It feels like a stab to the abdomen: seeing piles of carpet, padding, furniture and other personal belongings stacked at the curb, awaiting pickup after a basement flood.

While nothing compares to dealing with several feet of water – and maybe sewage – the fact is that even 1 inch of water can cause thousands of dollars in damage, cleanup and repairs – not to mention more money to replace lost items. And some items, especially photo albums and other precious memorabilia, can never be replaced.

Over the years, Experts In Your Home has come to the aid of many distraught homeowners who have struggled to come to terms with how even a relatively small amount of water could consume everything in its path like a ravaging sponge.

Whether your basement is finished or unfinished, filled with belongings or relatively barren, it may contain electrical, plumbing and heating and air conditioning devices that warrant protection. Let Experts In Your Home help you take proactive steps to protect your basement from water damage in this, the fifth in a series of articles on protecting your home from water damage. We offer a 27 point plumbing inspection to make sure every angle of your home's plumbing is looked at.

Unfinished Basements

• Check the floor drain and ensure that it drains freely.
• Install plastic on the walls to avoid moisture penetration.
• Fortify insulation on the walls and/or floor.

Unfinished and Finished Basements

• Listen to the sump pump. If it switches on and off frequently, it could be a sign of water buildup under the floor. Reducing the load on your sump pump is paramount – and probably is a job for Experts In Your Home.
• Pour water into the sump pump chamber and see if the float switch triggers the motor. If you're uncertain about the integrity of your sump pump, ask Experts In Your Home to inspect it. Even a light rainfall can cause extensive basement damage if a sump pump fails.
• Fortify your sump pump with either a back-up sump pump or a back-up power source.
• Look for water trails or water stains on walls and the floor. Trace the source to the best of your ability; it could be a leak in an upstairs bathroom, the kitchen or even a clogged gutter.
• Inspect the ducts and repair cracks, broken seals, deteriorating tape and faulty insulation. Following ductwork can be tricky; repairing it can be even trickier. Let Experts In Your Home help if you get stuck along the way.
• Clean the drain pain on your heating and air conditioning system.
• Inspect all the pipes in your basement for leaks. Even spotty condensation, left untreated, can lead to mold growth and mustiness. Insulating all the pipes is a smart move that also should save you money on your energy bills.
• Check overhead floor penetrations from drains and phone lines and, if there are any signs of moisture, repair and seal them promptly.
• Ensure that vents from your dryer, furnace, water heater and any exhaust fans work properly and are channeled to the outdoors.
• Look for and repair any deteriorating seals on openings through basement walls, such as the dryer vent, plumbing, phone and cable connections and electrical outlets. Signs of moisture here should be cleaned and repaired.

Crawlspace

• Inspect the ground for signs of moisture or wetness. Plastic ground cover and insulation should be in good condition.
• Check the exterior grading; it should not tilt toward the foundation walls. Experts In Your Home can help you make the proper grade corrections to prevent water damage.

Previously, Experts In Your Home has discussed how to protect your bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room and utility room from water damage. Next, we'll tell you how to protect your attic, outdoors and roof before we outline how to respond to a major water event.

Experts In Your Home shares your special trepidation about the basement – and we urge you to contact a local plumber from Experts In Your Home at the first sign of trouble. More than anything, we want to spare you the physical and emotional trauma of water damage that so many people in northern California could have prevented in the first place.