Nobody wants to have their basement become an instant swimming pool because of flooding. A flooded basement is a problem that would involve hundreds and even thousands of dollars to solve. However, most homeowners still ignore the tell-tale signs that their homes are good candidates to having flooded basement. So for those who do not know the obvious causes of basement flooding, here are some of the causes and their solution.

An area with high amount of precipitation will always have water seeping through the ground, making the ground saturated. If the ground is already saturated with water, additional water would lead to a flooded lawn or yard which would create additional stress on the foundation walls of the basement. If you're house is located in a heavily precipitated area, then expect to have wet and saturated grounds most of the year. A flooded basement can be avoided by making sure that your yard or lawn is draining properly.

Lawns, driveways and walkways that are sloping towards the house would make the water flow in the wrong direction. Water should be flowing away from the house and not towards it to prevent a flooded basement from happening. Water drainage of the yard can be corrected by digging out small waterways to redirect the flow of water away from the house and towards the street.

Another tell-tale sign that a flooded basement is likely to happen in your home are cracks in the basement walls. Cracks are entry way of water coming from the ground. Cracks that are not fixed immediately can result to the weakening of the basement's foundation. Make sure to seal the cracks by caulking them to make them watertight. Another good way of making your basement walls waterproof is to cover them with paint that has sealant properties.

Usually, the bulk of the water pipes are found in the basement because this is the area where the washing machine is located. Busted and leaky pipes may lead to a flooded basement if not fixed immediately.

One of the nastiest causes of a flooded basement is caused by damaged or burst household sewage pipes. One way of preventing this is by avoiding the disposal of viscous liquids in drain pipes to prevent clogging.

Flooded basements may also occur due to the wrong orientation of downspouts. Downspouts that are facing the house are doing more harm than good because they are directing water into the house rather than away from it. If your downspouts are facing the house, then turn them around.

Except for natural flooding, most of the causes of a flooded basement are from the homeowner's negligence of making sure those water pipes, gutters, and basement walls are in good condition. It is always important to make sure that the basement is water tight and that all tell-tale signs of basement flooding are dealt with promptly. Remember the saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? Well, for flooded basements, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pool of flood water".