Commons Reasons Why Your Basement Floods Along the Columbia River

10/3/2017 (Permalink)

Have you inspected your home for these common basement flood causes?

Any disaster that hits your home can be devastating, that is why SERVPRO of Gresham is here to help! We are faster to any disaster and have highly trained technicians to help restore your home back to its preloss condition. The following are common reasons your basement can flood:

1. Unsuitable Locations for Your Home: One of the most typical causes of basement flooding is that the house has been constructed on an unsuitable site. Houses are usually built on sloped terrains, allowing accumulated water to drain.
2. Clogged gutters or misdirected water: Gutter downspouts should dispense water at least six to 10 feet away from your home, sometimes farther depending on the type of soil you have. If it is clay soil, you might be safe at five feet from the home. If your soil is sandy, consider going even farther than 10 feet.
3. Groundwater: The complicated route of water runs in front of our eyes in rivers, lakes, streams and swamps, as well as out of sight beneath our feet.
4. Heavy rains or melting snow: These weather events may seem obvious, but they can surprise homeowners because storm water and melting snow can travel hundreds of miles and come to affect local rivers and watersheds. You can reduce the surprise factor by tuning in to the regional weather reports. 
5. Sump pump failure.When people live where there is lots of water in the ground, the homes often have a pump built into the basement floor. Pumps constantly work to move water out and keep it away from the basement. Like any piece of equipment, they fail or break and require regular inspection, maintenance and repair when needed.

If you ever have flooding in your basement, call the pro’s at SERVPRO of Gresham today at (503) 665-7752!