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HOW MELTING SNOW CAUSES BASEMENT LEAKS!

How melting snow causes basement leaks!

If an inch of melting snow produces 2700 gallons of water per acre, even a minor snow melt can deposit thousands of gallons of water around your foundation. If you combine melting snow and a springtime rainfall, the amount of water in the soil will be even greater and result in a significant rise in the height of the water table as well as a dramatic increase in the amount of hydrostatic pressure (water pressure) against a foundation. 

When the outside air temperature is warm, rain water is absorbed by the soil which will exert hydrostatic pressure against your foundation walls. During the winter, the ground is frozen so surface water absorption from the soil is virtually nil; as a result, the water produced by a snow melt pools on the surface until it finds a place to drain away. Your warm foundation thaws the soil next to your home, thus facilitating the flow of water into the soil around your foundation.  Inevitably, some of that water is going to find its way down your foundation walls and end up in your basement.