When it comes to the problem of flooded basements, homeowners who live in a flood prone area have two options: not build a basement for their houses at all; or prepare for the eventuality of a flooded basement. When we say preparing for it, this means footing the bill for the damages including replacement for destroyed materials, hiring professional services, and having restoration work done. This could cost a pretty penny and in fact, may drain your life savings.
Well then, consider a third option for the flooded basement problem: making your home's basement flood ready. Mind you, making the home flood ready or flood proof can incur costs too, but in the long run, if the costs go towards prevention rather than cure, they are worth every penny you spend.
When getting the basement flood proof, here are some of the factors you should look into:
1. Installation of an automatic sump pump may well be the answer to your flooded basement woes. This system will detect any water accumulation and drain this water out before it can even reach a level that is nowhere near what is termed as a flood. In addition, some even go as far as backing this up with alternate power sources, or continuously upgrading the pump to a more suitable size or volume capacity to make the flooded basement even more a remote possibility.
2. A flooded basement scenario can be prevented some more when you seal cracks in the walls, or check for any openings in the house's foundations. For houses using specialized materials like brick walls, special sealants and paints can be used to ensure that no water seeps in through these materials and keep your basement dry and flood free.
3. Basement windows, when not sealed properly, or not provided for with proper closing provisions, could also be an entry point for water, resulting in a flooded basement. Look into these things and act immediately if you see something that may cause flooding and needs repair. Install window well covers on basement windows whenever possible.
4. Install check valves and in-line valves to prevent water backing up from sewer lines and sewage backups from entering into your basement. Raw sewage is perhaps one of the most alarming floods to stay in your flooded basement as this can bring about serious health hazards such as cholera, diarrhea, and hepatitis among others.
Flood proofing your basement however, is not a foolproof guarantee that you will not experience a flooded basement ever again in your house. Sometimes, nature just takes over as in the case of hurricanes, storms, or floods, and the hydrostatic pressure is too high for any dry-proofing preventive measure to contain.
To best plan out what the most suitable flood proofing techniques for your home are, it is best to let a professional like an architect or engineer, check out your home and give out suggestions. Preventive maintenance of equipment used is also very important to maintain the effectiveness of one's flood proofing methods.
Samantha Kleiner distributes information on water damage issues for
Albany Flooded Basement Service and
Columbus Flooded Basement Service
