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I have a question regarding basements in homes in South Dakota. Even if it is a finished basement, do they at some point leak? How is the ground water kept out of the basement? Thanks.
Well, I know that South Dakota has a "Semi Arid" type climate, meaning the state receives less than 20 inches of precipitation a year. This is relatively dry.
Not living in SD though, I don't know for sure.
Most older foundations tend to get cracks and warps in them which causes leakage.
If you get a newer place you probably don't have much to worry about. If you're looking into older places ask questions before you buy
I lived in several houses in Rapid City that had basements. Lived in a basement in Sioux Falls, Miller, etc. Out of maybe 6 houses with basements, one of them had a water problem and that house was built at a low level and had a creek about 100 feet away. In that house, we had a sump in a concrete pit that worked real well. All the others were nice and dry.
My parents live south of the Sioux Falls area and live in an area that has clay-based soil. Their house is a 1993 house and has a partial basement and have not had problems with their basement, although they have a sump pump.
In their area, one would have to haul in a lot of dirt or build on a hill to have a full basement. A number of houses have partial basements (being 3-5 in instead of more), due to the water table being on the higher side in areas south of Sioux Falls. When it gets wet in the mentioned area, water collects in spots and it takes a little longer for water to sink in as apposed to areas with sandy soil.
I suggest observing how the land is in regards to topography and the type of soil, especially when building a house.
Last edited by Chris19; 09-28-2007 at 10:49 PM..
Reason: Addition of items
Chris makes a good point. The success - "dry-ness" - of a basement depends on a number of things including location, subsoil type, watertable, material choice, sub-slab drainage, and the general skill of the builder. Keep in mind, also, that conditions can change. Years ago when we first moved to town we rejected any house with a sump pump. The community was known for it's lack of water. Any place that needed a sump pump in this dried out town wasn't for us! A year later the rain started and I was kept busy busting a hole in the basement floor, putting in tile, and pumping away!
So, what do you do? If you're building first and foremost get the sage advice of an experienced builder who has worked in the area for a number of years. He'll know about recommended depths, gravel and sand eyes with flowing water, and other characteristics. Then, no matter what the builder says about tiling, put in tile outside the footings, under the slab, a big sump, and if you ever need it, you've got it! In an exisiting home if there is a sump, inspect it closely to see if there are tiles running into it or if it's just be stuck in the spot in the basement that looked like it would catch the most water. If there are tiles running into it, look around the perimeter of the basement wall. If there's a narrow strip of replaced concrete, the sump and tile were added post-construction. There's nothing wrong with that - you can just figure out if there's tile around the perimeter or not. The tile job generally works much better than just a sump hole or two. If there isn't a sump, look for evidence of water infiltration - efflorescence on the concrete or block walls [white powdery stuff], discoloration along the bottom edge of finished walls or baseboard, curled or sprung up floor tiles. Sometimes a musty smell is a give away - but remember that basements are always cooler and if proper ventilation isn't provided the cooler basement air will hold humidity and even if it's dry as far as water infiltration is concerned, it can feel/smell damp. You can fix that with an open window, dehumidifier, or fan.
Some areas of the state were originally swamp land from my understanding or close to it. they do leak depending on the amount of rain sump pump or not.
I have a foundation with no crack but the water came from under the floor vs. the walls.
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Basements
