A1 Foundation Crack Repair Blog

We have been having some spring-like weather with a lot of rain and there is more on the way. At A-1 Foundation Crack Repair, we hope that you have not had any water in the basement. But understanding how water enters your home is the best prevention.

As you know, water seeks the path of least resistance. It gets into your home through cracks in walls and foundation and over and under the footer. It is  important to address the issues which are the source of the problem.

If water enters your home from multiple areas, it is important to address those problems at the same time. Addressing one problem at a time will still allow water in your home.

Two common ways we see water in the basement is over and under the footer of your home.

Water coming in under the footer
Common construction methods may leave a small space between the footer and the poured basement floor. Excess water under the structure may create pressure and cause water to find its way through those small cracks and into your basement.

Water coming in over the footer
Water in the basement can also comet through the crack between the footer and wall sitting on it, often causing damage to the inside of your home or making the basement space unusable for storage or recreation.

Contact A-1 Foundation Crack Repair if you suspect that your basement is flooding because of your homes footer.

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Massachusetts and Rhode Island have had quite a bit of rain. Unfortunately there are some more wet days ahead. We have met people who have water in the basement who never have before. Well, if your basement gets flooded once, it will get flooded again. Even well-made foundations can develop cracks and problems over time.

Between your foundation and your roof, it is hard to say which is more important to the structural integrity of your home, but surely, your foundation is the cornerstone of your home, the footing.

Foundation problems cause whole house problems. Settling soil, heavy rain, and other ground movement issues can cause water to enter a basement even if there has never been a water problem before. Serious problems can arise from cracking, crumbling, and settling in and around your foundation. When your basement gets flooded, those problems are compounded.

Click "flooded basement" if you are concerned about your foundation or have recently had water in your basement.

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Too many people are dealing with wet basements. Now that the hurricane is over you can address your wet basement problems and be prepared (and relaxed) for the next time. You need to not only clean up the water, but you need to prevent basement floods from happening again. Because, as many people found out, sump pumps are great, but if there is no power, there isn't a whole lot you can do.

Keep in mind that you have about 48 hours to get your basement dry before mold starts to grow. Water extraction is the key. It is important to get dehumidification equipment into your basement. You need the air to be dried out and dehumidified. Often sheet rock or plaster has to be removed and you need to get air behind the walls in order to get it dry. 

After you have your basement dried out, you need to take steps to ensure that you don’t get water again. It is a fact, if you get water in your basement once, you will get it again.   The first step is to figure out where it came from in order to address the best way of eliminating it in the future.

If you got water in your basement from the hurricane, contact A1 Foundation Crack Repair so we can help prevent you from EVER taking in water again.

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There are plenty of homes out there with leaky basements. Many homeowners just assume their basement will be dark and damp. Maybe the concrete floor has a crack, or the foundation leaks a bit, or perhaps there is a leak where the pipes go through the basement walls. Through a towel on that, clean that right up and you’re all set right? Wrong.

Even if you don’t have a finished basement, even if the water doesn’t bother anything at all, you should take basement leaks seriously. Here's why:

Insects - There are many insects that seek out dark and damp areas including termites, cockroaches and spiders. We aren’t just talking about not liking bugs here. Termites and wood boring beetles, can damage your home. But insects can also cause health problems and they very challenging to get rid of without taking serious steps that involve harsh chemicals.

Health Problems - Mold and mildew dark and damp places, and damp basements are the perfect habitat. Mold can have serious effects on your family’s health, especially if there are asthma or allergies involved. Mold can increase the asthma attacks and itchy, watery eyes.

Integrity of your Foundation - A small wall or floor crack may seem harmless. But that crack may be hiding something bigger that you just can’t see.  If your doors aren’t shutting right floors are starting to warp this could be a result of the leak in your basement.

Resale value – Adding a basement to the list of amenities of your home when you  go to sell is a huge advantage. However, listing a home that has water damage in the basement is a big red flag. With all the homes on the market, and all the choices buyers have today, your home needs to be as enticing as ever to attract buyers.

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There is no question that homes with basements provide us with much more space than those with only crawl spaces. Often, homeowners will put recreational rooms in the basement, or perhaps an office. Other times, the basement will be storage, a tool shed and a laundry room combined, but this still provides us with extra space upstairs. So, there is no point in going into why a wet basement is a bother.

Water in the basement is a problem, even if it is empty, (and they never are). There are really two different ways in which water can enter our basement, and both will entail some form of waterproofing. Water can either come in slowly, almost undetected or it can quickly invade our basement causing a flood.

Moisture is often a problem since basements are below ground level, even if it is not visible. It may show up as mold or mildew. Even if you can’t see the moisture, there are definite signs that it is there.

Doing a little bit of basement waterproofing for this usually means installing a basement dehumidifier which will run on a regular basis, at least through the summer, fall and spring.

Of course, the other way you can get water in the basement is all at once, a flood. This can be destructive, especially if you use the basement for living space or storage. If the water is coming in at one specific location, sealing that location is necessary.

However, if your basement floods on a regular basis, measures that can be taken to fix this.

Having a problem with water in your basement is simply keeping you from enjoying part of your house. Although waterproofing your basement is going to take a little bit of work, it will all be well worth the effort whenever you can take this part of your home back again.

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