One of the ways to protect your property from water damage due to flooding is to keep your basement free from rain water. Of course, rain cannot be prevented from falling, but you can ensure that your basement is fortified against flooding, water seepage, and other consequences of rainfall. Below are some of the ways you can protect your basement from rain water.
- Basement Waterproofing
Poor basement waterproofing is a recipe for basement flooding. To keep rain water away from your basement, you should also ensure that it is correctly waterproofed. Basement waterproofing involves creating thorough access for rain water away from the basement and the foundation of the house. In most cases, you need to hire professional plumbers to properly basement waterproof your home.
- Grade the Home Surrounding Correctly
Grade the yard around your home to slope away from the house and not toward it. Or else, rain water will always end up in your basement. The correct grading of your lawn would ensure that rain water runs towards gutters and city streets. Take a walk around your home and examine the slope of the yard and fix it appropriately to prevent your basement from rain water.
- Clean Out the Gutters
It is crucial that you clean rain gutters at least annually to remove debris and dirt that may have blocked the water channel. Blocked gutters will not drain correctly during a heavy downpour but directly below then onto the basement and foundation of the house.
Only when the gutters are not blocked can rain water find its way into the downspouts and carried away from the house.
- Extend Downspouts
Another effective way to protect your basement from rain water is to move downspouts away from the home’s foundation. Instead of connecting downspouts to the gutters directly above your basement, add some materials to move the downspouts away from the footing of the house. You should direct the downspouts towards the lawn that slope away from the building.
- Install a Sump Pump
Depending on the structure of your basement, your basement waterproofing may require the installation of a sump pump to keep your basement free from rain water. Create a sump pit for rain water to gather, and an automatic will pump away the water.
An efficient sump pump will ensure that your basement is prevented from the flooding. This is a wise investment that will save you a lot of money that could have been spent on salvaging your home from water damage.