Your foundation under pressure….
Even on the sunniest of days, your foundation walls and floor may be keeping hundreds of gallons of water at bay. Never underestimate the power of water trapped underground.Trapped underground water also known as the water table is the level of ground water existing in the soil. Upward active pressure generated from the cumulative weight of the soil, rocks, infrastructure and developments around and above the trapped water causes hydrostatic pressure on the foundation walls and floor. Hydrostatic pressure can damage and shift foundations.
This orientation of pressure poses a significant force on basement floors as the water is continuously pushed from below. The pressure is commonly sufficient enough to force water through the porous compositional make-up of concrete blocks and poured walls, even where no cracks or other openings are present.
Hydrostatic pressure alone is often enough to threaten your basement along with the health of you and your home. When accompanied by excessive amounts of rain or snow melt, it will push the existing water table level over the brink.
Installing a sump pit and pump to evacuate the water pressure is sometimes all that is needed to alleviate and manage the pressure.
Remember a pit and pump are of little use without a back-up pump when the power is off or the main pump fails. Click here for more information on back-up pumps.
These photos illustrate some of the problems you might find
with a damp or leaky basement:
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