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We have had two basements flood, one due to receiving 3 inches of rain in a 30 minute period (not here, but elsewhere) and the other due to shoddy work by the builder.
While I enjoy the extra space a basement can provide, I will never purchase another home with one. The basement that flooded after the heavy rainfall had a sump pump but it was overwhelmed. Thankfully we got someone out fast to help do the clean-up afterward which was important because mold can grow very quickly. Still, it was a real mess.
The second home was being built and we were about to close on the deal when we noticed water coming in at both back corners of the basement. This was a walkout. We had B-Dry install one of their systems and while the system worked fine, they managed to booger up our foundation during installation. Unfortunately we did not discover this until years later and getting that repaired was expensive.
Things we found helpful to preventing mold growth in a basement:
1. Use synthetic materials (carpet, fabric, etc.) downstairs as only organic materials grow mold.
2. Rubber padding underneath the carpet is good.
2. Keep a low wattage light on during the night.
3. Install a system like B-Dry but hire an independent inspector to ensure they are doing the job right.
4. It's best to keep windows closed and air circulating inside the basement.
5. Never assume the wrap a builder installs around the exterior walls of a basement will keep water out.
6. Install a French drain outside the house to divert water away from your basement.
May the Abominable Basement Boogie Man never visit your home as he has ours and twice. He's nasty and a force not to be reckoned with.
I'll take a basement over a crawl space any day, but I'm not willing to pay a premium for it. More basements than not will take water, especially in this area.
The nice thing about a basement versus a tight crawlspace, is you actually go down there and are aware when there are issues. My crawlspace now, I won't go in it because I'm a wimp. I'll check with a flashlight every couple months to make sure I don't see any obvious issues, but non-obvious issues I'll never know about until it's too late.
I would actually pay for a service to come out once a month and crawl around my crawlspace to look for any issues.
That's interesting. So why don't most basements take water around here? Is it the clay soil?
This thread got moved fyi.
Is it true that most basements don't take more water in the Triangle? I have no idea - I would think it would be the opposite, more runoff on the clay soil. Full basements are extremely rare here.
Water can either come in through the walls, or up and through the floor (water table).
Most basements here are walkout basements built on a slope. If done correctly the water should drain away from the foundation, the side walls have a water resistant membrane along with a foundation drain around the outside. We have a basement and it stays completely dry, it's the most temperate room in our house. Never gets too cold in the winter and never to hot in the summer. On top of that it's perfect for neighborhood parties, people don't even have to step foot in your main living area if setup right.
Here, we have a mostly dry climate and my south facing basement walks out to a concrete patio. All windows except one are above grade because the house is built on a sloped lot.
If you finish a basement you'll need to consider how to keep it dry.
To insure usability, I took extra care while building to make sure all rain water flows from the gutters to a 6 inch drain pipe that flows beneath the back yard and empties into the creek at the back of the lot.
I also installed a backwater valve on the sewer pipe to prevent sewer backups into the finished basement. That really paid off for me when, after living here for just 2 years the sewer backed up into a neighbor's house but not mine. When the neighbor came over to see how badly my basement was flooded and I showed him that I had no problem because I had anticipated the problem and designed the basement to prevent it, his response was "damn engineer".
In my observation, homes with basements that are cheek to jowl with other homes with basements are more prone to taking water because where can the water go in a rainstorm? If there is not a lot of bare ground because of paved street, driveways and basements, it has to go somewher. Usually into a basement.
If the house is on a larger tract, and there is plenty of unpaved ground, the water is more likely to drain off.
I’ve lived in two homes with basements that never flooded. Both had ground around them to safely drain off water. Newer developments have so much paving and are so dense, I think having a basement might be asking for trouble.
In my observation, homes with basements that are cheek to jowl with other homes with basements are more prone to taking water because where can the water go in a rainstorm? If there is not a lot of bare ground because of paved street, driveways and basements, it has to go somewher. Usually into a basement.
If the house is on a larger tract, and there is plenty of unpaved ground, the water is more likely to drain off.
I’ve lived in two homes with basements that never flooded. Both had ground around them to safely drain off water. Newer developments have so much paving and are so dense, I think having a basement might be asking for trouble.
True enough; however, a lot also depends on the soil structure and the height of the water table. if you have loose, sandy soils then water will generally drain through very quickly as opposed to heavy clay soils, which can hold water long enough for it to seep into basements that may not have proper or sufficient waterproofing.
Where I live, the water table is so high, due to proximity to the river and a navigable creek, that if a house had a basement it would also have an indoor pool. Right now after all the rain we've had recently, the water table is about 2-4" below the ground's surface. I've got over half an acre with no paving, but if I dig a hole, I'll have an instant pond. Parts of my yard are actually like chocolate pudding to walk upon.
True enough; however, a lot also depends on the soil structure and the height of the water table. if you have loose, sandy soils then water will generally drain through very quickly as opposed to heavy clay soils, which can hold water long enough for it to seep into basements that may not have proper or sufficient waterproofing.
Where I live, the water table is so high, due to proximity to the river and a navigable creek, that if a house had a basement it would also have an indoor pool. Right now after all the rain we've had recently, the water table is about 2-4" below the ground's surface. I've got over half an acre with no paving, but if I dig a hole, I'll have an instant pond. Parts of my yard are actually like chocolate pudding to walk upon.
Oh, I agree. I now live in the PNW, where serious precip happens. We actually had to add drainage to our backyard! I am happy NOT to have the worry of a basement here.
I had basements in homes I lived in in the Midwest.
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