How leaking water will damage your basement

Some of the major issues causing much damage to a home owners’ basement can vary in many different but similar scenarios. A few of these might include plumbing leaks, condensation, groundwater leakage, vapor transmission and wicking.

Plumbing leaks can happen at any time. No matter how new or old your home may be, there is still a possibility that you can have some form of a loose pipe in your home, which can cause your plumbing to leak. These leaks can happen anywhere in your home. Water will leak out and drains into the basement.

Groundwater leaks can occur in your basement after heavy rain.

Wicking, which is also known as “capillary action”, occurs when water soaks through porous materials. A good example of a porous material is concrete. When water gets under or on a porous material, the water gets sucked up into the fibers as though it was a sponge.

Vapor transmission is when water in vapor form comes through the porous concrete and evaporates off the surface into the basement. Even when the ground is NOT saturated, there is still 100% humidity and the water vapor is moving through the concrete into your basement. That is one of the main reasons why the air in the basement feels damp and heavy.

Condensation develops when warm, humid air gets into your basement and is cooled by the walls and floor surfaces. The hotter it is outside, the more of a problem condensation will cause.

DryZone can fix any major home damage, including basements. DryZone takes care of home from the whole state of Delaware to parts of Maryland’s Eastern shore. These areas would include, Delaware: Wilmington, Dover, Camden, Smyrna, Rehobeth Beach; and in Maryland: Queen Anne’s, Bethany Beach, and up under the Bay Bridge.