Wet Basements in New England, CT, MA, RI: How water gets into your basement

It’s rainy weather like today’s (cloudy and raining all over Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts, I’m sure that Connecticut saw it earlier) that will eventually remind many homeowners how important having a dry basement is. Having a wet basement can be aggravating. Many people get down on their hands and knees to sop up water with sponges, buckets and wet-vacs.

The fact of the mater is having a wet basement isn’t your fault. It’s a design flaw in how basements are built. The good news is you can have someone inspect your basement, and install something that addresses these flaws head on.

Water can find it’s way through the space between the footing and wall:
When a wall is made the footing is poured first and left to dry. They form it around 2x4 in order to achieve a “dove tale” so the wall poured on top of it dries with part of it’s support inside of the footing. The problem is that the concrete can’t connect. If one object is dry, a wet concrete object can’t merge with it and become one solid piece. There’s a natural space left between the two objects. This space is an easy route for water to press through and find itself ether on your floor, underneath your floor, or wicking up your walls.

Water can settle under your concrete Floor:
Wet basements can also happen with water seeping up from underneath the floor. When a foundation’s walls are finished the Contractor “back-fills” or fills in the open areas with dirt, stone or gravel. Your floor of your basement rests on back fill. Depending on what was used for back fill it can be easy or hard for water to sit, build pressure, and find holes and gaps to seep up from. Cracks in the floor or the gap between the floor and the wall are the two most common areas this water shows itself.

Water can come through cracks in your foundation walls:
Cracks happen to all concrete eventually. There are many factors that can cause cracks in concrete but the one thing that can exploit these small tares in your walls is water. When it rains outside the soil soaks up the amount of water it can handle, the rest is left to fend for itself and find places to fill up. When water finds a crack in your wall it can “sense” the pressure difference in the basement and seeks to occupy the open space. Depending on the amount of water and pressure build up outside, the water can dribble, seep, or pour through cracks.

Addressing all three possibilities is the key to success:
Now the major issue is finding something that tackles all three, looks good, doesn’t interfere with your use of the basement, and protects you for the life of the house. The GrateDrain system by Grate Products LLC is that system. The combination of Wall Protection, Crack Repair, a Duel Channel drain to address both directions of water flow, and a GrateSump to relieve pressure under the floor and remove the water in the drains are the way to go.

The GrateDrain is designed to remove water from under the floor and defend against that water building up over time. With a solid wall in the middle of the drain it can separately address the water coming from the wall behind the wall protection and the water coming between the footing and the wall. The GrateSump, where the sump pump is installed, will add extra support for water build up under the floor at a deeper level as well as provide the exit strategy for the water in the drain.

The GrateDrain is a flawless, seamless, closed system to protect your basement from ever being wet again. Basements in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts have been receiving help from Pioneer Basement for over 25 years (a GrateDrain Installer!). If you have a wet basement and need help, if you have dreams of finishing but need to get water under control, then look no further; Pioneer Basement is here to help.

For basement waterproofing, or wet basement help in CT, MA, or RI, call:
1-800-649-6140 or visit Pioneer Basement online: www.pioneerbasement.com