Shower Power
April showers are a welcome event for your spring garden, but not so much if they make their way into your basement. What can you do to keep water in its place?
While you can’t stop weather from happening, you can often minimize any potential issues by being proactive with your home maintenance. Get your rain boots on and take a walk around the outside of your house. Sometimes keeping water out is as simple as making sure rainwater flows away from the house, not towards it, so check your eavestroughs and downspouts first. Ensure that they’re properly positioned so that rainwater is directed away from your foundation and that gutters and downspouts are clear of debris, allowing rainwater to flow through unimpeded. If applicable, check the slope of your yard, too, and make a note to regrade your lawn this spring if necessary.
If you have below-grade basement windows, invest in some clear window well covers to prevent heavy rain from pooling in the window wells, while still allowing light into your basement.
Of course, despite your best efforts, a sudden but heavy rainfall can quickly saturate the ground, overwhelm your weeping tiles and put pressure on your foundation walls, resulting in back-flowing water and clogged drains.
If you find yourself with a flooded basement this spring, whether as a result of heavy rain, melting snow, burst pipes or drainage issues, remember to cut the electrical power before you wade into the situation. If you’re not able to access the circuit breaker due to the flood, call a qualified electrician to do it safely for you.