My Basement Leaks Under the Deck

Grade

• The grade around the exterior of a home should slope away from the walls of the home. The slope does not need to be drastic, but is imperative to allow standing water to run away from the home's foundation. During construction of the deck, it's possible that the grade was disrupted. Look under the deck to see if the grade is level or even sloped toward the house. If this is the case, use a shovel and rake to slope the grade away.

Downspouts

• The downspouts, which connect to the eavestroughing system of your home, allow the water that collects in the eavestroughs to run down and away from the home's foundation. If a downspout is emptying water directly onto the surface of the deck, much of this water will be pushed backward toward the house and can eventually cause a leak in your basement. During the construction of a deck, it's occasionally necessary to move, adjust or add on to the downspouts.

Foundation Damage

• It's possible to damage the foundation of your home, leading to leaks in your basement, during the construction of a deck. If you used a jackhammer to break through the bedrock in order to install the deck's footings, or used a tamping machine to build a gravel patio adjacent to the deck, it's possible that the vibration from either of these tools cracked the home's foundation. Have a building inspector determine if this is the cause of the basement flooding.

Sump Pump

• A sump pump is an effective tool to use in the fight against moisture in your basement. If the home doesn't already have a sump pump installed, consider having one put in, especially if you live in a climate with significant levels of rain. Sump pumps run automatically when they detect a certain level of moisture in the basement, and then pump that water out of the home through a pipe that empties somewhere in your yard.