How to Keep a Basement Dry in Spring

When the days are getting longer and the sun is warmer we know spring is on the way. While we all look forward to spring's arrival -- this beautiful season may bring some problems along with it. One problem spring may bring -- is a wet basement. Somehow, watching the snow disappear loses a lot of its attraction when you find out some of the runoff water has ended up down below. Here are some steps to keeping your basement dry and some ways to ensure your basement stays dry in future years.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Gloves
• Ladder
• Hot water
• Pails/bucket

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Instructions

How to Keep Your Basement Dry This Spring

1. Start by getting rid of the most obvious cause of wet basements: snow piled up around your foundation walls. As the snow melts the runoff goes directly into the ground, and if you have piles of snow against your walls, you're going to end up with water right against the outside of your basement walls. Concrete (both poured or concrete blocks) is permeable, so some of this water will eventually work its way through the "solid" wall and into your basement.

2. Eliminate the potential problem before all the snow starts to melt by shoveling the snow piles a few feet away from your foundation.

3. Consider another source of runoff water is snow melting on your roof. While runoff from the roof is supposed to be directed away from your foundation by your gutters and downspouts, during the winter, snow melting and freezing could block your gutters and even your downspouts. If the gutters and downspouts are blocked, runoff will simply pour over the edges of your gutters and fall right beside your foundation.

4. Clearing out your gutters and downspouts will ensure runoff from your roof doesn't end up in your basement. The easiest way to clear your downspouts is to set up your ladder close to the downspout and carefully climb up with a few buckets of water.

5. Use warm water poured directly down your downspout to melt any icy buildup. If there is any ice built up in the gutters you can also pour warm water into the area of the gutter you can safely reach to help clear them as well.

How to Keep Your Basement Dry Next Spring

1. During the summer ensure the grade of the land around your foundation slopes away from your walls for a few feet. This is especially important in older homes, since over time with planting around the walls the grade may have changed and could actually be sloping towards your home.

2. Ensure your downspouts extend at least a few feet away from your foundation and be sure they drain onto a solid surface (like your driveway) rather than onto the ground.

3. Clear out your gutters in the fall. Leaving any buildup of leaves or twigs in them will make it more likely that runoff water could freeze into a block of ice, blocking any flow through your gutters.

4. If your basement gets wet every spring you might want to consider installing a French drain (a stone-filled ditch leading water downhill away from your home to prevent it from getting into your basement) or a sump pump to pump water out of your basement.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to pour the water through your downspouts on a warm, sunny day so it won't freeze and become a hazard.

• Spreading some sand on the area after pouring the water will help prevent accidents

• Putting up a ladder particularly on slippery frozen ground can be dangerous. Be sure to have a helper on the ground to help hold your ladder steady.

• Climb with only one pail at a time. Use your other hand to hold onto the rail of the ladder. If you're pouring water into the gutters themselves, be careful not to overextend your reach.