Many homeowners who experience flooding in their basement or garage initially speculate that the water came in from a broken pipe or perhaps a crack in the wall or foundation.

But another possibility that many don’t consider is water coming up through the concrete floor.

Can water actually seep through concrete? Yes – water can absolutely come up through your concrete floor which in Georgia’s homes usually means basements and/or garages. Dry concrete is porous which means that it can absorb water which means that it can get wet. But just like a sponge, if too much water is present, the excess water has nowhere to go.

It’s important to note that if you see this happening in your home – you need to react to it like you would an emergency. It must be assessed and fixed immediately.

What Can Be Causing This?

The most common reasons you are seeing water coming up through a concrete slab in your home is…

  • Pipes under or nearby that floor have corroded or broken somehow
  • An excess amount of water from a storm or other event is accumulating just outside the walls of your home and/or underneat your home

One of the first signs that you will notice is that your floor feels damp. It may even feel cold.

Obviously, as the problem grows larger – you will then begin to see puddles of water on the floor.

What Can You Do?

The solutions to help to prevent this is to initially seal your concrete floor.

It’s extremely important to have your basement and garage floors sealed, especially if you are covering them with a flooring material such as vinyl or wood or some other product.

“You have to seal the floor. That’s the simple answer. Concrete is a porous material so it will naturally absorb water. You can prevent this by sealing it.” – contractorquotes.us

If your floor is sealed – then the next step is to begin checking for cracks in the floor and along the floorboards. Of course, any cracks must be fixed but it’s also important to find out why those cracks appeared in the first place?

If there is too much moisture seeping in under your home’s foundation – perhaps from a poorly sloped lawn then a professional landscaper can help to fix that problem.

Otherwise, we recommend you contact a plumber to help you identify what is causing those cracks in your cement floor.

If you have any questions about basement flooding or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.