How Does Water Get Into Your Basement?

Water can be great in homes; after all, who doesn’t love having water to wash their dishes with or a hot shower? But, when water gets where it’s not supposed to be, it can cause substantial damage to your home quickly. Water in your basement or crawl spaces is a common issue amongst homeowners, and luckily with proper basement waterproofing, many of the problems can be avoided. But if your basement isn’t waterproofed, what exactly can cause water to seep into your basement? 

What Can Cause Water in Your Basement and Crawl Spaces? 

From the Top of your Foundation

A frequent culprit for water getting into your basement via the top of your foundation is your landscaping and hardscaping. Flower boxes can be too high,  or shrubs are planted too close, causing roots to grow or water to pool against your foundation. For hardscaping, any structure that isn’t correctly installed next to your foundation. Even a raised porch can cause damage to any drainage systems on your property and cause leaks and cracks over time in the top of your foundation. 

Water can also seep through broken window and door seals, a missing or damaged chimney cap, and broken water lines behind drywall. 

Through The Foundation without Basement Waterproofing

This happens gradually over time as stormwater wears away at your concrete or brick-and-mortar foundation. It often will start as pin cracks in your foundation, and over time water erodes through, causing significant leaks, water pooling, and the opportunity for mold growth in your basement. Other times, leaking can be caused by lousy construction, including not properly settling concrete. If there has been any kind of renovation work to the basement, pipes or other fixtures behind the wall can be removed and not properly sealed or filled back in, which can create a hole for water to seep in through. 

Up Through The Floor 

If you’re noticing water coming up through your floor, be sure to contact a professional as soon as possible! Most often, water accumulates under the floor and creates hydrostatic pressure causing water to come up through cracks. This can cause a tremendous amount of flooding in your basement, leading to many other problems in the future. 

Contact All Aspects Waterproofing Today for Basement Waterproofing!

When it comes to finding the best solution for your crawl space encapsulation and waterproofing needs, contact All Aspect Waterproofing, a Better Business Bureau A+ rated company with over 30 years of experience in the Washington, DC./Maryland/Virginia area. We have a great deal of experience in waterproofing, mold testing, and mold remediation, and we want to make you feel at home again. Contact us online or by calling 1-866-999-3110 or 301-766-4420.  To see what we’re up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Houzz.