Basement Flooding – Prevention

Basement flooding can cause significant damage to personal property and can have serious repercussions for the livability of your home. Basement flood impacts include:

Damage to basement flooring and wall materials.
Loss of furniture, entertainment systems and other property stored in the basement.
Damage to irreplaceable sentimental items.
Damage to furnaces, water heaters, and the home’s electrical system.
Structural damage to the home, including possible damage to the foundation.

Aside from reducing damages to your house and personal property, by reducing basement flooding you can protect yourself and your family from possible health impacts from a flood event, including respiratory problems from dampness and mold growth. Live in Saskatchewan? Stay safe with advice and information from FloodSafe Saskatchewan: www.floodsafesask.ca

Simple Ways to Protect Your Basement From Water Damage

Seal cracks in foundation walls and basement floor.
Reduce home water use during heavy rain falls to decrease the amount of water handled by the municipal sewer system.
Regularly clean and maintain eavestroughs and downspouts. When clogged, water can pour over the side of eavestroughs and run down the side of your foundation.
Install downspout extensions at least 6 feet in length.
Splash pads should be used to help prevent soil erosion.
Check your lot to see if the yard slopes away from your home, including areas under stairs and decks.

Weeping Tile & Sump Pump

A foundation drain is an underground perforated pipe, or weeping tile, that runs along the bottom of a home’s foundation. The weeping tile helps keep the basement free of excess moisture, and is also very useful for helping to reduce infiltration flooding. The water that is conveyed by the weeping tile is relatively clean, and does not normally require treatment at sanitary sewage treatment facilities. Water from the weeping tile should be directed to a sumppit, and then pumped outside the home with a sump‐pump. The location of the sump‐pit depends on how weeping tiles are connected to the pit under the basement floor.

Install a Backwater Valve

Mainline backwater valves are placed directly into the sewer lateral at the foot of your basement wall and serve to reduce the risk of sewer backup in your home. The proper installation of a mainline backwater valve can be complicated. In an existing home, installation will require breaking up the concrete basement floor and cutting a section out of the sanitary sewer lateral. You will need the assistance of a licensed plumber to install a mainline backwater valve. Normally open backwater valves stay open until a sewer surcharge occurs.

An open valve allows sewer gasses to vent properly, and are the only type of backwater valve allowed to be installed in sanitary sewer laterals under many provincial building codes. When a sewer surcharge occurs, the sewage pushes the valve closed. When the valve is closed, sewage cannot get in, or out, of a building.