How to fix a leaky basement
By Amy Brown-Bowers • Bankrate.com

In his 30-plus years in business, John MacRae, owner of Toronto-based G.J. MacRae Foundation Repair, has witnessed a dramatic shift in the usage of basements.

"When I was a kid, basements were all for hockey, laundry, then it got to, 'Let's put a ping pong table down there,' and 'Let's put some paneling up on the wall.' Now (basements are) really part of the house. People really want to utilize that space for play areas for their children, bedrooms, entertainment centres, rugs, bathrooms, showers, saunas, workout rooms. You name it, they're being used for it," he says.

While small leaks may not have mattered much when basements served as make-shift hockey rinks, today's designer basements are not so forgiving. In order to protect your below-ground investment, a proper understanding of the causes of leaks and of potential remedies and prevention strategies is important.

Water, water, everywhere
MacRae says 99 per cent of all foundation problems he's run into can be traced back to problems with eaves troughs and downspouts, specifically ones that have become disconnected or clogged during the winter months.

"When water starts splashing over, it kind of just hits the ground and splashes right back up onto the brick," MacRae says. "And most of that material -- brick, concrete block -- (is) very porous material. It's not waterproof material."

Over time, the splashes can saturate your walls and foundation with moisture, which may seep into your home.

Water that isn't flowing properly -- that is, water that isn't dissipated gently on the ground and rather splashes forcefully onto the ground in a concentrated area -- can cause erosion in the soil, creating unwelcome pockets of water next to the foundation, says Brian Daley, a registered home inspector and president of Associated Group of Home Inspectors.

"If water pools there and supersaturates that area enough and winter comes, all that water is going to freeze and put pressure up against the wall, and that pressure is just causing the water to want to migrate inside the house," Daley says.

The best protection against these kinds of leaks is to check your eaves troughs and downspouts regularly throughout the year, says MacRae. If you notice splashing or overflowing during rain storms, consider adding extra downspouts "just to help that water get down to the ground as quick as possible."

The lay of the land
Soil, patio stones, sidewalks or garden beds that slope toward your home are potential basement leaks waiting to happen, as they will cause water to pool around your foundation.

"We want to promote drainage away from the house, so the grading around the house -- the dirt or sidewalks or pavers or driveway -- needs to be sloped such that water will not go back toward the house but will go away from the house," Daley says.

He suggests walking around your home each year to check for changes in grading due to shifting or settling.

This is another case where a malfunctioning drainage system can lead to basement leaks. A deluge of water over time can gradually change the slope of the soil, patio or sidewalks next to your house, encouraging water to drain toward the building rather than away from it.