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h1strongWater damaged basements/strong/h1pThere are not many things that are as upsetting to someone than showing up at home and finding a a title=flooded basement href=http://www.waterdamageout.com target=_blankwater damaged basement/a, or getting to the ground level and stumbling upon a title=water damage href=http://www.waterdamageout.com/water_damage.htm target=_blankdamage from water/a everywhere you look and thinking what now?. The damage can be quite extensive ranging from wet carpets or worse, damaged hardwood floors and water damaged walls. Wet contents can also be ruined especially if the water damage has been ongoing for a while before being discovered and irreplaceable items like photo albums and family heirlooms can only add insult to injury.!–more– Fortunately understanding the reasons why basements flood and how to prevent future water damage can help alleviate this annoyance./pp/ppIn order to fix a basement thats experienced water damage and help prevent it from happening once more its it important to know the origin of the water loss. When homeowners experience wet basements for the first time, it is imperative to determine if the water problems are going to reoccur or if it was a one-time event. Essential to solving this question is determining where the water is coming from. In well populated areas there are various sources of water that can enter a basement and cause damage, firstly after a storm surface water can run down foundation walls and then into the basement. Secondly groundwater in already water-logged earth can be pushed into the basement by water pressure and can also cause huge problems. Storm sewer water from the municipal storm sewer system can back up into the homes existing perimeter foundation drain and leak into the basement. Although this can only happen if the perimeter foundations drain system is connected to the municipal sewer system. Lastly sanitary sewer water from a combined municipal storm/sanitary sewer system backing up into the homes drain system, can cause sewer water to come up through sink drains and floor drains on lower levels./pp/ppTo help eliminate, or at least reduce the risk of water damage due to water entering the basement follow these handy tips:/pp/pulliWater found in basements and under a house can be indicative of a plumbing leak or unacceptable drainage, which can result in structural issues and mold problems which could force the fact that aa title=mold removal company href=http://www.waterdamageout.com/mold_removal.htm target=_blankmold company/a needing to be hired. /liliInspect your homes gutter systems often and remove any debris to prevent blockages./liliIf your home is in an area with a lot of trees that loose their leaves, purchasing gutter guards could be a time saving investment./liliYour downspouts should protrude several feet out from your homes foundation in order to carry rain water away from your house. If they dont, you can purchase extensions that attach to your downspouts./liliCheck where the gutters meet the stucco on the outside of you home, sometimes builders dont stucco behind the gutter end piece correctly and water could be pouring into your home without you knowing./liliFill in any low spots around the house and amend any cracked paved areas or paving that slopes towards the house so water drains away from the foundation./liliInspect door and windows for cracked or missing caulking and replace as needed./liliCheck the flashing at chimneys, vents, skylights and other connections for damage or deterioration./liliAre there any hills sloping down toward the house that may be the source of the water? If they do slope towards the house, an engineer may need to be called to evaluate the situation and come up with an appropriate solutions./liliIs there a lawn/shrub irrigation system discharging too much water next to the house? Avoid placing lawn irrigation next to the house./li/ul