Flooded basements and broken sump pumps: rainy January keeps P.E.I. contractors busy

After a few weeks of heavy rain on P.E.I., some contractors said they've been busier than usual dealing with flooded basements and replacing or installing sump pumps. 

There's been such a high demand for sump pumps, workers with Riley's Heating and Plumbing in Charlottetown installed five of them in one day, said owner Devan Riley. 

"I've been in a couple of houses and the water's up over your rain boots, so you're walking out of there with wet socks, and wet jeans and wet everything," said Riley. 

This type of flooding is unusual for January, Riley said, and normally doesn't start to happen until March or April. 

Riley said he's been getting a lot of after-hour calls, working late nights and 15-hour-days to replace or repair sump pump systems that aren't working. 

"Unfortunately, most of the times we get a call, it's too late and the basement's already flooded," he said. 

'Sometimes the whole basement is full'

"I don't think we've seen anything like this in January, as to having no snow and rain," said Bradley Jenkins, co-owner of Nasty Cracks Basement Solutions. 

Jenkins said he remembers responding to similar types of calls last February, where there was a "big thaw" and a lot of rain. But this year, it happened earlier than expected. 

"The phone has been ringing more over the past five or six days," he said. "Sometimes there's little puddles, sometimes the whole basement is full with several inches of water."

Some fixes can be done right away, Jenkins said, but others need to wait until the weather is more controlled. For example, any damage that might require exterior digging can't be done in the winter, because it can put more stress on the already damaged foundation.

"The best thing is prevention," Jenkins said. To avoid flooding or water damage, Jenkins said it's important to remove any sticks or debris from eavestroughs, and make sure downspouts are at least four to six feet away from the foundation. 

"It doesn't always work, but it definitely helps," he added. 

Take steps to prevent flooding

Chris Boswall with Boswall's Basement Systems has also been busy over the last week responding to an "uncommon" volume of calls. 

"The water table around the Island at this point is very high with all of the moisture in the ground as a result of the rain, so it wouldn't be all that uncommon to see a foot or two of water in some basements these days," he said. 

His business has been responding to issues with sump pump systems, replacing or installing new ones. He's also been seeing more interest in backup options, like battery-operated sump pumps. 

While smaller jobs can be completed in less than a day, Boswall said some jobs could take up to one or two weeks. 

"For some of our services, we're certainly booked up for a few months," he said. 

Boswall also preached prevention as the best step to avoid any flooding or water damage in the basement. He suggested regularly testing your sump pumps, and to keep an eye out for any leaks or cracks in basement foundations. 

"It's always a good idea to do your due diligence and check around to see what some potential leaking points might be and try to get those fixed up before they become a problem," he added.