Don't Delay - It Won't Go Away

A flooded basement

I had a totally different blog scheduled for today - one about hydrostatic pressure, it’s a barn burner for sure - but something came up this week that we need to address.

When Michigan and Indiana were hit with crazy storms and flooding in February, we had a massive influx of calls that created a bit of a delay on our calendar. As we moved further away from the worst of the rain and flooding, some people canceled their appointments. After all, once the rain stopped, their basements had magically dried up - it must not be a problem anymore, right?

Wrong.

With each storm system that has moved through, some of them have called back to reschedule an inspection because their basement is wet again. It’s been especially prevalent this week. And it’s heartbreaking to know that they’ve spent most of the year dealing with the same problems and the same headaches when we could’ve installed a system that would keep their homes safe and dry months ago.

If you have water in your basement or crawl space, and it isn’t from a broken water heater, washing machine, or some other appliance, it means that it is entering through the walls or floor. It got in there somehow, and it will get in again, basically every time conditions outside make it necessary.

To give a little sneak peek into what is now tomorrow’s hydrostatic pressure blog, remember that everything has a saturation point. This includes soil, which absorbs rainwater but also has to contend with the water table, which is at a different level in different places, depending on a number of factors. The point is that the soil can hit its saturation point with very little warning, and at that point the water pressure will try to equalize by moving to a lower pressure area. Probably via your basement.

Your walls and floor are made of concrete, so they’re strong, right? Water doesn’t care. Even the sturdiest walls and floors will have hairline cracks, and water will travel right through them and into your basement. As an added bonus, as water travels through it can microscopically widen said cracks, making it easier to get through the next time.

If you have had water before, you will have water again. These problems never resolve on their own, and tend to only get worse over time. It’s so easy to take an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to water issues, but it’s not going to stop you from having to deal with it again next month or next year. Call today to schedule your free inspection, keep your appointment, and let us design a custom solution so that you never have to worry about a wet basement again.