Basement flooding returns, and we make a tough decision.

Continuous rains cause basement flooding yet again. As we have seen in the past, the hydrostatic pressure in the hard clay soil beneath the foundation causes water to push up through the cracks in the concrete floor. This happens in every area of the basement, but most of the heavy flooding is localized to the southeast corner.

I spend the night removing 315 gallons with a shop vac.

We were considering the need for a drain tile and a sump pump, but wasn’t sure if it’s necessary. It is now abundantly clear that we must have drain tile. This changes all our of plans. It will mean more planning, more debt, and redoing some of the work we’ve already done.

To start with, we’ll have to empty the basement. Where will our storage go?