What Is the Most Common Cause for Water in the Basement?

Under ideal conditions, you would never have to contend with a basement leak. Unfortunately, there may come a day where you step into your basement only to find standing water or seepage making a mess of your cultivated space. You have to attend to the source of leaking or flooding quickly if you want to retain your basement’s structural integrity, not to mention the overall value of your home.  

There are a few different ways to explain a basement leak. More often than not, however, you can look to one source: hydrostatic pressure. 

Hydrostatic Pressure 

Hydrostatic pressure as a term describes the pressure put on your home by the moisture in the ground. This force can put your basement’s structural supports under significant stress. That moisture changes the size of your structural supports’ molecules to the point where said supports crack to compensate for the rapid transformations. 

As your supports crack, they’ll allow more moisture in your home. You’ll not only see more significant flooding or seepage, but your pipes will be at a greater risk for damage due to the higher humidity levels in your home. In short, hydrostatic pressure not only begets leaking but puts multiple structures inside and outside of your home at risk for long-term, expensive damage. 

Other Sources of Basement Damage 

There are, of course, other forces that can cause your home to begin leaking. These can include: 

• Tree roots 

• Pest infestations 
• Sinking soil, or the “clay bowl effect” 
• Freezes inside of your home 

Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to determine which of these forces is working against your home’s structural integrity. If you come home to find water in your basement, but you’re not sure which of the above forces may have caused the structural supports within your home to allow in a leak, you can reach out to the professional contractors in your area. Together you can inspect your basement and determine not only which of the aforementioned forces has damaged your property but how best you might work against it.