Winter thaw: Tips to avoid basement flooding

2/3/2017 (Permalink)

Winter thaw: Tips to avoid basement flooding

By David Shum

What you can do outside the house

• Seal cracks or openings in walls, floors, windows and foundations, and seal all window wells.
• Clear eavestroughs and downspouts of leaves and other debris that prevent proper drainage.
• Make sure your downspouts are draining properly, ideally a minimum of 6-8 feet from your foundation’s walls.
• Ensure the grading around your home slopes away from the foundation wall to help drain water away from your home (without negatively affecting neighboring properties).
• Increase the green space around your home with native plants and shrubs and install porous pavement to help absorb rainwater and melted snow.
• Repair/replace damaged weeping tile systems.
• Clear debris from roadside catchbasins (grates) to help water enter the stormsewer. (If it is safe to do so.)
• Ensure drainage swales (shallow ditch) between properties are maintained and clear of obstructions.

What you can do inside the house

• Ensure that your plumbing is in good working condition. Homeowners are responsible for the plumbing from the property line to inside the home. The City is responsible for the public portion of the service line.
• Hire a licensed and qualified plumber to install a backwater valve and a properly-sized sump pump and piping.
• Ensure the proper and regular maintenance of basement flooding devices in your home. Sump pumps need power to operate, so consider installing a back-up power source.
• Consider installing shelves to help keep items off the floor in your basement. Also, avoid keeping valuables or important documents in the basement. If you do, keep them in a watertight/water-resistant container.
• Avoid carpet in the basement, which retains water and is harder to clean up.
• Dispose of small amounts of cooking oil and grease in your green bin, not down the drain, which can cause a drain blockage. (Make sure there is absorbent material in the bin).
• Avoid flushing objects down the toilet, such as dental floss, condoms, tampons, razor blades, non-biodegradable products, etc., which can block the sanitary pipe.

Keep SERVPRO of St. Clair Shores in mind for any emergencies you may have around your house or business. We are available 24/7 for your emergency needs, just call 586-741-5050.