What To Do After a Rain When Your Basement Floods

Right now, in Michigan, we are seeing a considerable amount of rain. After heavy rain, water tends to pool and soak directly into the ground. This can cause basement flooding, which in turn, can devastate your home. If you are experiencing flooding or seepage in your home, we highly recommend that you call a basement waterproofing professional. At StayDry®, we are available 24/7 to help you handle sudden basement flooding after heavy rain.

What Typically Happens When Your Basement Floods After a Storm

Rain typically hits Michigan hard in the early spring during March and April. Last year, metro Detroit was hit hard by rain at the end of March and it is happening again this year. The most common thing that happens for people living in an urban area is that water will start backing up into their basement via a sewage system. In the news story that was linked above, here were some of the things that happened:

• Water started pouring in after the heavy rain happened.
• Saginaw Township’s sewer system could not handle the influx of water.
• Sewage systems started backing up after the rain.

Many of the pipes in Michigan townships’ older sewage systems are simply too small to handle the influx of water after heavy rain. Water simply cannot enter 60-inch pipes in the sewer system and this can cause water to back up into the basements of Michigan homeowners.

What You Need to Do After a Storm

Check your basement regularly during and shortly after a prolonged period of heavy rain. You may notice some slight seepage or puddles starting to form around the perimeter of your basement. As the water soaks into the ground, you may notice that water is pooling around your home. Here is what you should do whenever there is a heavy rainstorm in Michigan.

• Check to make sure that your sump pump is working correctly. You may want to manually turn it on and give it a thorough looking over.
• Make sure that all the gutter extensions on your home are hooked up. These will push water away from your home and make sure that it doesn’t end up in your basement.
• Make sure that you have a backup in place so that your basement doesn’t flood, even if the power goes out.

If your basement starts to flood, you will need to dry your basement. You might need a wet vac to suck up all of the water. StayDry® also provides dehumidifiers to help dry up extra water. Next, you will need to get rid of any bedding, towels, or upholstery that have been damaged by the water in your basement. If you have wet drywall, it will need to be removed and replaced. Water will spread through wood quickly, so get rid of it before mold starts to form.

The Dangers of Heavy Rain And Your Basement

If you are a Michigan homeowner and you have an older home construction, you are at risk. On average, it costs around $1,200 to clean up after a basement flood. And for most homeowners, this doesn’t happen just once. From our research and our authority in the industry, you probably will have a flooded basement once every two years. Think about it. At $1,200 per basement flood, you are going to be spending anywhere from $5 to $10k every ten years when you have wet basement problems.

The above example is just a “minor” basement flood. The actual cost to repair a wet basement will vary on the volume of infiltrated water and the extent of damage to your property. A “small” flood could end up costing $10,000. Moreover, a major flood could cost anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 to repair. A basement waterproofing job costs substantially less than a flooded basement AND will pay for itself within ten years.

Solutions For Wet Crawl Spaces and Basements

If you are a homeowner and you have frequent basement floods, a drainage solution might be a good fit for you. You might also want to consider our affordable polyurethane injection solution for foundation cracks and tie rod holes. Here are some of the solutions from StayDry® that will make sure your basement stays dry after heavy rain:

• Submersible Sump Pumps from Richtech Industries — Simply put, these are the best sump pumps in the business.
• The Pump Spy Sump Pump Monitoring System — Alerts you 24/7 when your basement starts to flood.
• Polyurethane Injection to fill your foundation cracks and tie rod holes.

We also do crawl space repair! Water in your crawl space can be a major problem. Standing water will start to pool in your crawl space about 12 to 24 hours after a rain storm. At the end of the day, adequate moisture barriers will help keep that water out.

Financing Options Available for Basement Waterproofing

You might be putting off repairing your basement because you simply cannot pay for it. That being said, most basement waterproofing contractors offer in-house financing. This makes it super easy to pay for waterproofing your basement. Additionally, 0% financing is available from StayDry®. Also, you will have the option of a lifetime transferrable warranty. If you move, you can pass the warranty on to the next homeowner. Not only does this warranty protect your basement for as long as you own the home, but this makes a great resale value if you decide to move within the next several years.