Xcountrymove

The first is surface water. Water that accumulates on or near the surface can penetrate the foundation walls and find its way into your basement via seams, gaps and cracks. The cause of this is usually gutters and downspouts that no longer function or from a reverse grade. If you see puddles forming near your house every time it rains, you need to fix the problem.

The next cause is footing drains. The footing drain is the drainage system that is found around the perimeter of your foundation below the basement floor level. This drain is designed to get rid of excess water that accumulates at the bottom of the foundation. This system can fail over time as a result of clogging. If this happens, water can build around the exterior perimeter creating pressure. This water has to go somewhere and will usually force its way into openings found at the base of the foundation where the floor and the wall come together.

The third cause is vapor transmission. The materials that are used in building foundations are porous. Because of this, water vapor can move from the coolness of the soil found under your foundation into the warmer environment found in your basement. This is one of the main reasons that vapor barriers are required. Any damage to your vapor barrier can cause damage to your foundation.

The last cause (which happens to be one of the most common) of water damage to your basement is humidity. During the summer, warm, humid air will enter your basement. As this air cools and shrinks, the relative humidity found in your basement will increase. When this cool air comes in contact with your cooler concrete walls or cold water pipes, it will inevitably condense. The condensing water will then fall onto your floor from the pipes or drip down the concrete wall causing damage over time.

So there you have it, the four most common causes of basement water damage. Now that we have discussed the causes, tomorrow I will tell you how to identify water damage and what some of the solutions are.