Spring Thaw Basement Checklist
Spring melt sends months of snow into the ground at once. The basement is where you find out whether the house was ready.
- Plain steps you can follow before calling
- What to check, what to leave alone
- When the job needs a plumber
- Milton water, weather and housing in mind
- Licensed plumbing trade
- Booked around your day
- Price agreed before work
- Phone only, no forms
2 minute read
Written for Milton homeowners doing the first look themselves.
Have handy
- Flashlight and a bucket
- Rags or old towels
- Your main shut-off located
Stop and call when
A ceiling is dripping, a drain is pushing sewage back up, or you smell gas.
Why spring is risky
Frozen ground cannot absorb meltwater, so it runs across the surface toward the lowest point it can find. Snow piled against foundations melts right where you least want it. Add a few days of rain and the sump pit is working harder than at any other time of year.
The checklist
- Test the sump pump. Tip a pail in and see the pump start, clear the pit and quit. Our sump testing pamphlet explains the full routine.
- Clear the discharge. Make sure the outlet pipe outside is not blocked by ice or snow.
- Move snow away from the foundation, at least a couple of metres if you can.
- Check downspouts for ice dams and make sure extensions carry water away from the house.
- Look at window wells. Clear leaves and snow so they drain.
- Walk the basement with a flashlight. Check corners, the floor around the drain, and under stairs.
- Check the backwater valve, if you have one, and lift the cover to confirm the flap is free.
- Test water alarms near the pit, water heater and laundry.
Rule of thumb: any water you can see in spring is a message about grading, drainage or pumping. Write down where it showed up.
What to watch for
- Damp patches on walls after rain.
- A musty smell that was not there in winter.
- Efflorescence, the white powder on concrete left by evaporating water.
- A sump pump that runs long after the rain stops.
Small signs now are cheaper to deal with than a wet carpet in April. Hidden leaks from plumbing can also show up as spring dampness, and our leak detection service can rule them in or out.
When to bring us in
Ring us if the pump does not start, runs constantly, or the pit overflows. Ring us too if water appears near the floor drain rather than the walls, since that points to a drain problem rather than groundwater. For homes in lower areas, the spring is also the right time to discuss a backwater valve.
Questions we get asked
How far out should a downspout empty?
Far enough that water flows away from the foundation, typically a couple of metres, where the Town allows.
Is a little water in the sump pit normal?
Yes. The pit is meant to collect water. It should not overflow or keep the pump running nonstop.
When should I check my basement?
After the first big melt, after heavy rain, and whenever you notice a new smell.