Tuesday, January 17th, 2017
Winter Storm Helena hit most of Virginia and North Carolina during the first week of January leaving behind inches of snow and ice. The snow on your roof likely slid off falling beside your home’s foundation, adding extra accumulation. Now that temperatures have warmed, where does the melted snow and ice against your home go? It’s simple. Your basement– a hole in the ground lined with an imperfect concrete structure–a porous material with cracks, holes, and joints in it. 
But how does moisture enter your basement? Why doesn’t your exterior drainage system work? Hydrostatic pressure is pressure from a body of water at rest. The weight of the water itself it caused the pressure. The higher the water is in a vertical column, the more pressure. So if the void space in the soil outside of your foundation is filled with water (after a snowstorm) it will cause hydrostatic pressure to push the water into your basement through your porous foundation walls. The higher the soil is filled, the more pressure.
Now that the water is in the basement, what is the most efficient way to have the water removed, preventing its return? An interior drainage system is the best way a homeowner can prevent another flooded basement, there are many advantages:
– Accessibility to do the job
– More affordable than an exterior waterproofing system
– Installs in a day or two
– Easily serviced at any time
– It works
Are you wanting to prevent the next snow, ice or rain storm from leaving you with a wet basement to clean up? Tar Heel Basement Systems provides a permanent solution. Call our office today for a free estimate appointment.
