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Strategies for Keeping Your Basement Flood-Free

This is the season of basement dread. If you live in certain parts of the country, and if your basement is prone to flooding, you may be reading this waist-deep in water right now. Melting snow followed by spring rains often translate into having a lot of extra water. And maybe you've heard -- there was a lot of snow this winter.

But year-round, any number of missteps can flood a homeowner's basement. If the power goes out, say, in the middle of the night during a lightning storm, and the sump pump stops pumping out excess groundwater -- by morning, you may find your finished basement looking decidedly unfinished. If your gutters are clogged or loose, and the water isn't draining out properly, that, too, can result in leaking into your basement. There are seemingly innumerable ways your basement might flood -- you might simply have bad plumbing -- which can wreck the foundations of both your house and budget.

[Read: It's Flood Season. Are You Protected?]

So don't be a drip. To keep your basement drop-free, here are some things to consider.

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It doesn't take much water to cost a lot. Will Southcombe is the director of training and technical services for PuroClean, a national property damage restoration company, and he has seen basements flooded to the ceiling -- and then some. But he has also seen plenty of basements ruined by the aforementioned sump pump example, in which even two inches of water can destroy carpet, ruin the base of furniture and make any toys, books or boxes scattered on the floor obsolete.

"To clean, sanitize and decontaminate a basement, it could easily run in the $7,000 to $10,000 range," Southcombe says, referring to a basement with far more than two or three inches of water. But even just two inches of water can be costly; if your $1,000 carpet is destroyed, you can see how costs begin to build.

"And that doesn't count taking out the contents," Southcombe says. "That can add another 50 percent. You may have to rent a dumpster or two or three, and there's the labor -- nasty, raw labor, and a lot of it, depending on the contents."

Every basement is different, of course. If you have a nearly empty, pristine basement, you probably won't have a lot of damages in the event of some flooding, but you're in the minority, according to Southcombe. "Not everybody's a hoarder, but a lot of people use their basement for storage," he says.

Start with the roof. If you're going to waterproof your basement, begin with the least likely place, according to Jim Gustin, a senior property specialist for risk control at Travelers Insurance.

"Check gutters to ensure they're hanging property, are free from debris and free of leaks," Gustin says.

If the gutters aren't working properly, the water has to go somewhere, and gravity demands that it goes down. While flooding gutters can lead to water problems into other rooms of your home, what often happens is that the rain plunges onto the ground around the house. That's exactly where you want it -- but if your land slopes toward the house, then the water will collect around your foundation. If your foundation has a crack, that's how you find yourself inside your basement and unexpectedly standing in a puddle.

[Read: 4 Home Improvements That Will Save You Money.]

Your equipment

Sump pumps. There are a lot of potential weapons you can store in your arsenal, if you're concerned about water coming into your basement. But you probably want and need a sump pump. And if you have a sump pump, you really need to make sure it works, no matter the weather.

"Recent storms, such as Irene and Sandy, have reminded us that power outages can last for days and, sometimes, a week or more," says Rick Albers, senior appraisal specialist for Chubb Personal Insurance. "New sump pump systems are designed with two pumps -- one that runs on electricity and one that runs on a backup power source. When the power goes out, a pump designed to be plugged into an electrical outlet will not run as long on a 12-volt battery as one that is designed specifically for use with a 12-volt battery. The secondary pump, which is hooked up to a 12-volt battery, can operate for several days."

Albers adds that any plumber could survey your basement and situation to suggest the best one for you and install it.

These days, you can also go high-tech with your sump pumps. For instance, Ridgid has a line of sump pumps, and one of them, the RS50AT Submersible Pump, will text the homeowner's phone if water rises to a certain level or the power goes off.

French drains. If you're really desperate -- you have the sump pump and a backup, your gutters are pristine and the ground slopes away from the house, but still, there's the occasional flooding -- you may need a French drain. That's a gravel-filled trench around your house, and the water that falls into that travels through a perforated pipe at the bottom of the trench. The water goes through the pipe, which empties out a healthy distance from your home. (Fun fact: These drains aren't named after France but Massachusetts judge and farmer, Henry French, who wrote a book in 1859 about farm drainage. He isn't widely remembered today, but his draining system is.)

Just make sure that if you install a French drain, your pipe doesn't empty water into a neighbor's yard and cause him or her problems, Southcomb warns. "That could get you in trouble with the law," he says.

Unfortunately, installing French drains are expensive. Southcomb has heard of basic ones costing about $3,000, but depending on the house, it can cost as much as $10,000. Your local landscaping company would either be able to install a French drain or know somebody who could, Southcomb says.

[See: 8 Home Remodeling Projects That Are Worth the Money.]

Backflow valves. Some experts suggest applying watercoating to a house -- a coating that repels water. But those don't last forever. A fix that does last, however: "You can buy backflow valves, if you're susceptible to the water from a sewer backing up in your house," Southcomb says.

Backflow prevention valves are used in drainage lines and cost about $40 a piece, according to PlumbingSupply.com. If you have a plumber install one or several, your cost will go up exponentially. So will your costs if you install valves, and you don't know what you're doing.

For the basement-obsessed homeowner. Of course, you could spend almost every waking day protecting your basement and house from flooding issues. Ideally, your plumbing should be inspected annually and "repaired if there are signs of leaks or corrosion," Gustin says.

He adds that the washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, ice maker and toilet supply hoses should be inspected annually and replaced every three to five years. Your air-conditioning drain line should also be checked yearly.

So it may or may not be realistic or desirable to try everything you can possibly do, but if you do nothing, you do risk being, well, you know -- all wet.



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