Water in your basement

Water in your basement…

                    April showers bring May flowers and can also bring flooding.  If you reside in a flood zone then you probably do not need to read this blog as you have more knowledge of water flooding your basement than you want to know.

               There are different conditions that exist that contribute to being prone to flooding.

1)      Flood Zone – your dwelling is built in a flood zone

2)      Soil conditions – clay vs gravel or sand

3)      Water table – property abuts reservoir, lake, or river

4)      Porous foundation – poured concrete vs stone with penetrations at the grout lines or cracking

Let’s discuss each condition:

1)      Flood zone - If your home or office is built is in a flood zone, you must know because you probably cannot get homeowners insurance or you rates are very high. What Flood zone means is there is an existing condition that causes neighboring river or stream to overflow and spread into the community.

2)      Soil Conditions – In Massachusetts there is an inspectional requirement for this item, basically the local inspector comes on-site to verify the soil conditions once your foundation hole is excavated. If poor soil conditions exist, ie. clay, loam, or compressed materials that do not allow for proper drainage of water the material has to be removed and clean gravel is trucked in to the site to replace the removed soil.

3)      Water Table – Flood zone and water table cannot be the same item in a majority of circumstances but not always. Your home or building can be constructed in an isolated area, where there is a high water table but not in a flood zone, ledge, underground stream, or poor soil conditions (lack of drainage)

4)      Porous Foundation – Depending on the age of your home your foundation may not have been poured concrete. Other foundation materials could be granite, field stone, or cinderblocks. If your foundation is poured concrete the water can get into your basement through the walls or through the flooring, water pressure or weakness in the concrete mix can cause cracking. If your foundation is not concrete, the grout used to bond the stone is usually the source for water entry.

This is just a brief outline of some of the various conditions that can cause water to enter into your basement. For most conditions there are various types of remedies.

Contact your local licensed professional, who is capable of obtaining a permit from your city or town.

George Lonergan

President

Lonergan Construction, Inc

508-875-0052

George@LonerganConstruction.com