Water seepage in Belmar, NJ crawl space

Wednesday, February 21st, 2018 by Michael Senz

Challenge

This Belmar, NJ, homeowner had a chronic issue with groundwater seepage into his crawl space. Unfortunately, water seepage coming up through crawl space and basement floors is all too common, especially in Jersey Shore towns. When you find puddles of stagnant water on your crawl space or basement floor, there are only so many causes of the water intrusion. Sometimes it’s a leaky pipe. Other times, it’s a crack in the foundation wall. If those potential sources have been eliminated, the usual explanation is groundwater finding its way into your home through tiny floor cracks. Virtually all foundations develop cracks. It’s a natural part of a home setting.

I’m often asked by homeowners why groundwater comes up through the basement or crawl space floors. After all, isn’t water supposed to flow downhill? Why is it bubbling up into my home? The answer is pressure — and lots of it. Water that is in soil under your home is put under tremendous hydrostatic pressure once the water table starts to rise. The pressure from rising water tables will force water through your home’s foundation. This is a common problem in this area because homes built along the Jersey Shore have a high water table, to begin with — we are surrounded by water from the ocean, lakes, rivers, and estuaries. Water will enter through foundation floor cracks or along the edge where the floor meets the foundation wall (cove joints). Groundwater seepage problems are at their worst during periods of heavy rain (especially if your downspouts are not directing water away from the foundation) or when we deal with snowmelt from warming temperatures. Also, the type of soil around your home influences groundwater seepage. Clay soils have much higher water-holding capacity than sandy soils.

Solution

The best way to deal with groundwater seepage is having a well-made, reliable sump pump. If your sump pump fails or isn’t powerful enough to keep up with the entering groundwater, your basement or crawl space will start to flood. Trying to sealing the floor cracks or cove joints is ineffective because, with hydrostatic pressure, water will find a way into your basement.

For this homeowner, we installed a smart sump pump that drained right into his existing drain, taking the water outside where it could not cause any damage. Stagnant groundwater can weaken the home’s foundation, attract insects and wildlife, and lead to dangerous mold formation. The sump pumps that we sell and install are the best on the market, built with top-quality motors and components designed to handle high water volume and long run times. They also have a battery backup system so they will continue to work even if you lose power. The pumps are housed in a durable plastic sump pump liner with an airtight cover so you don’t have to deal with an ugly open hole that can attract insects and rodents. With this sump pump installation, the homeowner will no longer have to worry about groundwater seepage into his crawl space.