Simple step you can take to prevent basement flooding
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Rainy season in #Winnipeg is about to start. June and July can bring some WHICKED rain and thunderstorms to our region, and with it, tons of water and potential problems for our basements.
Remember that a basement is basically a whole in the ground, which would quickly fill with water, except for the concrete walls and weeping tile system to drain the excess water away. An inch of rain, falling down onto a 1000 ft bungalow, will result in approximately 500 gallons of water being dumped onto that roof. If your downspouts are not extended away from the house, all of that water ends up right at your foundation, overwhelming the weeping tile system.
The result is that the water rises faster than the weeping tiles can carry it away, and the spot where the concrete walls meet the footings are NOT waterproof, soooo…..
A couple of things you should always be aware of:
1) Proper slope in the landscaping
Make sure your lawn and shrub-borders slope away from the house, helping to drain excess water away from the foundation
2) Leave your downspouts extended
Even if skies are clear, leave the extensions down, to guide water at least 4 to 5 feet away from the foundation. (6 feet or more is even better). If you leave them up, and forget about it, you might be caught by surprise while you're out shopping, or vacationing at the lake, etc. Better safe than sorry: leave those downspout down and extended throughout the summer.
3) Make sure your sump pump works
Test your sump pump every once in a while to make sure it works. To be really sure, have a backup system in place, such as a generator or battery-backup. Thunderstorms come complete with lightning strikes, which tend to knock out the power at the worst possible time: DURING a rainstorm.
4) Backup Valve
A sewer backup valve will prevent city sewers from backing up into your house. Depending on your draining system in your area, this may also (unfortunately) prevent rain water from draining INTO the sewers, but at least rain water is relatively clean. City sewage on the other hand…..
If all fails, make sure you have basement flooding coverage. Most insurance companies offer it as a ‘rider' on your policy, depending on your location, age of home, style of draining, etc etc..
Hope this helps?
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