What is the root cause of wet basements?
In most cases, clogged downspouts fail to carry runoff water away from the home. If not clogged, downspouts may be cracked or have leaky joints. When this happens, water should go into the drain tile, a special pipe below the footer of your basement, which will carry it to the storm sewer. A broken or clogged drain tile (due to soil or root invasion) will leave water with no place to go but into the basement, entering where the floor and wall meet. How detrimental is a cracked foundation wall to my house? Most basement walls have cracks in them. Vertical cracks are more common, occurring when the footer has settled a bit. As long as the crack doesn’t continue to widen it usually doesn’t require repair. Horizontal cracks, however, are caused by the exterior pressure of soil expansion. Horizontal cracks are more serious and require professional attention to relieve pressure from the outside walls and add necessary reinforcements to protect the walls from further damage. If not addressed
