If your home has a basement, you should understand that you can have challenges with basement flooding at any time. Therefore, you should be concerned about basement waterproofing and other means of preventing basement flooring from damaging your home.

To prevent basement flooding, it is vital to know what causes the basement to flood. Given this, here are some of the major causes of basement flooding.

• A poorly installed drainage system

The drainage system makes sure that water doesn’t get into your home but rather moves away from it. As important as a drainage system is to your house, its poor installation can cause basement flooding. Therefore, if you are experiencing basement flooding, a poorly installed drainage system may be the culprit.

• Faulty hot water tank, pipes, or sump pump

Pipes, sump pumps, and hot water tanks are all essential parts of every house when they are in good condition. However, when they are broken or damaged, they can send water to your basement; thus, causing flooding. So, every homeowner should hire professionals to check their sump pumps, hot tanks, and pipes regularly to prevent any sort of basement flooding.

• Poor basement sealing

During home construction, it is crucial to seal the basement tiles and foundation. However, if it is done improperly, the basement may be flooded later. Besides, the basement sealing can deteriorate after a long period. If this is the case, your basement will be likely flooded after rainstorms as lots of water will get into it.

• Gutter debris

Gutters are usually installed to direct water away from your house. Unfortunately, seed pods, twigs, leaves, and other kinds of debris can clog the gutters. When this happens, water will be going back to your home and the basement will be flooded.

• Overland flooding

Overland flooding refers to a condition in which rapid snowmelt or heavy rain forces surface water to accumulate around your home. Depending on the proximity of the area of the accumulated water to your basement, the water may seep into your basement. In some cases of heavy rainfalls, water may enter your home via below-grade entrances as well as low-lying windows and doors. All these challenges can flood your basement.

• Sewer backup

If your home is connected to a sanitary sewer lateral, sewer backup can cause basement flooding. The flooding usually occurs when the sewers are full or the sanitary laterals are blocked by a wide range of items.

• Poorly installed or faulty downspouts

A downspout is another system for preventing water from getting into the foundation of your home. It should be installed at about 5 or 6 feet away from the basement of your property. However, if you install it too close to your house, it may cause basement flooding. Missing or broken downspouts can also lead to the same problem.

Having known what causes the basement to flood, you can deal with these issues by hiring a basement waterproofing contractor. This contractor will not only inspect your basement, but they will also provide the right solution to get rid of the basement flooding.