Where Wet Basements Come From

Nothing is more frustrating than dealing with a wet basement. It can damage walls and flooring and ruin irreplaceable things like photo albums and family heirlooms. But knowing the causes of wet basements and how to prevent water damage can help avoid this frustration.
When homeowners experience wet basements for the first time, it is imperative to determine if the water problems are going to reoccur or if it was a one-time event. Essential to solving this question is determining where the water is coming from.

Joseph Soster General Contractor is an expert in wet basement waterproofing in the Media PA, Ardmore PA, and West Chester PA areas

Where wet basements come from.
In order to prevent wet basements, it is important to understand where the water is coming from. There are four common sources of water that seeps into basements:

1.) Surface water running down foundation walls.

2.) Groundwater in water-saturated soils being pushed into the basement by hydrostatic pressure.

3.) Storm sewer water from the municipal storm sewer system backing up into the home’s existing perimeter foundation drain and leaking into the basement (this can only occur if the perimeter foundation drain system is connected to the municipal sewer system.)

4.) Sanitary sewer water from a combined municipal storm/sanitary sewer system backing up into the home’s drain system, causing sewer water to come up through sink drains and floor drains on lower levels.