Water Seepage
There are a number of reasons as to why there could be water seeping into your home or into your yard and it may not be obvious as rainfall or snow melt. Other causes can be:
- sump pump discharging
- swimming pool being drained
- leak in a sprinkler system
- rain barrel that is not level or overflowing
- natural spring
- plugged eavestrough or poorly placed downspout
If you are unsure where the water is entering your home, you can test your foundation by waiting for a dry hot day and run the outside hose near the area where you think the water is seeping in. Check the window wells, joints, and cracks in the foundation to find the weak spot in your foundation (Cracks in a foundation wall can be caused from normal settling, pressure from ground water, or improperly poured concrete). To repair the problem, you can improve exterior drainage, seal the interior walls, or waterproof the outside of the foundation.
High water tables can also cause flooding inside the home. Unlike seepage through your window wells or foundation cracks, the pressure from a high water table can force water up through the basement floor producing a thin, barely noticeable film of water. To test if you have water coming through the floor in your basement, lay down a plastic sheet for two days. Penetrating moisture will dampen the concrete underneath. You can install a sump pump and weeping tile to repair the problem.