There are few things worse than walking across the floor in your basement, and suddenly getting your feet wet. Maybe the kid spilled something on the carpet or your dog had an accident. Then you realize there is a lot more water there than either could produce.

The dreaded nightmare sinks in, you have a basement leak!

What now?

While it may seem like a daunting task, keeping a dry basement may not be as hard as you think. There are some simple steps you can take that will keep your basement dry and comfortable.

Outdoor Water Spigots

While it may sound simple, many a person has been embarrassed when an inspector found that their outdoor water spigots were leaking and a simple repair would have prevented their problem. Even a slight drip can develop several gallons of water per day, running down the foundation wall.

Your drainage system needs to be clear and maintained.

This system consists of:

Gutter and downspouts-keep them clear of all debris and check for any damage that would prevent water from flowing properly through them. Rainwater spilling out on a concentrated area can create low places in your grade and allow water to concentrate against your foundation wall and in time can deteriorate the concrete or concrete block joints. It will also start seeping through cracks in your basement wall and cause a basement leak.

Where the water exits at the bottom of the downspout is a critical area. It must be allowed to flow away from the foundation. This can consist of a simple splash block or a drain pipe as needed.

If your home has been built since about 1995, it should have a foot drain or strip drain. Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing whether they were installed correctly. Repair of these systems can be quite costly. Excavation is required even for inspection.

Make sure the grade around your house slopes away your foundation wall. Sometimes that is not an easy task, but is a must to keep the drainage water away from the foundation. Any depressions found next to your foundation should be filled and graded away from your foundation.

Fix any plumbing leaks as they happen. This may seem like a no-brainer task, but in some cases, these leaks are really hard to notice. Discoloration of flooring is sometimes the only indication of a possible leak.

When water is dripping from the ceiling or running down the walls, a roof leak is obvious. But what about those undetected leaks that go unnoticed for days, months, and even years.

We all know that water entering the home can damage the drywall, structural members, insulation, carpet, furnishings, and anything else that it comes in contact with but it also can cause a health hazard in the form of mold.

A roof can leak for a number of reasons, but the most common is substandard installation of the roof. Over half of all roof leaks in typical residences are the result of improper flashing around roof vents and in the valley where the roof lines meet. Storms are the second-leading cause of leaks, since strong winds can rip shingles from the roof and force water underneath some types of shingles.  It areas of the country, where ice and snow are a common occurrence, a lack of installation or poor installation of ice and water shield can be a contributor of a roof leak.

 There are many things that can go wrong with the roofing system, including, cracked tiles, shingles that curl, shingles that get blown off, flashing can be damaged or bend. All of these will lead to a serious problem and that is a roof leak. You may not see the damage coming. Water may be seeping in, but you won’t see it in the house until water is coming into the interior of the home. At that point a lot of damage may have already occurred. In some cases, the first visual hint of a problem will be the appearance of mold.

It is fairly easy for the average home owner to do a visual inspection of your roof. Check for cracked or missing tiles or shingles, bent or damaged flashings, cracked or damaged roof jack covers around roof penetrations like bathroom vents. Also check your gutter systems to make sure that they are clear of any debris and are not damaged. If you have a steep roof or you feel uncomfortable climbing on your roof, you may need to call in a professional.

If it appears you may have a problem, now is the time to call in a professional. In many cases, the repairs can be relatively inexpensive. If you have an older roof, replacement may be required. Repairing an older roof is usually just a Band-Aid with short-term effect and can lead to further damage and be a lot more costly to not only replace the roof, but repair the consequential damages.

Okay. You have found mold in your home. How do you get rid of it once and for all? Do you need to call in a professional mold remediation team?

There are situations where you can remediate, or halt the mold growth on your own.  What is remediation? It is removal of contaminated and/or hazardous materials from your home.  If the problem is small, a good dousing of bleach can stop the mold infestation.  If the invasion is less than ten square feet, you can most likely attack it on your own and do the repairs.

One thing to remember. Even though bleach can kill mold, once the spore is dead it can still release harmful toxins into the air.  And the fumes in  bleach chloride are not the healthiest things for your lungs.  The bleach you buy in the stores is watered down.  It has to be or it would be a public hazard to handle. And what does mold like? Water. So, while bleach can do some good, it is not the most reliable method of remediation.

Antibacterial are effective. They are a retardant, but will not prevent dried (even dead) mold spores form floating in the air, releasing toxins and causing health problems in some people. However, once the mold and its’ source are removed, antibacterial gels can be a good  deterrent to future infestations.

But,  the question remains: did you get it all? Mold and mildew can seep into microscopic cracks and porous materials.  There are a lot of places in your house that are porous- concrete slabs, drywall, wood and brick to name a few. It may be worth it to call in the professionals who handle this everyday.

Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center of Disease Control (CDC)  have explicit standards and instructions on how to remove mold.  A respirator  ( N-95 dust mask) should be worn at all times in the presence of mold per the EPA.  If the spread is over thrifty feet square, the regulations state it is your choice to call in a professional or to let a cleaning agency or maintenance man handle the job. Over that, and the professionals must be contacted.  

The real trick is to not only remove the mold, but to stop the entrance of moisture into the home. If you can keep the mold from growing back, the battle is won. The EPA has registered chemicals and even biodegradable substances specifically for mold remediation . These are contained in anti-bacterial sealants that professionals are registered to handle and  trained to use.  The agent may use methods of sanding or other abrasive techniques to help the sealant stick.  Let them. Be wary of agents that just want to spray a filmy substance before the moldy or dirt laden surfaces are cleaned and treated.  Invasive versus non-invasive treatment. Treat or tear it all out. How would you know what is best?  A mold remediator should know.

So how do you pick a mold remediator?  Make sure they are using EPA approved equipment, chemicals and HEPA filtration devices. Check their permits and references.  With the mold scare, unfortunately there are flim-flam artists out there ready to prey on worried home owners.