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Can Snow Damage Your Basement

Mar 15, 2022

Experiencing heavy snowfall is normal during the winter. These snowstorms can lead to having a foot of snow on the ground after they have passed through an area. When the temperatures start to heat up, the snow will melt and cause large amounts of water that will need to drain somewhere! Unless you already took precautions and got your basement waterproofing completed before the winter began, chances are you can end up with water in your basement.

How does melting water from snow enter the basement?

If there are any cracks in the basement foundation or any other small openings or gaps, then the water will end up melting and draining into your basement. One other way snow can damage the basement and foundation is when temperatures cycle between melting and freezing.

In the daytime, when it warms above freezing, the snow will start to melt and drain into the ground around the foundation of your home. Water that is able to get into the cracks, gaps and openings in your basement’s walls will then freeze once the temperature drops. Then, when it warms up again, the ice melts and will turn back into the water.

But, since the water froze and turned to ice, it has expanded. So the small cracks and gaps that might have been there before are now larger openings. This means that more water is allowed to leak into your basement more quickly.

How does snow damage your basement?

Besides leaking many inches or feet of water into your basement, the water from melting snow can also cause other damages to your home, such as:

  • Weakening of the foundation: The basement’s foundation support walls will weaken due to the frozen/thaw cycles. Plus, as water drains through, these cracks can start to erode.
  • Floor damage: water that is able to get into your basement will also damage carpet, hardwood or laminate floors, and it can even damage concrete floors. Once the water is removed and the space is allowed to dry out, laminate and hardwood flooring will start to warp and bend.
  • Wall damage: if your basement is finished, then the water can also get absorbed into the drywall, resulting in the wall deteriorating. The drywall will end up crumbling and breaking, and the panelling will begin to rot and warp once it dries.
  • Furniture damage: if you keep any furniture in the basement, it will also become damaged from being in standing water for some time. Wooden legs on furniture can also become saturated in water and rot.

Also Read: How basement waterproofing increases your home’s value?

Water damage can be a major blow to not only your basement but your finances. Some of the expenses that you could experience include:

Costs associated with cleaning up: you will need to remove the water from your basement as soon as possible. This means having a basement leak repair professional come to your home and pump the water out. You will also need to start running fans, dehumidifiers, and other types of drying equipment to remove any other traces of water.

Also Read: Why do you need basement waterproofing?