To prevent basement flooding from snowmelt, make sure to shovel snow away from your house, manage roof snow, clean and repair your gutters and downspouts, watch for signs of moisture and moisture damage, repair wall and floor cracks, inspect your sump pump and backup battery, ensure your home has proper grading, and consider basement waterproofing.
Keep reading to learn more.
Key Steps to Prevent Basement Flooding From Snowmelt
Here’s a list of steps you can follow to prevent basement flooding from snowmelt.
Shovel Snow Away From Your House
During the frigid days of the year, you may be tempted to swiftly shovel your driveway and run back inside to hide from the cold. Don’t forget about the snow around your home! While it’s easy to ignore, this is the snow that’s most likely to seep into your home during a melt.
Here are some tips:
Remove As Much Standing Snow As Possible
Ideally, you should aim to clear a space of about five feet away from your home. Outside of extreme snowfalls, that should be more than enough to distance the melting snow from your house. It won’t stop all of the moisture from reaching your foundation, but it will dramatically decrease the chances of that moisture breaching the wall or causing damage.
Manage Snow Piles Strategically
When it comes to snow piling, you should be sure to pile the snow downhill from the house. Snow piles should be close to the natural runoff from the property so that, when it melts, the water does not run into your foundation and basement.
Remove Blocks That Trap Snowmelt Runoff
Make sure that the melting snow has an escape route that is not blocked by large blocks of snow or other objects.
Manage Roof Snow
Similar to removing snow from around your home, you should also remove excess snow from your roof so that your gutters are not overwhelmed by excess water.
Clear And Repair Your Gutters And Downspouts
Your gutters and downspouts are your first line of defense against any rain or snow. When they’re damaged or clogged with debris, they can’t function correctly. Overflowing water from your gutters, or built-up ice creating a dam, will allow water to reach your home right along the foundation.
This is one of the most common ways that homes start to suffer foundation damage. It’s important to regularly inspect your gutters and downspouts to ensure that they’re clear and in good repair.
Install Downspout Extensions (If Necessary)
You can also measure your downspouts to make sure that they are discharging water far away from your foundation, ideally somewhere that will properly drain moisture away from your home. If the downspouts drain close to your foundation, consider adding an extension.
Watch For Signs Of Moisture and Moisture Damage
Once moisture begins to wear against the interior of your home, structural damage is soon to follow. There are many types of foundation damage that you can encounter, none of which are good for your home:
- Doors will be unable to shut properly
- Cracked bricks in the foundation
- Interior foundation cracks that leak water
- Increasing gaps between your walls, floor, and ceiling
- Sloping ground
- Visible mold growths
- Moldy or musty odors
Chances are, if you identify one or more of these symptoms, you have a basement leak problem. If you can’t spot the source, schedule a professional inspection. The longer you wait, the more potential damage your house may suffer.
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Repair Existing Foundation Cracks
Foundation cracks are not something to take lightly. Major breaches in your foundation often begin as barely noticeable cracks. Without intervention, they will quickly spread until your home requires major foundation repair.
Keep an eye out for signs of foundation cracks and get them repaired immediately. You can repair hairline cracks yourself with just a little DIY knowledge and the right materials. For anything more serious, you’ll want to contact Team EverDry.
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Inspect Your Sump Pump And Backup Battery
Inspect your sump pump and backup battery so that they are working properly before the snow starts to melt. This will help you avoid a disaster and a big headache. On the other hand, if you don’t have a sump pump, get one together with a backup battery.
Without a sump pump, your home is extremely vulnerable to any amount of encroaching moisture. But even if you have a sump pump, what good is it if your power goes out? It’s not unusual for a particularly fierce winter to bring ice along with snow – and ice can quickly knock out your power.
Once there’s a crack in your foundation, it doesn’t take long for water to begin pouring in. A full day of melting snow can be a disaster for your basement if your sump pump fails to turn on.
A battery backup for your sump pump like the SmartPower Battery Backup from EverDry is all it takes to keep it working even during power loss. Not only will it automatically turn on when power is lost, but it can also run intermittently for up to eight days!
Ensure Your House Has Proper Grading
Grading is the slope of the ground around your home. Proper grading ensures that water will be diverted away from your foundation with the help of gravity, instead of towards it.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that for every 10 feet away from your house’s foundation, there should be a difference in level of two to three inches.
Learn more by visiting our Blog Post on: Grading Around Your House Foundation.
Consider Basement Waterproofing
While you can do a lot of things to keep water away from your home’s foundation yourself, basement waterproofing is by far the best way to prevent basement flooding from snowmelt.
The idea of basement waterproofing is not only to fix your current moisture problems but also to prevent more problems in the future. Basement waterproofing also provides other benefits, such as increasing the value of your home and reducing energy costs.
At EverDry Toledo we provide professional basement waterproofing services. Since our opening, we have serviced over 80,000 basements. Contact us today to schedule a free inspection.
What Causes Snowmelt Flooding?
During the snowiest part of the season, snow can pile up inches or feet. As these piles grow and the temperatures remain low, most of the moisture stays put while new snow continues to fall. Compared to rainstorms, where precipitation may soak the ground over a period of hours, snow tends to melt all at once.
On a particularly warm day, a week’s worth of snow or more can suddenly begin to melt, forcing water into the saturated earth. When the snow around your home melts, and the ground is already saturated with water, it will begin to seep into any open spaces in your home.
The large volume of water combined with shifting soil during freeze and thaw cycles can lead to your basement being quickly filled with a surprising amount of water.
Factors Affecting Snowmelt Flooding
Factors that affect snowmelt flooding include:
- Heavy winter snow cover
- Sudden temperature increase
- High soil moisture conditions before snowmelt
- Frozen soil
- Heavy spring rains
- Ice and debris jams
How Does Water Get Into Your Basement After Snowmelt?
Water can enter your basement after snowmelt through several common sources, including:
- Cracks in your foundation
- Poor drainage systems
- Roof leaks
- Plumbing issues
- Improper basement waterproofing
The Risks Of Snowmelt Flooding In Your Basement
Failing to prevent basement flooding from snowmelt can result in a number of risks, including structural damage, and mold growth.
Structural Damage
An abundance of water pressing against your home will eventually lead to cracks in your foundation and possibly a complete breach. Once structural damage begins, it will worsen exponentially until fully repaired. Over time, your home can become so weakened by foundation damage that it becomes a safety risk to live in.
In addition to damage to your foundation, water seeping into your home puts various aspects of your interior at risk. Electrical wiring and circuits aren’t meant to be exposed to water. Likewise, pipes and floorboards can begin to suffer damage or contamination from flowing groundwater.
Mold Growth
A common side-effect of moisture in your home is mold. These invasive growths can spread quickly and cause damage before you even realize they’re there. Once mold has begun to take hold in your basement, you’ll start to notice obvious signs:
- Visible mold
- Musty smell
- Allergic reactions
Unfortunately, even finding the mold won’t be enough to reverse the problem. When you clean visible mold growth, you’re just removing the surface. More mold exists closer to the source of moisture, which will allow it to return and continue to grow.
The only way to deal with mold is to cut off its source. Waterproofing your basement is the only guaranteed protection from mold – as it only takes a minuscule amount of water to feed small growths.
What To Do When You Notice Water In Your Basement
Here’s a brief list of steps you can follow if you notice water in your basement:
- Turn off water and power
- Remove everything you can
- Clean up excess water
- Remove moisture
- Disinfect the area
The most important thing to remember is to never enter a flooded basement if electricity is running. If your carbon monoxide alarm has been triggered, make sure to call 9-1-1 and leave your home immediately.
Schedule Your FREE 20-Point Inspection
The best way to keep your basement dry is with professional waterproofing. EverDry Toledo can help with a FREE 20-point basement inspection! We’ll help you find out if your home is at risk for water damage and which solutions will best serve you.
Contact us online to schedule an appointment or give us a call at (419) 841-6055 and schedule your inspection today.
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