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GAZETTE Newspapers
By: Arthur S. Lazerow
Water, Water and More Water
Question: Rain has finally stopped falling, at least
temporarily, but the rain last week was unprecedented. Nine
inches in two days. Who can remember mud slides over the
beltway or motorboats in Chevy Chase? Jonathan from Cabin John
emailed: “After six years of having a dry basement, rain the
last three days brought the Potomac River into my basement, at
least so it seemed. As soon as my wife and I discovered running
water in the basement, I used buckets and then my wet-vac to
remove most of the water. It is pretty much dry. What should I
do next and what should I look at for reasons why this
occurred?”
Answer: This question arrived in my inbox while I was at my
computer and was answered immediately. Any occurrence of
moisture in the lowest level of a home must be corrected as
quickly as possible. This includes drying the affected areas
and remediating the cause of the leak. Immediacy emanates from
the potential for mold growth if moisture is permitted to
linger, since a mold infestation can occur within 72 hours on
moist drywall or wood.
The location and pattern of a water leak can lead to
understanding its cause. Observing the leak while it is
ongoing is helpful. For instance, water oozing up through
cracks in the basement floor or pipe penetrations away from the
perimeter walls suggests a high ground water table under the
home or groundwater seeping down the foundation and under the
home’s slab. Although this type leakage is unusual, it can
easily be handled with the installation of a sump pump system.
As an aside, new sump installations often include a back-up
battery, and retrofit equipment is available should an older
sump pump need electric power back up.
If an active leak is occurring, one question to ask is does the
water contain chlorine? Chlorine test kits are uncommon in
residences, but a neighbor with a pool will have one. This is a
certain way to determine whether or not the water is publicly
treated water, which means a pipe leak, rather than Mother
Nature’s free and finest water.
Most leaks are associated with the exterior foundation walls of
the structure. A basement that leaks only coincident with a
major rainstorm is sending the occupants a message. Studying
where water is entering the basement will suggest a course of
action. If water is running from behind paneling, remove the
paneling from that area to observe what is occurring behind it.
Based on the affected interior location, determine where to
investigate on the exterior. Then from the outside, go through
this checklist of possibilities, which covers the majority of
deficiencies which can permit water infiltration into a home:
a.
Reversed grading, permitting water to flow toward the
foundation and not away from it.
b.
Openings in siding or cracks in masonry walls.
c.
Failed, blocked or otherwise deficient gutters and
downspouts
d.
Splash blocks tilted back towards the home, not away.
e.
Cracks in the foundation.
f.
Landscape materials planted too close to the home.
g.
Failed window or door caulk.
h.
Openings under doorsills and thresholds.
And finally, if there
is no obvious cause of the problem, call a professional
consultant. A civil engineer or home inspector will give the
homeowner an unbiased review of the situation. Call a
waterproofing contractor and they will attempt to sell the
homeowner on their particular repair system, whether warranted
or not. Nonetheless, be proactive and resolve the problem.
Repetitive water leaks in a home should never occur.
Have a question relating to a housing or an environmental
issue? To contact Mr. Lazerow, click on “Contact Us” at
Albaninspect.com. Mention “Gazette Newspapers” in your
question. Every question will be answered and some will be
included in this column.
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