How Does Rain Get into Your Basement?

Fall sure has snuck up on us this year. With high temperatures and plenty of sunshine it is easy to forget that fall has begun.  With fall come fall rains, and with fall rains comes a wet basement. But how does all this water actually get into your basement?  

As with any situation, there are several ways water can enter your home.  The most common reason for wet basements are external drain clogs. When your house is built, an external drain tile is put on the outside of your home.  This will run to a drain or a sump pump based on when your home was built.   

Even though there are several different types of drain tile, they all have the same issue.  The drain tile clogs with dirt and sediment brought into the tile by the water as it’s pooling up around the foundation.  

When this happens, that water sits on the outside of the home. It becomes only a matter of time until the water finds its way into the home through cracks or at the joint at the base of the base of the wall where it meets the floor.    

If this is the case, it can be addressed with an internal drain system. It is installed on it inside of your basement.  The benefit is it's kept up and out of the dirt. It leads to a sump pump that will pump the water away from your home and the looser soil that surrounds it. 

However, there are plenty of other reasons water enters your home. Foundation concerns like bowing and settling cause cracks.  These cracks allow water to enter your home. No need to worry, vapor wall barriers can address this problem and we also have solutions for the foundation concerns. Any bowing walls would have to be straightened. This can be done using our bracing or anchoring system.   

If water enters your basement and you are not sure why, give us a call here at Midwest Basement Systems at 1-515-289-1606.