Drain Repair and Why Basements Leak
By TOI Staff
December 28, 2022
Update on : January 30, 2024
For most homes located in areas that experience the winter season, flooded basements are a common occurrence. Spending a holiday mopping flooded basements can be very frustrating, which is necessary to understand and practice drain repair.
There are many reasons why your basement leaks during the winter or in any other season. Understanding the cause of the basement leakage is important before deciding on the best cause of action. Here are some of the reasons your basement is leaking and why drain repair Toronto could be the best solution.
1. Improper Slope Near Your Foundation
The soil slope around your area plays a major role in basement leakages. The slope should face away from your foundation and not towards it. Having a slope face away from the foundation’s walls helps keep them moisture free; hence, there are minimal chances of water seeping inside.
Suppose the area near your home is towards your foundation and not away from it. In that case, you should consider getting experts in drain repair in Toronto to evaluate how to handle the situation to prevent water leakages into the basement.
Before buying it, you should always ensure that the slope near the property is sloping at least six inches from the foundation walls. Before you buy a home, inspect and confirm that there is a path downwards to allow water to flow away from the foundation and not towards it.
2. Clogged Drains
Sometimes the cause of a flooded basement might be interior and not always leakages from the outside. Clogged drains are a major cause of leaks in the basement. Instead of going through the entire trouble of waterproofing basement Toronto you can always ensure that your drains are always well maintained and unclogged at all times.
Clogged pipes cause leakages in that they make water go back into your pipes, which results in overflowing and flooding your basement with time.
Clogs do not only occur in drains but also other pipes in the house. If you need to learn how to unclog pipes, you should get experts in drain repair in Toronto to do it correctly.
Ensure your drains and pipes are clean and always well maintained to avoid the formation of clogs that could cause leakages into the basement.
3. Leakage From Basement Windows
It is important to have windows in the basement to let in light. However, faulty windows in the basement are a major cause of leakages.
The windows in your basement should always be properly sealed and free from any cracks to avoid creating paths for water into the basement.
The wells, which are the areas near the basement windows, should be equipped with a proper drainage system to prevent water accumulation near the window, which could eventually seep into the basement.
4. Lateral Pressure
This is the kind of pressure caused by the soil near your foundation. If the pressure is too much, it could result in expansion and, finally, cracking of the foundation walls. These cracks allow the leakage of underground water into the basement, especially during the rainy season.
When the weather is normal, the soil water drains out normally, but during the winter, the water in the soil freezes and causes the soil to expand more a pressure which is later transferred to the foundation walls.
When the foundation walls cannot hold the pressure any longer, they crack, creating a passage for water into the basement. Once there is water in the basement, the only possible solution is to drain Toronto repair.
5. The Type Of Soil
Some types of soils are well known for their capability to hold water for a long time after the rains. Some people need to pay more attention to the importance of the type of soil their home stands on, which should not be the case.
If the soil surrounding your foundation has poor drainage, chances are it will hold water for a long time. In this period, the water may seep slowly into the basement without you, the homeowner, even noticing.
If the soil around your foundation walls has poor drainage, you can fill the area with dirt and top it with stones. This way, the water will be able to drain away rather than dealing with drain Toronto repair in the long run.
Read more: Drain Repair and Why Basements LeakLatest News
Related Posts
