There is a list of disadvantages that come with snow. When thinking about this list, many don’t even consider flooding. However, snowmelt, unfortunately, causes basement flooding in many homes. If you dealt with a large amount of snow this winter and the temperatures are starting to rise, it might be time to start preparing to ensure this doesn’t damage your home. Here are a few ways to protect your basement from snowmelt.
Keep the Snow Away From Your Home
Get as much snow as you can away from your home as possible. Get out your shovel and start pushing away the snow from your foundation as soon as you can. Keep in mind that if your home is on a hill, you need to make sure that when it melts it moves away from your home and not toward it.
Clear Snow From Your Roof
This might seem like a large task considering the roof is high up and the conditions are not the best. However, this does not mean that there cannot be any snow on your roof. What you need to eliminate is any snow build-up, as the gutter system won’t be able to keep up when it thaws. Not watching for this can lead to snowmelt going into your basement, and in extreme cases, breaking through the roof of your home.
Inspect Downspouts and Gutters
Keeping an eye on the drainage areas, downspouts, and gutters throughout the winter months will help you make sure that they are in good, working condition. They need to be clear of snow and ice build-up at all times. Ensuring that this is the case will help you prevent backups and overflowing of the melted snow.
Test Your Sump Pump
You should test your sump pump throughout the winter months to ensure that it is in good working condition. To test this, you should pour a bucket of water into the basic to engage the pump. If this doesn’t ignite the sump pump to work, please unplug the pump and investigate the problem. It’s much better to determine what’s wrong at the start rather than finding out there is a problem before it’s too late.
These four ways to protect your basement from snowmelt will be greatly beneficial in keeping your basement dry. Snowmelt can be damaging and harmful to your basement if it isn’t properly handled, so please do your best as a homeowner to keep that from occurring. One more quick tip is to always fix any cracks and leaks in your foundation that could allow water into your home.
