Do you have a leaky basement or crawl space? Consider installing a sump pump

Installing A Sump Pump

If you are living in a home that has water problems, you need to consider installing a sump pump to help alleviate the problem.

Water problems, if left unrepaired can cause a lot of problems over time. In a basement area, standing water prevents you from using that space unless you take the action of installing a sump pump. Water penetration can also damage your belongings that you have stored down in the basement area. If the area is finished, you risk ruining the drywall, furniture and electronics.

 

Once the drywall gets wet, mold can start to develop in the right conditions. If mold is allowed to grow unchecked, you could be in for some serious and very costly problems. You cannot begin to address the mold problem until you quit feeding the problem with water.

If you have water penetration in your crawl space, mold and fungus can begin to grow. In worse case scenarios, it can cause the supports and subfloor to deteriorate which again can lead to repairs that are expensive. Installing a sump pump would have been cheaper in the long run and would have saved you this aggravation. This area can also start to smell and that awful smell can seep into your living area.

 

You can also forget trying to sell a home with water problems because it is almost impossible. No one wants your “problem house” and you will have a hard time giving it away. So one way or another, you will be installing a sump pump to fix the water penetration problem.

 

Before installing your sump pump, you need to check a few things around the house and figure out how the water is getting in.

• Take a good look at the drainage around the perimeter of your home.
• How does the grade or dirt around the foundation look? Is it sloped so that water can drain away from the foundation or does it drain towards the foundation and pond there?
• Are there holes under the downspouts because your splashblocks are missing? These holes are next to the foundation and will hold water that will eventually seep into the basement or crawl space area.
• Do you have extenders on your downspouts so that water can be deposited three or four feet away from the home?
• Are your gutters full of debris? Gutters that don’t drain properly can allow water to overflow and pond around the foundation of the home.

 These are a few of the things that you and / or a contractor will need to take a look at before installing a sump pump. Any of these problems need to be corrected before installing a sump pump.

Whether you are considering installing a sump pump on your own or you just want to get some prices before you call a contractor check out these sump pumps.