Is My Sandusky Basement At Risk Of Flooding?

Folks in Ohio love their basements. ​​Sometimes they are cool cellars for storing food. Some are light and bright walkouts with access to the back yard. Older houses were built with basements with only 6 or 7 foot ceilings. Newer basements can have clearance of up to 12-foot high, creating even more luxurious and comfortable spaces.

Like all Midwesterners, homeowners in Sandusky use their basements for storage, water heaters, furnaces, hobbies, and additional living space. Unfortunately, basement flooding is a constant risk to your home’s infrastructure and your possessions stored there. Some of the most common types of basement flooding are: 

Flooding From Outside

According to ohiovalleyresource.org, hundreds of thousands of homes in the Ohio Valley are at risk from flooding due to climate change. When external rain floods everything– your yard, garage, porch– your basement can be the most difficult area to clean and restore. 

Since your basement is below ground level, it is more susceptible to overland and flash flooding. Unsanitary water will damage all the possessions that it touches. Many Sandusky basements will have additional structural damage due to this flooding. 

Drainage Failure 

Since many of the pipes and drainage connections are located right in your basement, when a plumbing pipe leaks, water can flood the area. But basements have more risks, and protections,  than other rooms in your house. 

For example, “weeping tiles” ​​are porous 4-inch pipes used to discharge underground water away from your home. Sump pumps are mechanical pumps that can discharge around 2,500 to 3,200 gallons per hour. But if your automatic sump pump fails due to mechanical malfunction or poor maintenance, a lot of water can accumulate before you notice it. 

An older house within town might not have a sump pump; the perimeter foundation drain system might connect directly into the city storm sewer system. However, if the level of the basement is below the street level, storm water  can back up in the city storm sewer system and then get pushed into the perimeter foundation drain system. 

When more development and paved surfaces are built in your area, it causes more rain runoff. When this happens, the rainwater in the sewer system can get high enough that water flows backwards toward your home. 

Water Seepage 

According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, basement water seepage is a problem in over 60% of homes that have a basement. The most common cause is pressure created by water in the soil surrounding the foundation. Moisture can find its way through small cracks in the walls, thanks to the weight (or pressure) of the earth next to the foundation. 

Sometimes the leakage is even simpler. If a window well is not properly installed or if the drain becomes clogged, the window well can fill with water. During a heavy rain, the water can seep into your basement.

Water Damage and Basement Flooding in Sandusky

Whether your basement brings in rental income from a walk out apartment, creates extra entertaining space, or just stores all the boxes of Chrismans decorations, you need to keep it dry and safe.  In Northern Ohio, RestorePro’s 20 highly skilled, full time restoration experts are on call for you when disasters happen.We repair property damaged from water, storms, floods and plumbing mishaps. Poressional , courteous care can even extend to your personal belongings: packing, moving out, restoration, cleaning, repair and storage.