Keep Water Out of Your Basement

12/2/2021 (Permalink)

One of the keys of making sure your basement stays dry is to keep water away from your foundation. Read SERVPRO's tips on how to do that.

Most West Hartford-area homeowners are concerned about getting water in their basements, and rightly so. The water may come from a burst pipe, a damaged appliance or a widespread flood due to a storm or other natural disaster. These are emergency situations usually come with little warning and must be dealt with quickly.

There’s another type of basement water problem that you can prevent, though, and that’s water that enters your basement slowly and over time, usually through your foundation. Still, get enough water in your basement and you can have damage to your furniture, drywall, flooring, appliances and personal items—not to mention the possibility of a mold problem that just won’t go away.

Water Belongs Outside of Your Basement

Many homes in central Connecticut have a perimeter drainage system. If yours isn’t keeping water out of your home, hire a professional engineering or waterproofing firm to determine what’s wrong and fix it.

There are several important things you can do on your own to protect your basement. These have to do with the way rainwater and snowmelt is routed away from your home.

What’s the landscape like?

Take a look at your yard. It should slope slightly downhill from the foundation on all four sides so that water drains away from your house. If you see small depressions or swales, fill them in with clay-based soil.

Larger depressions or areas that typically get soggy after a storm, however, call for a professional regrading of your property, as does a house that is surrounded by higher ground.

How’s your drainage system?

Your gutters and downspouts direct water from your roof to the ground and away from your house. Once or twice a year, check your gutters for leaves and debris, and clear the mess out.

After a heavy rainstorm, take a look at your gutters to see if any water spills over the edges. That indicates that you need to have the slope adjusted so that it sends water to the downspout.

Finally, do your downspouts direct water ten or more feet away from your foundation? If water pools on the ground near your foundation, install extenders to carry the water away from your home.

In Case of Basement Water Damage

Any time you have water in your basement, SERVPRO of West Hartford is just a phone call away. We are the experienced local experts in water damage restoration and we get to the scene ASAP to evaluate your damage and make a plan to clean up and restore everything. We repair or rebuild structural damage; we clean and restore your personal items, furnishings and furniture; and we work with your insurance company to speed up your claim.

We’re Here for You

The team at SERVPRO of West Hartford has specialized training and experience in water damage remediation, fire restoration services, natural disaster prevention, chemical cleanup, and natural disaster cleanup. Call SERVPRO of West Hartford (860.206.6141) any time.

If your home or business suffers a flood, call SERVPRO of West Hartford today at 860.206.6141 for immediate water damage cleanup and restoration of your structure and property

Other Helpful Blog Posts

SERVPRO publishes educational articles on how to protect your home or business from disasters and how to deal with water, sewage, storm, mold, fire and other damage.

SERVPRO of West Hartford
100 Peters Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002
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Call 860.206.6141
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If your home or business suffers a flood, call SERVPRO of West Hartford today at 860.206.6141 for immediate water damage cleanup and restoration of your structure and property