To determine the cause of a wet or leaky basement you first must distinguish between 2 things: Is my basement wet from simple condensation from the air or is it leaking from an actual water leak? Surprisingly enough these two get mixed up a lot.
Here’s what to look for.
Condensation will:
Typically appear over an evenly distributed area such as the lower portion of a wall or utility tank.
Appear on cooler surfaces.
Rarely pool up.
Water leaks will:
Very often pool up.
Be either directly associated with:
a. plumbing leak (continual if a supply plumbing line or following use if associated with a drain) or
b. an outside water leak (weather dependent)
Once the cause of the leak is isolated to the best of your abilities it will make clearer the solution (saving time an money) and give you enough info to either fix it yourself or tell you who you should call. Exactly why the leak is happening will be answerable by either a plumber or a waterproofing specialist. To dig deeper into the subject of non-plumbing leaks we suggest you read our main page.
