Why Basement Leaks Are Common During The Winter Months?

Winter months are on their way and so is the holiday season. You might have lots of plans for your holidays. But, just think if your plan gets ruined due to a leaky basement and you end up mopping up it rather than enjoying time with family and friends. It’s disgusting but a fact.

People think that basement leaks and flooding occur during times of heavy rains. But unfortunately, this is not true because these events can occur year-round. And the winter season is quite common. Even if you don’t want, the basement will start leaking in the winter months because the homes are surrounded by water in the frozen form. Not only this, but many other reasons lead to basement leaks during the winter months.

Difference in outside and inside temperature- The freezing temperature outside and warm temperature inside the basement causes heat radiation. Due to the difference in the temperature, the heat from the basement melts the snow and leads to moisture build-up inside the basement. And when the moisture builds up, it leads to leaks. The moisture gets trapped in the basement walls and floors and does not get any way to escape.

Hydrostatic pressure- Hydrostatic pressure refers to the downward pulling of gravity. Talking about basement leaks and flooding in the winter months, the hydrostatic pressure pushes down on the trapped moisture. Even if moisture wants to float off into the atmosphere, the hydrostatic pressure prevents it. The increasing pressure forces the moisture through existing cracks and even creates new cracks to give moisture a place to move. If there is no alternate route, the moisture will be forced down into your basement.

Improper installation and functioning of eaves, troughs, and downspouts- Eaves, troughs and downspouts are designed to re-route water away from your home. But, these elements are not designed and installed properly, the functioning will not be as expected. Instead of re-routing, the water will get deposited too close to your foundation. And if this happens, the hydrostatic pressure will force water to move inside because there is no other way. To avoid this, you should keep the gutters clean and install the downspouts away from the foundation.

These were only a few reasons for basement leaks and flooding during the winter months. To know more and understand the reasons, you should seek help from professionals. They will put forward the exact reasons based on your basement’s current condition. But no matter what the reason is, you should take the right step to prevent any disruption in your holiday plans.

What should you do?

The only way to protect your basement is waterproofing. You should hire both exterior and interior waterproofing services so that your basement is properly protected.

Interior waterproofing- In this, the cracks or holes in the basement walls, floors, and around windows and doors are properly sealed and watertight with the use of waterproof sealants. This keeps the humidity levels down, preventing condensation.

Exterior waterproofing- It is a much larger undertaking compared to interior waterproofing services. The process involves excavation of the soil surrounding the foundation of the wall and the application of a waterproof sealant to the exterior walls. Also, exterior waterproofing involves cleaning nearby gutters.

A leaky basement will not only spoil your holiday plans but also impact the foundation of your house. So, you should take the right step at the right time.