Our basement is pretty humid and has moisture coming up through the concrete floors. The basement has a history of mold and flooding. From listening to The Money Pit, I know proper grading and gutter maintenance outside the home should prevent this. We had a basement expert come by and he said grading was not enough – a total overhaul was necessary and he wanted to install drain systems, a new sump pump, etc to address the moisture (our ultimate goal is to finish the basement). Is he right or is he just trying to sell his services?
Our Answer
It’s no surprise that a so called wet basement “expert” would proclaim that improvements to roof and surface drainage won’t fix you damp, leaky basement. They have very strong economic reasons to do so. Basement waterproofing companies pretty much sell a single type of repair, and it’s really not a water “proofing” solution at all. If anything its a water pumping system that allows the water ot get to and through the foundation, where its collected in a sump and then pumped out to start the cycle all over again.
The reason most basements flood is because of issues with poor surface and roof drainage. To stop this from happening, you must:
- Clean gutters & downspouts;
- Make sure there are enough downspouts for the roof size. Each spout should drain no more than 600-800 sq feet of roof surface
- Extend spouts to discharge at least 6 feet from house;
- Improve the angle of soil at the foundation perimeter to slope away from the house.
In RARE circumstances, flooding is caused by a rising water table and in that case, a pump system is needed. However, we’re talking VERY RARE circumstances.
Here’s how to tell. If your basement dampness and flooding worsens consistent with rainfall, or snow melt – its always caused by drainage that’s easily fixed.
Finally, one of the most popular posts on our site is about basement waterproofing. Read it, and THEN read all the comments. You’ll see three groups of comenters. Wet basement “experts” desperate to save their money-making scams, home inspectors and other independent experts calling out the waterproofing profiteers and confirming the advice we’ve provided, and homeowners who have tried it and saved tens of thousands of dollars.
Thanks for the tips. The west facing side of my house takes all the weather and I have one wall that gets wet. There is no standing water in the basement and it does not get “extremely” wet, but it does to a noticeable amount. I have noticed some efflorescence on the block. Several have told me to dry-lock the wall but I have also heard that enough water can push it off and allow mold to grow in behind it. I run a dehumidifier in the area and keep the percentage around 45% year round. There is a brick ledge on my home even though I used vinyl siding instead of brick and it seems water runs down and sits on that ledge. I have had an excavation come out and cut a drainage ditch and slope everything but it just still seems to get wet. They did not dig out to the footer and do anything with the outside of the wall as I am sure that is expensive. Any advice on what to do? One opinion was to just leave it alone and allow it to dry out when it does get wet.