Lake St. Louis, MO — Maryetta Rooks never dreamed that she and her family would be going through a drought just two years after moving to Lake St. Louis from Las Vegas. Because of the drought, Maryetta has noticed several signs of foundation settlement around her home, including cracks in drywall and the concrete foundation.
“I hope it rains, because we need it,” Maryetta says. “But I hope it’s not too much more than we can take.”
In the wake of Hurricane Isaac, the Greater St. Louis and Metro-East , Southeast Missouri, Central Illinois, and Southern Illinois will most certainly see some rain this weekend. To help you protect your basement, here are 4 steps you can take to minimize the risk of basement flooding.
1. Test your sump pump.
The heart of any waterproofing system is the sump pump. To ensure that your sump pump is working properly, pour water into the sump pump liner. If the pump is operational, then it will immediately begin pumping the water out of your basement and away from your home.
In case of a power outage or mechanical failure, it’s always a good idea to invest in a battery backup sump pump. During a heavy downpour, one sump pump alone may not be powerful enough to pump groundwater out faster than it can leak into your basement. A battery backup sump pump is one way to keep your basement dry all the time.
2. Clean out your gutters.
Especially during a drought, it’s common for soil to crack and pull away from the foundation, leaving a void around the home where rainwater can easily rush in and penetrate foundation cracks or seep through block foundation walls. Therefore, it’s critical that your gutters are cleaned out well and draining rainwater away from your foundation.
3. Extend downspouts away from your foundation.
Downspouts should be extended at least 10 feet away from your foundation and flowing freely. You want to minimize the chance of water pooling around your foundation and leaking into your basement. Adding downspout extensions is one of the best ways to redirect rainwater before it becomes an issue.
4. Lightly water the soil around your foundation.
Lightly watering hydrates the soil and helps close up cracks caused by a drought. This will help minimize the risk of rainwater running into cracks and leaking mud and water into your basement.
These are just a few ways to minimize the risk of basement flooding.
Courtesy of Woods Basement Systems James E. Lord
Strange World of Real Estate 