Here are other tips:

1. Do some outdoor maintenance around your property. Check your gutters are cleaned out and clear so water can flow freely. If they aren’t cleared out water gets backed up and will pool below the gutters, often near your basement which causes flooding.
2. Take a walk around your yard and check that you provide some sort of drain for the area. Any standing water could leak in and cause major basement flooding damage.
3. Check any drainage pipes and downspouts are clear and properly aligned to move water away from the foundation of the house, and extend any drainage pipes further away from the foundation.
4. Be sure trees and shrubbery are kept neat and clean around the perimeter of the house. Allow space for the sun to reach the ground and dry any standing water beneath the plants.
5. Inspect the house, especially the basement walls; make sure that you don’t see any cracks. If you find cracks in your basement foundation you’ll need to make sure they are properly sealed with caulk.
6. If you have a history of basement flooding in your home, any items you have stored in the basement should be kept a few inches off the ground. The same should be done for any appliances like a washer and dryer, or refrigerator. If the basement gets flooded these items will get rotted or rusted and contribute to the problem.
7. If you don’t have a sump pump installed in your basement, you should have one installed. Sump pumps remove water that forms in the basement and drain it into an area where it won’t cause much damage; a dehumidifier and desiccants can help keep the air dry and absorb some of the moisture that could potentially flood the basement if condensed.

As you can see a lot of these tips are very simple and can do a lot to prevent flooding in your basement. With a little upkeep on your property and some minor adjustments to your basement you can prevent serious water damage from basement flooding.

Should you want to learn more about flooding or flood insurance, please contact us. We’re here for you.

The best way to protect your home and property is with gutters, proper drainage around the foundation, dry wells, underground drain pipes, retention basins, etc.

Resources

If ground water is a serious problem at your house, please consider contacting a local landscaper at best, or a civil engineer to find a permanent solution to the problem. A damp basement and some limited wetness is one issue, but the mold that comes with it could become a health hazard that should be resolved as soon as possible.

If water damage does occur, consider contacting a local contractor to have the basement dried out properly with chemical desiccant and professional-grade vacuums and dehumidifiers.

For more information, call Tim, Peter or Paul at The Haas Agency at (203) 746-5077 in Western CT and (860) 659-1301 in Central and Eastern Connecticut.