Simple, routine maintenance can keep your basementdry and prevent damage that requires costly repairs.Since most basement damage occurs slowly, overmany years, you may not notice a problem until thereis a water leak or a major crack. Let’s walk through thesystems protecting your basement to see how theywork and how to maintain them.

SANITARY AND STORM SEWERS

First, it helps to have a little background on the sewersthat drain water away from your home. Most largermunicipalities have two types of sewers, each built fora specific purpose. Sanitary sewers carry waste fromsinks and bathroom fixtures to the sewage treatmentplant. Storm sewers collect rain and surface water andcarry it to lakes or rivers. (Drawing P017)

You may have a foundation (basement) drain tile sys-tem that is connected to the storm sewer or to thecombined sanitary sewer. Combined sewers? Yes, oldersystems may have “combined” sewers in which sanitaryand storm sewers are combined in the street or belowthe house. Most of these systems are being renovatedto keep surface water out of the sanitary sewers. We

don’t want to pay to treat rainwater, and we don’twant it flooding our sewage plants. However, manycombined systems still exist. The City of Milwaukee’sdeep tunnel system collects excess water from thecombined sewers to help eliminate overflows intorivers and streams.

Your basement is connected to the sanitary sewer sys-tem at the floor drain or at basement plumbing fix-tures. The system carries waste out of the house. As itreaches the street, the flow may travel downhill, aidedby gravity, or it may be assisted by pumps. In eithercase, its final destination is the sewage treatment plant.

The storm sewer is connected to the sewer grates inthe street and eventually dumps the clear water (rain-water) into rivers and streams. If your sump pump isconnected to a sewer line, it should be rerouted to thestorm sewer. Downspouts and rain gutters that arerouted into underground sewer lines should also bererouted to the storm sewer. Some sump pumps willbe routed to the surface soil; eventually the waterflows to the storm sewer. (Drawing B006)

HOME TIPSTom Feiza’s Tips For Operating Your Home

HOW TO OPERATE YOUR HOME Keep Your Basement Dry

KEEP YOUR BASEMENT DRY

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PROTECTING YOUR BASEMENT:DRAIN TILE SYSTEMS

OLDER HOMES—NO DRAIN TILE SYSTEMS

Homes built around 1920 or earlier may not have draintile systems. These homes were often built “high on thehill” with a shallow basement that simply depended onsurface grading to divert water from the basement.

DRAIN TILES, BLEEDERS, AND DAMP PROOFING

Homes with drain tile systems share common compo-nents that collect and remove water. Exterior drain tilesare placed near or above the footings. These exterior tilesshould be covered with at least 2 feet of gravel, allowingwater to flow to the tiles. Older homes have concretetiles; newer homes use perforated plastic pipe. Interiortiles receive water from exterior drain tiles via bleedersthrough the footings. Interior tiles route the water to asump pump or palmer valve. (In the next section, we’lltake a closer look at the palmer valve.) To keep water outof the rest of the basement, a thin coating of tar or dampproofing is applied to the outside of the foundationwhen the house is built. Block basement walls are “back-plastered“ with a thin concrete coating on the outside,under the damp proofing. (Drawing B005)

HOMES BUILT FROM AROUND 1920 to1950—PALMER VALVES

Early drain tile systems in municipal areas often wereconnected to the basement floor drain with a one-waycheck valve called a palmer valve. Some municipalitiesrequire that this connection be eliminated because itdrains storm water into the sanitary sewer. You need tomaintain this palmer valve by checking that it opensfreely to discharge water. (Drawings B001, B002)

HOMES BUILT AFTER 1950—SUMP PUMPS

Newer homes have a sump pump that removes thestorm water from the drain tile system and pumps it toan underground storm sewer line or to the surface soil.(Drawing B005)

RURAL HOMES—SEPTIC SYSTEMS, BASEMENTDRAINAGE

A home with a septic system simply has a privatesewage treatment system. All the other principles ofdrainage are the same. Because the septic system’sdrain exits the basement near the midpoint of the wall,

the house may have a second pump crock to lift sani-tary sewage from the floor drain and laundry tubs upto the septic drain line. Homes in rural areas don’t havestorm sewers. All storm water is routed to the surfaceand to ditches. (Drawing P021)

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HOW SEWAGE BACKS UP INTO YOURBASEMENT

If the sanitary sewage system backs up, your basementcould be affected. The sanitary system can back upbecause of a blocked pipe from your home or ablocked pipe in the street, or because the combinedsewers are blocked or overflowing.

When the sanitary or combined sewage system backsup, sewage will enter your home through the floordrain or any plumbing fixture. When a whole neigh-borhood experiences a sanitary sewer backup, it’sbecause a major sewage line is blocked or has moreflow than it can handle. For instance, during a heavyrain, the combined sanitary and storm sewers may beunable to handle the sudden increased flow.

There is little you can do to prevent a neighborhood-wide sanitary sewer backup except to work with yourlocal municipality to correct sewage system problems.

HOW RAINWATER BACKS UP INTOYOUR BASEMENT

If you have poor surface drainage or problems withgutters and downspouts, you are inviting rainwaterinto your basement. Drainage systems are notdesigned to handle excessive surface water. If waterfloods around your basement, water will come in.

WATER FROM THE SUMP PUMP

Your house may have a sump pump. A sump pump isdesigned to collect the water from your basementdrain tile system. Water can back up from this sumppump if the electrical power goes out, the flow is toogreat, the discharge is blocked, or the pump malfunc-tions. This storm water may overflow the sump pumpcrock, run down the floor drain into the sanitary sewer,and/or flood your basement.

WATER FROM THE WALLS, WINDOW WELLS,CRACKS, AND FLOORS

Water may leak into your basement because of poorsurface grading or problems with gutters, downspouts,and sump pump discharges. Leaks can also be causedby problems with the palmer valve, drain tile, stormsewer lines, or window wells.

AVOIDING AND CORRECTING PROBLEMS

You can avoid or solve most basement seepage prob-lems by following these simple corrective steps, whichare listed in order of priority.

1. KKeeeepp gguutttteerrss aanndd ddoowwnnssppoouuttss cclleeaann,, aanndd ddiirreecctttthheemm aawwaayy ffrroomm tthhee bbaasseemmeenntt.. Downspouts mustbe routed to a storm sewer or at least 6 feet awayfrom the foundation to an area where the waterwill flow away naturally. (Drawing B019)

HOW TO OPERATE YOUR HOME Keep Your Basement Dry 3

Sewage Ejector Pump

g

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2. GGrraaddee ssoofftt ssuurrffaacceess.. All surface water must flowaway from foundation walls. Soil should pitch awayfrom the basement, dropping 6 inches for every 6feet. The soil under any bark or stone mulcharound your home must pitch away; ideally, anyplastic under the mulch will pitch away, too. Checkunder decks and porches. During a heavy rain,walk around your home to check for poolingwater. No water should pool around or flowtoward your basement walls. (Drawings B011,B009, B008)

3. GGrraaddee hhaarrdd ssuurrffaacceess.. All concrete and asphalt sur-faces must pitch away from the basement. Watchfor slab concrete beneath decks. Check all stoops,drives, and walks.

4. GGrraaddee tthhee ssooiill aarroouunndd wwiinnddooww wweellllss ttoo ddiirreeccttwwaatteerr aawwaayy.. Seal the window well tightly to thefoundation, and keep the inside of the well clean.The inside of the window well should have a base

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of 6 to 18 inches of gravel—not mud. Also, thewindow well should either have its own drain orshould flow into the exterior drain tile systemthrough the gravel base. (Drawing B010)

5. CChheecckk tthhee ppaallmmeerr vvaallvvee.. This check valve must swingopen easily to drain water from the drain tile system.If it is stuck closed, water may back up in your base-

ment, and eventually the drain tiles will becomeplugged with debris. Use a wire to hook the bottomof this round flap valve; it should swing upward on ahinge at the top of the disc. If the valve is stuck, freeit with penetrating oil and a pry bar.

6. CChheecckk tthhee ssuummpp ppuummpp.. The float must easily moveup and down to activate the pump. If the floatsticks, you will have a flood. Make sure that thepump is secure and will not allow the float to stickto the sides of the crock or the cover. Lift the floatto check that the pump will remove water from thecrock; the pump should switch on when the floatis 8 to 12 inches from the top of the crock. If thepump allows higher water levels than this, seepagenear the floor may occur. Replace a sump pumpthat is old and worn. If your pump runs often,have a spare sump pump handy.

7. LLooookk ffoorr ggaappss aanndd ccrraacckkss iinn jjooiinnttss.. These can allowwater to seep next to the basement. The gaps canbe filled with a backer rod and concrete joint filler.

8. CChheecckk ffoorr ccrraacckkss iinn ppoouurreedd ccoonnccrreettee wwaallllss oorr bblloocckkwwaallllss.. These should be evaluated and patched by aprofessional. (Drawing B017)

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9. CChheecckk ffoorr pprroobblleemmss wwiitthh uunnddeerrggrroouunndd ssttoorrmm ddrraaiinnlliinneess.. If damp spots and seepage appear near asump pump or downspout storm sewer line, theproblem may be a broken or plugged under-ground line. You can test this line by running waterinto the pipe with a hose and watching for seep-age in the basement. You can also temporarilyabandon the underground line and route thesump pump or downspout to the surface, wellaway from your home. If seepage no longerappears in the basement, you’ll know the problemis a broken drain line. (Drawing B061)

10. IInnvveessttiiggaattee uunnddeerrggrroouunndd wwaatteerr ssuuppppllyy lliinneess.. Ifseepage occurs near the water main into yourhome, suspect a broken underground water line.

11. IInnvveessttiiggaattee aallll hhoommeeoowwnneerr--iinnssttaalllleedd uunnddeerrggrroouunnddddrraaiinn lliinneess. Often they are unable to withstandfreezing because they are installed too near the sur-face and/or they’re made of improper materialseasily broken by frost. Also, many such lines can’teffectively carry water away from the foundationbecause they have poor pitch or are undersized.Temporarily abandon these lines to test them. Ifyou see water bubbling up from connections tothese lines, you have a problem.

12. WWaattcchh ffoorr rroooottss iinn tthhee ssuummpp ppuummpp ccrroocckk.. Rootsinside the crock mean there are roots in the bleed-ers and in the outside drain tiles. An expert shouldevaluate this problem. (Drawing B052)

BEFORE MAJOR REPAIR, TEST DRAIN TILES

Continued seepage may indicate damaged or missingdrain tiles, but don’t ever start a major repair withoutfirst evaluating the interior and exterior drain tiles.These tests cost about $400.

An interior drain tile test involves cutting several holesin the basement floor to expose the interior drain tilesand bleeders in several areas so they can be inspectedfor debris and water flow. (Drawing B014)

Exterior drain tiles can be tested with a “water spud.”This is a small-diameter pipe that looks like a tree root

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fertilizer tool. The pipe is inserted in the ground next tothe foundation. Water is forced into the groundthrough the pipe, and the flow is traced into the draintiles. If tiles are blocked, water will appear on the base-ment walls and at the wall/floor joint.

KNOWING WHEN YOU NEED AN EXPERT

If leakage continues after you complete all the simplemaintenance steps, have your basement evaluated byan expert. You also need an expert if you discover walland floor cracks associated with the leaks. Find a con-sultant who is not connected with a basement repaircompany. You want someone who is selling consultingservices, not basement repairs.

Don’t make a quick decision on a basement repair con-tractor. Always check references and find a member ofa professional contractor group. Don’t buy a repairbecause it is “on sale today.” Your basement will not fall

apart overnight because of a leak.

Above all, maintain your basement. The maintenancesteps are simple and can help prevent small problemsfrom escalating into serious damage.

HOW TO OPERATE YOUR HOME Keep Your Basement Dry 7

SYMPTOMS OF DRAINAGE PROBLEMS

• AAccttiivvee wwaatteerr lleeaakkss nneeaarr tthhee bbaasseemmeenntt fflloooorr indi-cate problems with drain tile and surfacedrainage. (Drawing B012)

• AAccttiivvee wwaatteerr lleeaakkss hhiigghheerr oonn tthhee wwaallll usuallyindicate a surface water drainage problem or abroken drain or supply line. A problem with win-dow or door flashing, windowsills, a roof leak,or brick veneer could also cause a leak on abasement wall. (Drawing B013)

• EEfffflloorreesscceennccee oorr ssaalltt ssttaaiinnss indicate that water ispushing through the masonry surface anddepositing these white or tan salt stains.(Drawing B033)

• WWaatteerr ssttaaiinnss,, ddaammpp ssppoottss,, mmiillddeeww,, aanndd cchhiipp--ppiinngg//sspplliinntteerriinngg ooff mmaassoonnrryy indicate that wateris pushing through the masonry.

• DDaammppnneessss,, ooddoorr,, mmoolldd,, mmiillddeeww,, aanndd ccoonnddeennssaa--ttiioonn indicate that water is pushing through sur-faces or leaking into the structure. High levels ofmoisture in basement air can also cause theseproblems.

• WWoooodd rroott,, wwoooodd mmoovveemmeenntt,, aanndd ssttaaiinnss oonnwwoooodd aanndd ddrryywwaallll indicate leaks and moisturebehind finishes

• CCrraacckkss aanndd wwaallll mmoovveemmeenntt may indicate anunstable foundation wall caused by drainageproblems.

• DDaammpp wwaallllss aanndd fflloooorrss wwiitthh aa ddrryy ssuummpp ppuummppccrroocckk indicate a drain tile or sump pump problem.

• RRoooottss iinn tthhee ssuummpp ccrroocckk indicate a potentially seri-ous drain tile blockage and drainage problem.

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HOW TO OPERATE YOUR HOME Keep Your Basement Dry 8

HOME TIPS Written by Tom FeizaThe book is available at

www.amazon.com or through Tom at: www.howtooperateyourhome.com

or www.htoyh.com 262-786-7878.

See Tom’s book How To Operate Your Home(ISBN 09747591-0) for great information on “operating” a home.

© Tom Feiza, Mr. Fix-It Inc. This is part of the book “Home Journal” by Tom Feiza. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the author. For information, visit www.htoyh.com.