Soaking Rains Cause Basement Flooding In Twin Cities
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's no secret, we're in the middle of a string of wet weather and in some cases it's causing headaches for homeowners in the Twin Cities.
All this rain is putting many in a bad mood, but even worse, it's hitting some in the pocketbook with flooding. The ground can only take so much moisture before you get standing water, and for a number of residents that's ending up inside their homes.
Water damage repair businesses owners said they are seeing a spring rush between installing basement pumps and doing routine maintenance to make sure all that water stays out of your basement and away from your home. But for some, it's already too late.
"It's too much to deal with," said homeowner Naomi Ness.
The constant rain has the ground saturated outside her Stillwater home. Water is pooling in the street and at the base of her driveway.
"It had nowhere to go. It was in the ground, so it all came up through the floor," Ness said. "So it was just coming up anywhere it could -- a little spot or a crack."
Ness said the drain tile was not properly put in when the house was built. She called Jesse Tribil, foundation systems specialist, for help.
"As soon as I pick up the phone to answer a call, I have another call on the back side," said Shane Goldsmith, who works for Tribil.
Goldsmith said left unchecked, a wet basement can ruin floors and walls, encourage mold or even damage roofing.
He said figuring out where the water is coming from is key.
"It could be gutter down, spouts disconnected, clogged gutters, inadequate, negative grade out the house and it could be the water table, high water table," Goldsmith said.
In some cases, the job is as easy as clearing gutters or diverting water away from the foundation of the home.
Ness's home needed a lot more attention.
She had to move everything out to make room for a new sump pump basket and a system designed to keep her basement dry.
"Our system will not only drain the water from the foundation, it also makes sure the water table to keep your walls and your floors dry," Goldsmith said.
Tribel has extended their hours to late nights and weekends to deal with the amount of calls they are getting to help with wet basements.
