Grrrr, our basement flooded again!

[BleedGopher]

We got about 4 inches of rain in 90 minutes in Maple Grove tonight and for the third time in 10 years our basement has flooded. We currently have a carpet restoration company tearing up the padding beneath our carpet. I am hopeful the carpet itself is salvageable. We probably won’t put padding underneath the carpet next time.

Our home was built in 2004, and we moved in in 2009. Both of the other times our insurance covered the claim due to the sub-pump not keeping up...I am praying they cover it again. The contractor who is here now estimates the cleanup to be around $7-8K, and we’ll have some replacement costs as well.

Does anyone know if we are a potential risk to having our insurance drop us due to three similar claims in 10 years? We have had no other claims.

Maple Grove soil is clay heavy. Our basement is an underground basement.

Frustrating to be dealing with this so frequently.

Go Gophers!!

 

[DEGopher]

I am sorry to hear about your misfortune, $8k is nothing to sneeze at so I hope your insurance covers it.

I don’t have an answer to your insurance question, but I wanted to ask you if you have installed or considered installing a French drain?

I ask because when I lived in Minnesota, I don’t recall many people having these. Out east these designs are used a lot as they are able to reduce the hydrostatic pressure by channeling the water to the sump pump directly. By design, the water runs through pipes to get to your sump, avoiding your basement floor.

I thought I would throw that out there, because it maybe something to look into.

 

[LesBolstad]

We got about 4 inches of rain in 90 minutes in Maple Grove tonight and for the third time in 10 years our basement has flooded. We currently have a carpet restoration company tearing up the padding beneath our carpet. I am hopeful the carpet itself is salvageable. We probably won’t put padding underneath the carpet next time.

Our home was built in 2004, and we moved in in 2009. Both of the other times our insurance covered the claim due to the sub-pump not keeping up...I am praying they cover it again. The contractor who is here now estimates the cleanup to be around $7-8K, and we’ll have some replacement costs as well.

Does anyone know if we are a potential risk to having our insurance drop us due to three similar claims in 10 years? We have had no other claims.

Maple Grove soil is clay heavy. Our basement is an underground basement.

Frustrating to be dealing with this so frequently.

Go Gophers!!

Yes, very possible you will be cancelled depending on carrier. Talk to your insurer, you may be better of paying out of pocket. Your a bad risk with that flooding issue. That's not a crazy amount of rain to cause that amount of damage.

 

[forever a gopher]

Do you know where the water is coming in the basement? If this has happened three times, you’re a good candidate for some sort of exterior drain tile/drainage mat/exterior foundation wall waterproofing system. Of course, they’re not cheap, but if you’re stuck paying out $8k an incident, it may be a good investment if you’re planning on staying for the long haul. If it were me, I’d find a reputable drainage contractor and at least get them to look at it and get you a quote or some suggestions. My friend was having a similar problem, and it turned out to be remedied with gutter downspout and minor grading changes outside for a few grand.

This is a much cheaper system to put in during construction, but of course with most new construction being by developers, you know it’s not going to get installed.

Having grown up in nearby Corcoran, I know how full of clay the soil is. In my parents neighborhood, very few people have full below grade basements because of it- lots of split levels and slab on grade houses.

 

[BleedGopher]

Thanks for the replies.

Per your post Les, yea, I have a call into my insurance agent already to see how big of a risk we are to be canceled and if he thinks we could be by filing a claim we may have to pay out of pocket.

Our sub pump is probably an average one at best, and regardless of what happens with insurance, we will significantly upgrade our sub pump system. I have not heard of a French drain, but will certainly look at all options. Thanks for the recommendation. We will also get a few contractors out to see if rebuilding some of the foundation/draining system will help. The contractor that was at our house last night said that if we go this route, it may help, but not to believe the lofty promises that a contractor will make about waterproofing the basement.

Go Gophers!!

 

[Section2]

Do you know where the water is coming in the basement? If this has happened three times, you’re a good candidate for some sort of exterior drain tile/drainage mat/exterior foundation wall waterproofing system. Of course, they’re not cheap, but if you’re stuck paying out $8k an incident, it may be a good investment if you’re planning on staying for the long haul. If it were me, I’d find a reputable drainage contractor and at least get them to look at it and get you a quote or some suggestions. My friend was having a similar problem, and it turned out to be remedied with gutter downspout and minor grading changes outside for a few grand.

This is a much cheaper system to put in during construction, but of course with most new construction being by developers, you know it’s not going to get installed.

Having grown up in nearby Corcoran, I know how full of clay the soil is. In my parents neighborhood, very few people have full below grade basements because of it- lots of split levels and slab on grade houses.

I was thinking the same thing. I would be looking into getting water to drain away from the house. I'd also check the warranty, this seems like a faulty foundation maybe? That's a total guess from me, but I'd check everything.

 

[jamiche]

FWIW, I would look into using CHUBB for your homeowners insurance, if you don't already use them. CHUBB's premiums are a little higher, but it's worth it because they more likely to pay out and their adjusters are easier to work with.

 

[BleedGopher]

FWIW, I would look into using CHUBB for your homeowners insurance, if you don't already use them. CHUBB's premiums are a little higher, but it's worth it because they more likely to pay out and their adjusters are easier to work with.

I had never heard of CHUBB until last night, the contractor that was working on our house said he uses CHUBB and he highly recommends them. When all is said and done with this current situation, we will look into them.

FWIW, I spoke with my insurance agent a bit ago and our last claim was September 2016, not September 2017 that I previously thought. This gets us out of the two year window, though not entirely in the clear of the agency dropping us.

Anyway, thanks all for your replies. I'm sure I'll come back to this thread and ask for more advice on potential draining systems, sub-pump recommendations, etc. as this is all foreign to me. I have certain strengths in life, but house repair work is certainly not one of them.

Go Gophers!!

 

[bottlebass]

Yes, very possible you will be cancelled depending on carrier. Talk to your insurer, you may be better of paying out of pocket. Your a bad risk with that flooding issue. That's not a crazy amount of rain to cause that amount of damage.

4 inches of rain in 90 minutes is a crazy amount of rain, not sure what you are talking about...

As others have said things you can do immediately is get water to drain away from the house better, grading changes, longer down spouts, make sure gutters are cleared etc. Maybe you have already done that after previous incidences I don't know, if you have then I'd definitely at least look into a contract for waterproofing the foundation as forever a gopher suggested.

Sorry about the damage, water damage is no fun....

 

[Deleted_User]

Drain tile is a simple solution if you enough slope to move the water away. If the city is willing, you can even have it connected directly to the nearest storm sewer. And, contact you city and notify them of excess water in not just your house, but see if your neighbors are having the same issue. If yes, then ask for remediation of water as it is causing you problems. We just went through this as our city a few years back discovered our watershed plans were dated and incorrectly discharging water away from our neighborhood. Now the entire city has been reviewed and dredging ponds and adding more ponds is part of the long term remediation. In my block, they installed drain tile down the length of our swale and did add a direct connection to the storm sewer. Not a problem since. And, there is a long term plan to add more pondage nearby.

This is why we employee city engineers and pay storm sewer fees. It isn't exclusively a homeowner issue. Water management is a regional issue. Ask for help from the city and you might just get help.

 

[cncmin]

4 inches of rain in 90 minutes is a crazy amount of rain, not sure what you are talking about...

As others have said things you can do immediately is get water to drain away from the house better, grading changes, longer down spouts, make sure gutters are cleared etc. Maybe you have already done that after previous incidences I don't know, if you have then I'd definitely at least look into a contract for waterproofing the foundation as forever a gopher suggested.

Sorry about the damage, water damage is no fun....

Indeed, unless all of the water is pooling up inches deep in one's yard such that the entire yard is a water hole (not typical), then you have hit the main DIY remedies: ensure gutters are always cleared (best to put on some sort of gutter guard), make sure the down spouts extend far from the house - a couple yards at least, if possible, and ensure that the ground around the house is graded outward and downward at least 6 feet from the house. If all that is being maintained, and water is still coming in, then French drains are a must. Exterior drains can be put in to help, but if water is getting in often and damage might be occurring to the basement walls, then an interior French drain (with sump pump) is probably necessary along all wet walls, and they are expensive. But if you already have a sump pump, then chances are you already have interior drains, and then one has to ask why the basement is still getting wet. Also, the sump pump should have a battery backup in case of power outages.

BleedG, if you are getting water in occasionally, then be extra careful about finished basements, as any retained moisture in the walls and/or flooring can lead to some very bad mold issues. Pay the money to keep the basement dry.

 

[Doc1001]

I had an ice dam about eighteen inches long and six inches wide plus two real small ones. 3400 dollars as all the ceilings are connected downstairs and you cant just do one room. My insurance should cover it but I have a thousand dollar deductible. Bleed-make sure you save enough in your budget though for football and basketball season tickets. Best of luck with insurance