Spring Thaw & Flood Risk Check for Antioch

Lake country has its own pattern. The spring thaw backs the Fox River and the Chain O'Lakes up over low lots and into basements, snowmelt and heavy rain overwhelm sump pumps, hard winters freeze and split pipes in unheated walls, and ice dams push water under shingles into ceilings. A high water table means almost any lower level can flood.

Test your sump pump and add a battery backup, keep stored items in bins up off the floor, seal wall cracks, clear the floor drain and window wells, and make sure grading and downspouts carry water away from the house. If you are on the water, watch the river gauge and have sandbags ready.

If the pit is running constantly, cycling oddly, or silent during a heavy rain, or if you see water on the basement floor near the pit, the pump may be failing or undersized. Test it by pouring water into the pit, and add a backup, because a sump failure during snowmelt floods a basement fast.

If it is safe, shut the water off at the source, stay off the wet floor, keep clear of outlets and the electrical panel, and call us. If it is a sewer or drain backup or river flood water, do not touch it, it is Category 3 black water. We talk you through the rest while a crew is on the way.