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A. I heard on a Baltimore TV station that from Thursday through Monday of last week our rainfall amounts exceeded a record set for that period in 1922. That certainly explains the number of calls I received from homeowners with leaking basements and roofs some of whom had been in their respective homes for the better part of forty years with never a problem before.
Last week was not the time to find out that the sump pump no longer works or that the drain at the bottom of the stairs from the yard to the basement is clogged. The folks whose basements I looked at all shared the same degree of frustration with the situation at hand and wanted to know what, if anything, could be done in the future to prevent these sorts of catastrophes. Since we know that the majority of the water that ends up causing us trouble originally landed on the roof, that’s where prudent preparation has to start. Keeping gutters clear, clean and free flowing can be a chore but it’s a must. I am not a fan of anything green touching or overhanging a roof. The wind might break it and cause it to crash onto the house at the worst but at the least leaves and those twirly things that fly about in spring will end up in the very gutters you just had cleaned the week before and will clog the downspout causing water to cascade over the front of the gutter-- or behind it-- directing water right where you don’t want it-- next to the foundation. Consider tree trimming as a part of your stormwater control plan. Double check the downspouts and make sure that there are splashblocks under them and they direct water from the spout away from the house. Splashblocks used to cumbersome concrete beasts but now they are easily moved fiberglass or plastic things that can easily knocked around so double check them. Take a look at all the bushes and landscaping near the house. If they are large and mature-- read “overgrown”-- then they need to be aggressively reduced. Mature plantings near the house can alter the grade and inadvertently begin to direct water towards the foundation instead of away. Normally, the soil level at the foundation should be six inches higher than the level six feet away to direct rainwater run-off away from the foundation. That can be hard to achieve with some locations especially in town so do the best you can. In a really impossible situation I’ll recommend a French drain be installed parallel to the foundation wall and drain it to daylight well away if possible. Be careful about placing old railroad tie or other bulkheading type material close to the foundation for flower bedding where an overflowing gutter can turn the space between the wood and the foundation into a moat. Mulch can mask the reality that the soils beneath it are not sloped properly away from the building. Basement waterproofers are famous for treating symptoms of poor exterior maintenance on the inside of the house at great expense. I like to intercept water before it gets into the house and drain it away before it causes trouble. There are instances where retrofitting an interior under the basement slab drain system with a new sump pit and pump are the only way to control things but only after all other efforts have been exhausted. Walk-out basements traditionally don’t have sump pits making the preparations for proper drainage outside critical. Landscapers have become more than flower planters and grass cutters and many offer services that include drainage issues and even concepts known as drainage gardens where specific plantings are employed along with grading changes to effect yard water control. Six inches of rain in five days may have been a record setter but you can bet something like that will surely happen again. Be as ready as you can.