How Does a Basement Get Wet?

The reason you should consider multiple waterproofing solutions for your Bismarck home’s basement is because there are multiple ways in which it can get wet. A basement often has a washing machine, water heater, and pipes for your home’s plumbing system. When some of these items malfunction, there’s always a chance for them to leak water. Unless a sump pump or drainage system is in place to collect the water, the leak has the potential to form puddles and maybe even flood your basement. A basement window is another common source of leaks, so if the window isn’t watertight and you don’t have a window well, water will seep through every time it rains.

Even if a basement doesn’t have any pipe leaks or windows, there’s still a way for it to get wet if it’s humid. Basements can get humid when water vapor enters through the concrete. The soil around the foundation is constantly saturated with water, and all that water vapor seeps through to your basement through the walls. When a basement is humid, it means there is water in the air, and just like standing water turns into water vapor when it’s hot enough, water vapor can turn into liquid when it’s cold enough.

This is called condensation, and it’s the reason why you’ll sometimes find water droplets in your basement. If your basement is humid enough for a consistent amount of time, these water droplets can accumulate and form a puddle. Concrete walls let in water vapor even when the concrete is structurally sound, but when it has cracks, it can allow water through. When having to withstand hydrostatic pressure, the water can come from the wall-floor joint as well.