Having a wet basement is a real problem for many people worldwide and can become a cause for respiratory illness if left for too long. This hub aims to show the leading causes of basement dampness as well as the steps that can be taken to prevent or remedy the problem.

Why water accumulates in your basement

In almost 100% of cases water will be coming into your basement through joins in the wall and not up through the floor as some people believe, generally if there is earth laying against the outside of a basement wall and that wall has not been sealed correctly on the outside there will be potential for water to leech through the wall and into the basement each time it rains outside due to an increase of hydrostatic pressure in the ground.

Preventing more water from coming in

Once water starts leeching through you basement walls it usually quite a major task to stop it from occurring but ultimately it is one that is worth doing correctly to preserve the safety of your family.

The least drastic step towards preventing basement leaking is to stop water sitting against you house by creating a gradient away from the external wall. By creating a decent gradient away from the house of about one inch per foot you can dramatically reduce basement leaking simply by guiding the water away from the house and preferably into a sump. Even if this method requires that you cut into a bank and create new drainage it will still be easier than more advanced methods so give it a go first.

Digging for victory

If creating a gradient fails to resolve the issue of water leaking into your basement there are a couple of more hardcore techniques that can be tried. If the subterranean depth of the basement is not to great and you have a lot of free time on your hands the best method is always to dig a trench down the side of the external basement wall and reapply the moisture resistant paint as well as adding a non permeable rubber membrane. If installed correctly, this will provide a permanent end to basement moisture problems.

The baseboard system

Because most people don’t have the time to move tons of dirt in order to fix moisture problems in their basement a simpler method has also been designed to deal with the problem. The baseboard system (Pictured on the right) releases hydrostatic pressure through small holes drilled at the base of the wall, this water is then routed through a drain and pumped out of the garage by a sump pump this system solves majority of the problem without hugely impacting on the overall look of a basement. The problem that can arise with this system is that evaporating water from within the system can cause high levels of water within the air. If this becomes a problem it is recommended that a dehumidifier be placed in the basement.