Sunday 10 March 2013

Preventing Basement Flooding in Windsor, Are you Ready?


 

Weather in Southern Ontario is kind of hard to predict but overall, the weather here is quite a bit like a pendulum. But one thing you can usually be sure of is that it will rain in April!

This is going to cause major problems for those homeowners who haven't prepared for it. In the past, homes were built with the eaves trough downspouts leading directly into the ground and hooking up to the weeping system around the foundation of your home, as below:



This presents a problem when there is a particularly large volume of rain added to the system because the floor drain in your basement and the sump pit (if you have one) are directly connected to it. When all that water is suddenly injected into the system, it can't get away fast enough through the storm sewer hookup and there's just no way the sump pump can move that much water that fast. The only place left for all that water to go is straight up through your floor drain or sump pit.

This is in fact such a huge problem that it is now against local building codes in most areas to hook the eaves trough to the weeping system of new home construction.

Fortunately, this is fairly easy to deal with for the average DIY'er. All that is involved is to cut the downspout off and re-direct the water flow away from the foundation of your home, and then fill in the resulting hole in the ground either with cement or with a vinyl cover. A very good example of the proper re-direction method is seen below:





If you're not very adept at taking care of this type of project, don't worry too much. There are now a selection of various vinyl products on the market to make it easier for you to accomplish this very important improvement. The example shown below is available at most hardware outlets for less than $10.00 and can just be added to the shortened downspout after you cut it off. Then just add a vinyl cover to the hole that's been left in the ground, and you're finished! Easy peasy!




If you would not feel comfortable however, attempting to take care of this project, then by all means, feel free to call us here at Lakeside or send us an e-mail & we'll be happy to come to your home and take care of it for you. But, whatever you do.......don't leave it un-attended to, because when the spring rains get started, you may end up doing the backstroke in your family room!


Part of our new look is a completely reworked company website as well as a completely reworked company blog, there are many new pages added as well as bi-weekly articles on the blog to help you plan any projects you have around the house. These articles will be written by me as well as by "guest" bloggers from around the area.

We are now available on facebook as well as on linkedin. Like us on facebook and follow us on linkedin!

While you're on the site, feel free to download the FREE E-book there to help you with your bathroom renovation plan, more books are in the planning stages, but I started with bathrooms.

If you have any questions you'd like answered or you would like to see an article on a particular subject, there are comment windows for you as well as a form for you to fill out to send a message directly to my personal inbox.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback you may have, especially any ideas you may have concerning future articles you would like to see.

Thank you, once again for your business and I hope to hear from you again soon!

Sincerely,

Keith

If you would like advice concerning your summer project or you would like a cost estimate for a project you are considering, please dont hesitate to contact us.

Lakeside Interiors dedicates a portion of its profits to the community we work in by using our skills to assist the elderly or underprivileged free of charge. If you know of someone in your area who could use our assistance, please let us know.

Check out the latest blog posting, who knows, it might just be the information you've been looking for!


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This article was published by:
Keith McGorlick,
Author, Blogger,
Home Improvement Expert &
President of, Lakeside Interiors
Windsor & Barrie Ontario
In Windsor, call 226-946-9651 or,

lakesidewindsor@gmail.com
In Barrie, call 705-881-4456 or,
lakesidebarrie@gmail.com

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