COLUMBUS, Ohio — Heavy rain combined with melting snow due to warmer temperatures could spell trouble if you have a basement.
The rain and melting snow are going to create a lot of ponds in yards.
If your property doesn’t drain water properly, you might begin to see stains or cracks on your basement walls.
Sid Huck from J&J Foundation Repair of Columbus says orange staining near the floor is a sign that water had been there before.
“Until you have running across the floor you do not have a problem and do not let someone tell you, you do. Throw them out of your house because they are lying to you,” he says.
According to Huck, cracks in the wall or even signs of staining don't mean there is an immediate problem unless water is coming through. Often times it's a quick fix.
“Thirty percent of the time, we show up to some person's house who is freaked out about some small crack and it's not even a problem,” he says.
Huck added that the rain combined with quick snowmelt is going to cause a lot of basements to leak because the water isn't properly draining away from the home.
“Leave only six inches of your concrete block exposed on the outside of your house and try to grade the soil 4 to 6 feet away,” he says.
If you have a finished basement, Huck suggests walking with socks on along the edge of the basement to detect any moisture.
Here are signs that can contribute to a wet basement:
- Cracks in the walls.
- Hydrostatic water pressure
- Tree roots
- Foundation issues
- Horizontal, vertical or stair-stepping cracks.
Experts say before you decide if repairs are needed, call an engineer and get multiple quotes.
Also, don’t be fooled if you see black spots on the concrete block as it could just be mildew that can be controlled with bleach.
If you feel it’s something else, take a sample and send it off to a lab to be tested for mold.