Mystery Puddles? Blame Hydrostatic Pressure

Hydrostatic Pressure - it sounds scientific and scary, but it’s really not that complicated. It’s just water pressure, in this case the water pressure in the soil, and you’ll mostly hear “hydrostatic” used when the water pressure is exerting itself on something. In this case, that something is your home.

I gave an overview in yesterday’s blog, but basically, this is how it works. Soil has a saturation point, and the water it takes on comes from both rain and the existing water table. Have you ever been digging at the beach and you hit the point in the sand where water starts to come up? That’s the water table, and it’s not just at the beach.

Living close to a body of water can mean a higher water table and less wiggle room before the saturation point is reached. Which means every time it rains, you could find water in your basement, even if it only rained a little.

This is because, when soil reaches its saturation point, the pressure will try to resolve itself and the water will basically look for a lower pressure area to move to. And if your foundation walls are in the way? The water doesn’t care - it’ll flow right through them. Concrete walls, whether they’re poured or block, are full of microscopic cracks; perfect for water to move through. See, water is powerful - more powerful than the soil, and even concrete.

Hydrostatic pressure and its related water movement are why water seems to appear from nowhere in your basement. If you’ve ever gone downstairs and found a puddle in the middle of the floor with seemingly no origin, that’s hydrostatic pressure; the water came right up through the floor.

So what does this mean for your basement or crawl space? Well, it means that every time it rains, you could have water in your home. Or you could call us. We hear from a lot of customers who don’t think their water problem is “bad enough” to warrant a waterproofing system, but any amount of water can do damage to your home. We can design a system that covers your home’s specific needs and gives you the peace of mind to know that you’re covered. Call today to schedule your free inspection.