In Michigan, water damage in basements is more common than it should be. These are the main sources of water damage – and what you can do if you notice them.

3 Main Sources of Water Damage in Michigan Basements

The three main reasons basements sustain water damage in Michigan include:

Flooding
Moisture
Bad grading or other external factors

Flooding

The rain in Michigan is pretty unpredictable – we can go several weeks without it (we’re looking at you, 2018) and then get more than we need overnight. And sometimes, that means dealing with flooding from heavy rains.

Flooding can also occur because of leaky pipes or overflowing sinks and toilets, or because of appliances that go haywire.

The problem is that you usually can’t prevent flooding – but you can call a water damage remediation expert to take care of it once it’s already happened.

Moisture

To an extent, you can control moisture in your basement. You can use a dehumidifier and make sure your gutters are clean (and that water isn’t pooling next to your foundation) – but that’s not always enough.

Signs that you have moisture damage in your basement include:

Cracks in the walls
Discoloration on surfaces
Odors
Mold growth

Exterior Factors

Sometimes water damage occurs because your yard has the wrong type of soil, or because there’s just too much rain. In other cases, the ground has eroded so much that water has nowhere else to go. Finally, the amount of lawn maintenance you do and how much you water can have a little to do with it.