As winter sets in, homeowners often face a hidden challenge—water intrusion in the basement. While snow and ice dominate the outdoors, water can seep into your home through unsealed entry points, cracks, or other vulnerabilities, causing significant damage. From high humidity and leaking pipes to flooding, winter water intrusion isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a threat to your home’s structural integrity and a potential health hazard. Addressing these issues proactively can save you from costly repairs and protect the value of your property. Let’s explore practical ways to keep your basement safe and dry this winter.
Protecting Your Basement from Winter Water Intrusion
Water comes in various forms and might appear in the basement through unsealed entry points—there might also be:
- High humidity
- Leaking pipes
- Potential cracks
There’s almost no end to the level of disaster that water in the basement could cause you. Water in the basement is a common frustration for homeowners. A water leak can develop over time or could have been inherited from buying a house. Either situation costs money in repair damage or drops the home’s value.
A flooded basement is more than just an inconvenience; it poses serious risks to your home’s structural integrity and can lead to potential health hazards. Beyond being unpleasant, it can create unsafe conditions for everyone in the household.
So, how do you prevent getting water in the basement during winter?
Insulate Exposed Pipes in Unheated Areas
One way to protect your basement from winter water intrusion is to insulate exposed pipes with foam pipe insulation. Do this in areas near exterior walls. Monitor the temperatures in your basement to avoid frozen pipes. When water in the pipes expands, the pressure builds up, leading to burst pipes.
Guard Against Mold and Mildew
Water doesn’t just come in gushing streams and flowing rivers; water in the basement can be just a few drops. This doesn’t seem like a major problem, but it can become a more significant issue that promotes mold and mildew growth.
Watch for signs of potential water, such as:
- The feeling of “wet” fabrics
- The smell of musty carpet
Both are subtle signs of water and mold growth, regardless of whether you can see it.
A sealed space is less likely to grow mold or mildew. Where you spot signs of either, you have high humidity and possible leaks.
Install a Drainage System or Sump Pump
A drainage system is helpful to channel any excess water away from the basement’s entry points. The system collects and removes excess water from an area, such as a basement, to prevent flooding.
The alternative is using buckets to remove water from essential places like the basement or crawl space. Does that sound like too much fuss? Then, you should install a drainage system to prevent water damage.
Clean and Maintain the Gutter System
Heavy or cluttered gutters are a breeding ground for mold and a potential for overflowing water. Clogged gutters prevent proper water flow from melting snow and ice. Cleaning and maintaining the gutter system could prevent water from entering your home.
During winter weather, the formation of ice dams can cause damage to your roof, exterior walls, and your home’s foundation.
Gutters can also become too heavy and fall, causing damage on the way down. Regularly inspect and clear your gutters before the rainy season and before the temperatures drop. This can help to avoid potential damage.
Change the Surrounding Landscape
Drainage systems aren’t the only way to channel water away from the basement. Landscapers also use physical landscape changes to achieve the same effect. Some outside landscapes can cause water to pool or run into undesired places. Changing the landscape might be the answer to your water problems.
This sounds complicated but usually means raising or lowering one part of the landscape. Also, prioritize removing snow from your home’s foundation. Create a slope that directs melted snow and ice away from the house.
Repair and Replace Potential Cracks and Damaged Sections
Potential cracks become larger ones, and you are doing yourself a favor by repairing any potential cracks immediately. Cracks leave space for water to get in the basement and can trigger mold or mildew issues. You don’t need it in the basement—or anywhere else in the house, for that matter!
Replace any potentially damaged basement sections, including damaged or cracked stairs. While it doesn’t seem like a big deal, these minor issues can become dangerous in stormy weather.
Repairing cracks and replacing worn parts takes just a few minutes of care, but repairing water damage could keep you busy for months!
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With over 150 years of combined experience, the Colorado Cleanup Services, Inc. team has the knowledge, skill, and commitment necessary to handle any emergency cleanup services you may require. From flood and fire damage restoration to sewage backup, and coronavirus cleanup services in Denver, CO, you can always turn to us when you need deep, disinfecting cleaning for your home or business.
Family-owned and operated, our cleaning company is proud to provide the services of trained and certified technicians to all our clients. Our impressive team knows what it takes to return damaged properties to their original condition with the highest level of professionalism. Don’t settle for anything less when you require high-quality disaster recovery services. Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure you receive the help you need when you need it give us a call: 303-237-4406.
