A finished basement can add a great deal of value to your home, and considerable square footage to your living space. Whether you’ve furnished your basement as a guest room, a play room, or a space for entertaining, the last thing you want is for it to flood. Unfortunately, the most commonly flooded area in the home is the basement. This is due, in part, to pipes between the upstairs flooring and the basement ceiling.

Heavy rains that cause flash floods, sewer leaks, or snow melt-off can quickly transform your basement from a beautiful space into a wet, damaged, and moldy nightmare. Putting in layers of protection is really the final step to finishing your basement. Protecting your basement from water begins outside your home. Look for ways to keep rainwater away from the foundation of your home.

Extending gutters and downspouts is a great extra step that is fairly easy to implement. Maintaining gutters and downspouts properly is also very important for keeping water away from your basement. Gutters are important for catching and directing rainfall to where you want it to go. Keeping gutters free of debris is imperative. When gutters get blocked, rainwater is dumped down the sides of your house directly next to the foundation, which can cause damage or let it seep into the house.

A simple inspection of your exterior walls and the basement floors for cracks is another important step. Discovering and sealing small cracks with a sealer or epoxy is a very easy step to preventing water from coming into the house. This can be done any time of year, but preferably during a time when the weather has been relatively dry.

Examining the landscape of your property for water accumulation is another good step to take. When it rains, you may notice paths of travel where water run. Using fill dirt or altering the landscape to direct streams of water away from the home is fairly easy to do. Water follows the path of least resistance, so simply create a less resistant path for it to take, such as a small trench.

Despite any preventive measure you take, Mother Nature can sometimes override the best planning efforts. As soon as you complete your basement renovation, make sure to add flood insurance to your homeowner’s insurance policy. Plumbing or unexpected weather events can cause unexpected floods, and in worst case scenarios, at least you’ll have the resources to repair if damage does occur.

We understand what a disappointment it is to discover moisture in the basement. Here at Matrix Basement Systems, Inc. we help homeowners across the United States repair and waterproof damaged basements. Our products are water proof, mildew proof, and mold proof. Our full basement package starts at just $6,995 with $0 down payment and 0% interest for 5 years. Call us any time for more information.