A plumbing emergency is probably one of the more troubling situations you can encounter in your home. This is especially true if the emergency happens after regular business hours.
Plumbing problems don’t always decide to work on your schedule, and they don’t seem to mind popping up on weekends or in the middle of the night. Luckily, having access to a 24-hour plumber offers several advantages.
Chances are, if you’ve ever had a sewer backup into your basement or place of business, you remember it vividly. A sewer backup can be one of the most unpleasant situations you’re likely to encounter, and if you haven’t taken measures to protect against it, you surely will after it happens once.
What Is a Sewer Backup?
When municipal sewers become overloaded with rain water after a heavy storm, the water is often forced back toward your home through the sewer lines and up through the drains in your basement. This is known as sewer backup, and it has the potential to send contaminated water through your floor drains, up through toilets or even through tubs and showers.
Storms aren’t always the culprit, though. Sometimes, you may encounter a sewer backup because of tree roots, grease, broken pipes, waste or ground saturation.
Basements can be a source of family fun, a place to learn new hobbies, an escape or a great storage facility. They are also one of the most vulnerable parts of your house when it comes to water damage.
Waterproofing basement walls is something that every homeowner should get interested in, the minute the real estate deal is finalized. If it’s done correctly, you’ll never notice a difference, but if it isn’t you could be in for a whole lot of expense and headache.
As many people have found out from the recent superstorm Sandy, serious basement flooding is no laughing matter. When water gets into your basement, it causes a lot of financial and emotional stress, and in extreme cases can alter your life. And while there isn’t a lot you can do if a megastorm comes calling, you can prevent basement flooding from regular heavy rain or melting snow if you follow some basic guidelines.
Seal Up Holes
Holes and cracks in the foundation of a home are some of the primary culprits when it comes to basement leaks and flooding during storms. It’s important to have a proper home inspection when you first purchase a home, and also have the foundation checked for problems if you’ve been living in your house for a while.
Basement windows are another area where water may get in, especially if they have older wooden frames that have rotted. If you have older basement windows, consider an upgrade to vinyl or aluminum to keep water out.
