Basement is slowy flooding, am I screwed?

Mr Unoriginal

Mr Unoriginal

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We are getting a ton of rain here. My house has never flooded, but water is slowing but surely seeping in a few places in my basement. Currently it is only where there is concrete and I am battling it with a wet/dry vac, but I doubt I can keep it up all night.

Are there any quick fixes to avoid ruining everything I have down there?
 
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Yea I'd get a sump pump down there if you don't already. Also, check things like gutters/downspouts. You could maybe try using a submersible pump or utility pump in the meantime. Maybe see if a neighbor or friend or so has one that you could borrow.
 
Why do you think this is happening for the first time? As Duo_Maxwell suggested, maybe your spouts are blocked which is causing unusual pooling near the wall of your house?
 
I will second the sump pump suggestion. Check to make sure it is working if you have one. Sometimes they burn out, or short, and that is often not too hard to fix.
 
I have a sump pump that is working. There are two sections of wall that basically have sprung a very slow leak. The problem is it is happening now and I am trying to stem the tide before real shit gets wrecked. I am heading outside now to see where the water is pooling and try to guide it away from the house.
 
Well I have two wet dry vacs stemming the flow in the two key places. As long as their motors hold out, I think I will survive with no damage.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']I have a sump pump that is working. There are two sections of wall that basically have sprung a very slow leak. The problem is it is happening now and I am trying to stem the tide before real shit gets wrecked. I am heading outside now to see where the water is pooling and try to guide it away from the house.[/QUOTE]

We used to live a rental where the basement had a cracked floor and would flood an inch or two during bad rain- my room was down there as well.. For now, just keep battling it out until the rain stops (while checking for an outside source.) When the rain dries up- and this is going to be a lot of work- you can put in a false floor. My dad put them into me/my sister's rooms after out first flood- basically, you make a framework of 2x4s over a thick plastic liner (to keep them dry so they don't rot), them go over that with plywood to make the new floor. Future flooding will run under the plastic, safely away from all your stuff. It held out through middle school/high school for us (we moved out not long after I graduated.)

Depending on the reasons for the flooding, you may need another sump pump or two (yours just might not be located very well to catch all the water.)
 
-pump the water out if you have something handy to pump it out

-move really important stuff upstairs, and whatever else off the ground and low spots to higher spots.
 
[quote name='DuelLadyS']We used to live a rental where the basement had a cracked floor and would flood an inch or two during bad rain- my room was down there as well..[/QUOTE]


I remember back when I was 13 or so I lived down in my basement. One morning I woke up, rolled to get out of bed, and put my feet down only to realize I was standing in about 2 feet of water. Apparently the drain pipe in my basement leads down to a dry riverbed that flooded with overflow from the main creek and the pressure made the water shoot up the pipe into the basement. All my stuff was ruined. Luckily though, being 13 and not being into gaming at the time nor having a computer, it was pretty much just a shitty old tv and a vcr that was destroyed so it wasn't so terrible.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Well I have two wet dry vacs stemming the flow in the two key places. As long as their motors hold out, I think I will survive with no damage.[/QUOTE]

You already have water damage. If the wall is leaking then you will need an industrial stregth dehumidifier once the weather starts drying up (ideally you'll want to get some guys who guarantee that they will eradicate mold - you don't want to even risk mold and taking care of it now is really saving pennies on the dollar - they might also need to punch a hole in the wall to reinsulate it if its an outside wall). Your home insurance should cover this (I know, I just went through this with the blizzards)

For now I recommend doing what youre doing, using fans, dehumidiers and keep checking the sump pump. If your basement has small window wells, you'll want to clear those out pronto but watch out for snakes because they make for a great den.

Document the whole thing in the morning (ideally video noting the date along with some pics) and call the insurance agent, even if only to leave a message

Good luck!

PS watch for water near outlets. The last thing you want is to get electricuted.
 
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