water in basement

[newhomeowner]

We just bought our first house in October. The basement has a sump pump but the previous owners said they didn't get much water and was only there for emergencies. Well, you guessed it, with all the rain we've been getting we have water in the basement. What I'm trying to find out is where is it coming from and what is the solution to fix it. It seem to be coming up from the foundation floor. What are some of the possible solutions?

[stevea]

Dear New Homeowner,

There could be several reasons for the water in the basement. First, it could be backfill saturation- this is when the soil around your foundation invites surface water toward the base of the foundation where it will build up hydrostatic pressure and then force its way thru the wall and floor joint.

The sump pump can help but only if there is stone under the basement floor.

There might be some simple things you could do. Are your gutters and downspouts directing roof water away from the foundation?

What does your soil around your house look like? Is it pitching water away from the foundation or back toward the house?

I would recommend that if you live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island you request an appointment for one of our Certified Waterproofing Professionals to look at your basement and give you a free written estimate of what would take care of the problem.

Steve