Recognizing Cleaning Challenges

If you're constantly fighting to keep your basement dry to prevent water damage, or have just completed a round of water damage repairs, you're probably looking for a way to put a stop or slow the water from causing more damage in your basement. Here, you will learn a few things that you can do to slow the damage down a bit.

Check Your Gutters

Gutters are often neglected because they aren't easy to clean out and they don't seem like an important element of the home. Gutters systems are there to carry the water away from your home and prevent the water from running down the side of your home and into the foundation. When you don't clean them out regularly, the water overflows and runs directly into your foundation.

Start by getting out there and cleaning and inspecting the gutter system for leaks. If you are unable to complete this task on your own, contact a local contractor for assistance.

Check the Slope of Your Lawn

The lawn around your home should have a slight slope to it. It should start high at the foundation so that the water runs down your property and away from your home.

To check the slope, get an oversized ball and set it at the foundation. With a little nudge, it should roll away from your house. If it doesn't the slope needs to be adjusted. This can be a big job, but will be worth it. You will have to add soil to the area closest to your home and roll it out to create the slope.

Keep Things off the Floor

In your basement, you can do a few things to keep it dryer. Don't store boxes on the floor or against the wall. The cardboard boxes will pull any moisture that is in the concrete walls and floor and absorb it. Eventually, the box will become covered in mold and the moisture will begin to drip out of it.

The more air that you have circulating in the basement, the dryer it will stay and the easier it will be to clean up the water on the floor when it does seep in. You can pick up wooden pallets to set on the floor to stack the stuff that you need to store in the basement on. These pallets allow for air circulation underneath everything and decrease the likelihood of mold growth.

Talk with a water damage repair expert to learn more about keeping your basement dry and avoid the next round of damage.