you have a large lot, you can build a berm around the house to divert water.
Also, remove any shrubs right next to the house because their roots tend to keep the ground wet.
– Make sure the sump pump is functioning properly. As rain water saturates the ground, it is collected by a porous drain tile pipe that runs around the perimeter of a home.
The water runs along the pipe and into a tank on the basement floor called a sump pit. There, it collects until it reaches a certain depth and is pumped back outside and away from the house.
If the pump’s intake valve gets clogged, it will not operate properly. Clean and test the pump according to the manufacturer’s directions and replace it if necessary. Also, a battery-powered backup sump pump can be installed to kick in during power outages.
– You can also try to keep the foundation dry by disconnecting any downspouts (vertical gutters) that are channeled into the ground. Sometimes, these downspouts are connected to the drain tile system. But if the drain tile is in bad shape, the water from the downspouts simply saturates the ground.
In homes without sumps, the drain tile may divert water away from the house simply by gravity. But again, if the tile is in poor shape, the ground will become saturated.
Cut the downspout pipe about a foot above the ground, attach an elbow and use an extension to divert water at least several feet away from the house. Be careful not to flood your neighbor’s property.
Also, make sure your gutter system is clean and operating properly.
– Finally, you can call in a professional waterproofing firm. These firms alleviate flooding by excavating the land around the house, sealing the foundation walls, and installing elaborate drainage and pumping systems under the basement floor.
Other firms use a process called injection in which a sealer is injected into the ground, eliminating the need for an excavation.
Such work, however, can easily run into the thousands of dollars.
Floor drains
During extremely heavy rains, rainwater may be forced up a floor drain in a basement as local sewers overflow and back up. This usually occurs in areas where there are older combined sewage and rainwater sewer systems.
This may flood the basement with a mix of rainwater and sewage. “You can tell if the floor drain is backing up because you can see it coming up and you will get a smell,” says Cooney.
Possible solutions:
– The most common, and a very inexpensive, remedy for a flooding floor drain is a standpipe, a large vertical pipe that fits into the drain.
“The water moves up the standpipe instead of into your basement,” says Holomshek. “The standpipe is helpful in that there is nothing you can do about overflowing sewers.”
To assist with the drainage of the water, make sure the floor drains are open and clean, he adds. “Have them rodded out occasionally so if something is flushed into the drain, it still empties.”
– You can also try to keep the sewers from backing up by disconnecting the downspouts, which may be tied into the sewers. Use the steps described above to divert the water away from the house instead.
– A more expensive option is the installation of a sewer valve, or an overhead sewer and ejector pump system. These systems are especially worthwhile if you’re planning to install a basement bathroom.
A sewer valve prevents flooding by shutting down the line when a backup occurs. The valves usually are installed underground in front of your home and can work automatically or can be manually triggered.
When closed, they can’t be used-toilets can’t be flushed or showers taken (although some automatic valves have built-in bypass lines).
With an overhead system, basement sewage is pumped out of the home with a motorized ejector pump through an overhead pipe system. The height of the above-grade overhead pipe prevents sewage from backing up into the house.
Both systems can costs several thousand dollars and require a professional to install.
Walkout doors
Another way water often makes its way into a basement is under a walkout door. Usually, there is a floor drain outside that door.
If the interior floor drain is not backing up, check the exterior drain for blockage.
If the exterior drain is backing up, a standpipe will prevent the water from coming up (see the steps above).
A weatherseal on the bottom of the door will also help prevent water from entering the basement.
Pipe condensation
Water can also collect in small puddles on a basement floor as a result of water pipe condensation.
This can be eliminated easily with a pipe wrap, which costs a few dollars at most home improvement stores.
A simple way to take the muggy feeling out of a basement is to purchase a dehumidifier. The devices come in a wide range of shapes and sizes and resemble portable room humidifiers.
Dehumidifiers eliminate excess moisture from a room by drawing air over the refrigerated coils. The moisture in the air condenses into water and is collected in a tank.
The water can also be routed automatically to a drain.
Windows, window wells
Windows can be another entry point for water. Sometimes, the frame of a basement window may have cracks or holes that allow water to penetrate. Seal the cracks and holes with caulk when dry, or replace the window.
If the windows are slightly below grade and there’s a window well, they may have drains at their exterior bases that may be clogged with leaves and other debris. Clean them out.
There are also bubble-shaped covers you can place over the windows wells that divert water away from the well.
