How to Protect your Basement from Mold and Flooding
Posted in Flood & Water Damage, on July 24, 2024
Water leaks are a common issue that many homeowners run into at some point. However, when not cared for properly, leaks can cause catastrophic damage to your home and basement. When untreated, leaks can spread to different parts of your home. As water pressure builds up, ceilings, walls, and pipes can burst, resulting in flooding. Flooding in your basement can be extremely dangerous as there are usually no doors that allow water to be released. This results in the water remaining in your basement for an extended period of time, which can cause mold, mildew and rotting. Mold growth in your home comes with its own set of issues, as it can be extremely toxic to health and can grow inside your insulation.
If you do run into one of these issues, contact Canada’s Restoration Services. We offer basement flood cleanup and mold removal in Toronto, to ensure that your basement remains intact. Call Canada’s Restoration Services today for a free estimate!
Importance of Prevention
Given how common water leaks are, it is important to take preventative measures to ensure that your home is protected from water damage, flood damage and mold damage. These preventative efforts can begin as early as the building process, and there are also options to protect your existing home as well. During the building process, you can work with your builder to design landscaping in a way that drains water away from your home in the case of extreme weather. Ensuring there is proper drainage in your home can also prevent water damage-related issues. There are also monitors you can add to your basement to help you deter water and monitor humidity. When it comes to protection from mold, looking into your insulation is a great place to start, as this is a common growth site for mold. Upgrading your insulation to a waterproof variety can be useful. And again, monitoring the humidity levels throughout your home can also help prevent mold growth since mold is caused by trapped humidity and moisture. This blog will share more about what measures homeowners can take to prevent flooding and mold damage in your basement.
What Causes Basement Flooding?
There are two major causes of basement flooding. Either water from outside the home has been able to seep in or there is some kind of blockage in your sewer system or pipes.
In the first case, water can enter your home through:
- Cracks in your home’s foundation, basement windows, or walls
- Poor landscaping that doesn’t allow for proper drainage
- Not having foundation drains or a sump pump
- Leaking or clogged downspouts
In the case of a sewer-related flood, this is often the result of:
- Blockages in your sewer line
- Broken or cracked sewer lines
- Overflow of sewer systems during intense weather conditions
When it comes to protecting your home, there are ways to prevent leak-related floods. You can adjust certain parts of your home to drain water more effectively. With sewer-related floods, they are not so preventable. However, there are things you can do to protect your home from extreme damage and ways to catch early signs of sewer issues.
Ensuring Proper Drainage for Flood Prevention
Ensuring that water is being properly drained from your home can help reduce a buildup. In the chance that there is a small crack in the foundation of your home or cracks in your basement windows or walls, you’ll want to direct water away from your home.
Grading
If you are building a home and want to prevent future flooding, you should ensure that the land surrounding your home is graded in a way that drains water away from the foundation of your home. People with larger properties tend to have uneven land that can direct water toward the home, which is very risky. This is where effectively grading a new home or regrading the land of an existing home can help. You and your builders can ensure that your surrounding land slopes down, away from your home. This way, even if you have cracks in the foundation of your home, the water is directed elsewhere.
Gutters and Downspouts
Gutters are downspouts also play a large role when it comes to drainage and flood prevention. Gutters are horizontal tubes that line the edges of your roof. They are meant to take water from when it rains and channel it into your downspouts to prevent a buildup of water at the base of your home. However, when your gutters are clogged, they can overflow, causing large amounts of water being spilled near the foundation of your home. Ensuring every once and a while that your gutters are clear can be beneficial for preventing flooding in your basement. This should be a regular practice that is conducted before spring begins, as rain is normally heavier during this time. Downspouts are the enclosed tubes normally found at the side of your home that release water from the gutters. Increasing the length of your downspouts can help keep water further away from your home, again, reducing the risk of flooding.
Sump Pump
Having a sump pump is one of the best ways to prevent basement flooding. A sump pump is a device designed to move water from the lowest part of the home, which is usually the basement, to the outside of the home. These are often installed below the surface of the basement, and there is a basin and pump. The basin collects water that had built up from rain or leaks and the pump sends the water up and out of the basement, typically releasing somewhere outside of the home. Having this mechanism in your home can make a huge difference when it comes to basement flooding, as it tackles the issue directly from the basement.
Mold Prevention
Mold is also a common result of flood and water damage. Mold typically starts out as a spore and thrives in areas that are constantly damp or exposed to water. So when you have a leak for an extended period of time, you’ll likely have mold as well. Keeping your home and basement dry is the key to preventing mold. Mold can be toxic to your health and can ruin your quality of life, so it is crucial that you are diligent in preventing and removing mold. It can cause respiratory issues, cognitive issues, allergy-like symptoms, infections and much more. Not to mention the fact that it is unsightly.
Humidity Monitor
Humidity monitoring in your basement can help ensure that you are always aware of your mold risk. There are different varieties of this device, however, many of these options work by placing the device on a surface, like walls or ceilings and waiting for a reading. Most devices give results in the form of a percentage. If your reading is around 60% or higher, there is a larger risk for mold growth, and you should look into upgrading the draining mechanisms in your home to prevent water damage. The great thing about this device is you only need to invest in it once and it can be used anywhere in your home.
Insulation Upgrades
Insulation is often a common sight for mold growth. Leaks often begin between the walls of your home, which is where fibreglass insulation normally lives. The issue with fibreglass insulation is that it is highly absorbent, making it prone to harbouring moisture. This trapped moisture can then cause mold growth, which will require you to remove your mold and your existing insulation, which will need to be replaced. Upgrading your insulation to a more effective, waterproof variety can deter mold growth. Sprayfoam insulation is a newer and popular insulation option. It is waterproof and is one of the most effective insulation options on the market, which is an added bonus.
When in Doubt, Call in the Experts
Flooding and mold growth are horrendous occurrences and something that should be prevented at all costs. Flooding can destroy your personal property and result in expensive repairs. Installing new walls, ceilings, and floors are just some small repairs that are guaranteed to be needed. Mold growth is toxic to your health, and preventing it means you can avoid removal costs and insulation repair. Overall, being diligent about prevention is key to protecting your home. Ensuring that water stays away from your home is important for preventing water from seeping into your home. This is why taking measures to ensure that water is being properly drained away from your home is so important. When it comes to mold, monitoring your humidity levels and ensuring that there are no areas that are prone to trapped moisture is extremely vital to the health of your property. But when you’re unsure if your home is at risk or have already experienced flood damage or mold growth, call in the experts at Canada’s Restoration Services for help. We offer both flood cleanup and mold removal in Toronto, and can take care of any restoration projects in your home. Contact us today for a free estimate!