6 Common Home Water Problems and Solutions
Water issues in the home refer to problems or difficulties due to lack of or excessive water or vapor. These water issues cause water pressure and temperature differences, changes in the airflow direction, lack of or excessive sunlight, changes in environmental conditions, human mistakes, improper design, and problems with landscape design.
The most common water issues in the house are water seepage, water standing (flooding), water table rising, wall dampness, higher humidity, and higher moisture levels. These issues cause 8 negative impacts in the house.
The negative impacts of water damage in the house are mold and mildew growth, water stain marks, musty and earthy odor, house wood rotting, metal corrosion, material erosion, and paint peeling.
You can solve these issues mainly by waterproofing the home. As well as you can follow the below steps to prevent the water solutions in the house.
What are the 6 Water-Related Issues in the House?
These are the 6 water issues in the home
- Water seepage in the house
- Standing water in the basement
- Water table rising close to the basement
- Wall dampness in the house
- Higher humidity level
- Higher moisture level
1. Water Seepage in the House
The water seepage is moving water from the source gradually. The seepage rate depends on the material porosity and water source pressure. Basement floor seepage, basement wall seepage, foundation seepage, crawl space seepage, slab seepage, wall seepage are the most common seepage issues in the house. These seepage issues cause many negative impacts on the house.
The seepage rate is increased due to rain and snow melting, poor drainage systems, increasing cracks and gaps, rising groundwater levels, high hydrostatic pressure, bathroom waterproofing damaging and poor landing issues. The causes of the water seepage in the house is land inclination to the foundation, heavy rainfall, poor soil drainage, faulty plumbing, leaky pipes, and improper drainage system in the garden.
2. Standing Water in the Basement
The water standing in the basement is increasing water level in the basement. This is called as basement flooding. Basement floor flooding and basement drainage flooding are the two types of basement flooding in the home. Basement water standing is one of the major issue for the many water-related damages in the house.
The basement water standing occurs due to higher hydrostatic pressure, insufficient French drain capacity, faulty gutters and downspouts, improper landscape slopping, plumbing failures and sump pump failures in the basement.
3. Water Table Rising Close to the Basement
The water table is the water level below the ground surface that is completely saturated with water. The water table height can rise and fall according to the accumulation of the groundwater. The water table can cause many water-related damages in the home. Its height is increased due to rain and snow melting season and plumbing damage in the ground. The rising water table can increase other types of water issues in the house.
The increase in the seepage rate, the increase in water leaking, sudden basement flooding, basement erosion, and the formation of building cracks are the main effects of the water table rising at the house. These issues have a negative impact on the house, which can reduce the structural strength and aesthetic appeal of the house. In order to prevent these problems, you should reduce the water table height by building an outer drainage.
4. Wall Dampness in the House
The wall dampness is the presence of excess moisture that can not escape from the house. The most water damping areas in the house are basement walls, bathroom walls, laundry room walls, and kitchen walls. Wall dampness causes many negative impacts on the home.
Wall dampness is increased due to increasing the moisture content in the home. The moisture content will increase due to basement seepage, basement flooding, kitchen steam, plumbing leaks, inadequate ventilation, roof leaks, and clothing lines.
5. Higher Humidity Level
When the relative humidity level is more than 60%, it is considered as the higher humidity level in the house. Higher humidity levels affect on walls, ceilings, and windows in the house on various types of materials. Higher humidity levels cause many negative impacts in the house. The humidity level can increase due to weather conditions (rain, snow), poor ventilation, leaking pipes, cooking steams, showering and bathing water, cloth lines, and growing house plants in the home.
In order to reduce the humidity level in the house, you can use a dehumidifier, improve ventilation, seal the leaks, limit indoor plants, use moisture absorption, use fans, and use an air conditioner.
6. Higher Moisture Level
Moisture is the measurement of the amount of water in the air. The moisture level depends on the humidity and temperature. When the humidity level is changed with the temperature the moisture content is varied. The high moisture level negatively affects the house structure and its material.
In order to reduce the moisture level in the house, you should increase the ventilation, install the dehumidifier, use an air conditioner, limit the indoor plants, fix leaks and seal cracks, use absorbing materials, and keep surfaces dry.
What are the Solutions for Water Issues in the House?
You can stop the water-related issues in the house by following the correct guidance.
- Install waterproofing membrane: You should install a waterproofing membrane on the particular surface to prevent the above water damage in the home. You should know how to waterproof the bathroom floor, walls, basement floor, basement walls, balconies, stable, and other sections of the home properly before start it DIY.
- Install a French drain: You should install an exterior French drain for the higher water table areas and while inside French drain for the shallow basement areas. It will help to remove excess water in the closer to the basement.
- Install Sum pump: You should install a proper sump pump in the basement sump hole to remove accumulated water from the drain.
- Seal the door and windows: You should seal the doors and windows in the home to prevent water from leaking through the unleased joints and seams.
- Install a Dehumidifier: You should install a dehumidifier to control the interior humidity level between 30% and 60%.
- Do regular Maintenance: You should do regular maintenance to check for leaks or cracks in the layer.
- Install moisture barrier in the home envelope: You should install a moisture barrier in the home envelope to prevent the home from moisture damage.
- Maintaining the plumbing system and landscape: You should maintain the plumbing system and place the landscape angle out of the foundation.