What are the Best Ways to Prevent Hydrostatic Pressure Problems

Introduction:

Have you ever wondered what causes basement flooding? What source allows hundreds of gallons of water to appear out of nowhere seemingly?

Water seems indestructible, so you might wonder what causes the issue in the basement that cannot be seen with the naked eye? When the weight of the water becomes too much for its supports, your basement floods, and all of your work below is destroyed. Irrespective of a sump pump, a profound drainage system, and long-lasting basement waterproofing installed to keep away from happening. So what went wrong? The answer may be hydrostatic pressure. Despite having water barriers in the basement, there are situations when they can be overwhelmed by water.

Hydrostatic pressure is a result of water trying to seek its level. This is because, like any other liquid, to reach equilibrium or balance, it will always attempt to move in whatever direction is necessary to achieve that perfect state. As a result, increased hydrostatic pressure can lead to higher humidities in buildings of Knoxville, Tennessee. This can further lead to condensation, mold growth, and health hazards for occupants. To avoid all these, be attentive and look at what causes hydrostatic pressure and how you can prevent it?

Causes of Hydrostatic Pressure:

Reasons by which hydrostatic pressure occurs are in the way that there is a failure in some components of the system. Various reasons are given below:

• Moisture can cause hydrostatic pressure. Water enters into the pipe in many ways. It can be entered through pinholes or leaks at connections or joints where hoses and fittings connect.
• Also, the type of soil you have beneath your foundation affects the hydrostatic pressure. The clay soil will absorb more water in comparison to the sandy soil. More the absorption of water, more chances of water pressure in the basement walls.
• The most common reason is when the pump, located in the basement or at a lower level of structures, fails. This can trigger an overpressure event when water gets to lift above normal levels within the storage tank.
• The intense rainfall or natural disasters have resulted in an overabundance of water moving toward the lower elevations within a structure, commonly known as a high water table. It damages basement walls, foundation and requires crawl space repair too if water starts clogging. Similarly, it can lead to increased hydrostatic pressure. It may cause the foundation of the building to push up, and cracks in it and damages can be generated.

Should you get Concerned?

Should you get stressed out wondering how to get rid of this or what measures are to be adopted if the problem of hydrostatic pressure exists? Well, your worry comes to an end. But, before calling the professionals in Knoxville, you need to first figure out by yourself whether the problem exists or not. And for this preliminary inspection, you can do the following:

• Make a small hole in the foundation walls of your home. If water is seeping through the hole, you might have this problem, which makes your home prone to many issues like foundation cracks, crawl space flooding, etc.
• The second method by which you can examine the pressure problem is by grabbing a plastic sheet around the basement wall. If moisture enters the sheet through water droplets, it will be visible on the sheet.
• Another way is to measure the humidity levels; if it goes up by more than 5%, you are in danger of causing water damage.

Ways to Prevent Hydrostatic Pressure Problems:

Despite having numerous hydrostatic pressure issues, there is a way to prevent it from occurring. In this article, we will further discuss how you can go from an engineer who says "it can't be done" to one who takes an active role in being able to prevent or control hydrostatic pressure problems.

This is an excellent solution for houses with a finished basement, as it allows the released water to drain into a sump pit. A sump pit can be found at the lowest point of your basement floor and is equipped with a pump that handles all excess water.

When installing weep holes, you must first establish a drainage system. French Drain Installation works best. The water in the drilled holes will get released into the french drain system, from where water will travel through the system and into the sump pump where it will get discharged out of the house.

Letting the water pool near your home premises may cause water damage problems. Due to the large volume of water around the foundation, the oversaturated soil is not a good sign. To prevent this from happening, you need to regrade your yard. It should be slopping away from home and not towards it.

If your yard has a negative grade and slopes toward your home, any rainwater that falls on it will flow towards the foundation and seep into the soil beneath. When this type of unwanted water becomes trapped underneath your home, it can build up pressure and cause leaks in your basement.

Do not ignore these signs and hire a professional to install an interior drainage system before things worsen. Installing the internal drainage system is essential. Underground accumulated water will be able to drain fast and effectively before it has time to gather and cause damage. In addition, it will prevent the infiltration of water from entering the basement walls, collect the water, and release it into the sump pump.

These will also save the money you had to spend on basement wall repair if the interior drainage system was not installed on time. The external drainage system is not that effective in comparison to internal drainage. Internal drainage will work entirely in the lower level and prevent building-up water from keeping the basement dry.

Also, effective basement waterproofing is done by hiring a team of professionals so that excess water cannot accumulate.

A choked gutter can overflow your basement or crawl space with water, resulting in hydrostatic pressure. This is the pressure created by the weight of liquid pushing against a barrier.

Good gutter maintenance is when water doesn't get clogged, and the leaves, debris, or dirt are not stopping the water from flowing into the downspouts. If the functions mentioned above are not happening, it is the time when you need to take a look into the proper maintenance.

The higher pressure of water results in the bursting of pipes; know more about how it can be prevented so that minor damage that occurs to the basement or foundation can be avoided. Basement waterproofing is one of the best ways to prevent hydrostatic pressure problems. If your basement is not waterproofed, the water table will eventually cause water to seep through the foundation and into the basement. This can lead to several problems, including mold growth, structural damage, and even electrical shorts.

Conclusion:

Hence, identify the cause and find a solution before the situation gets out of hand. The one thing that can turn a service call into a nightmare for any plumber is hydrostatic pressure problems. Hydrostatic pressure is dangerous and, if not treated properly, will lead to expensive repairs, bad customer experiences, and even loss of lives.

Having a systematic approach to dealing with these issues can help plumbers prevent hydrostatic pressure problems quickly and can even put you in a less worrying state.