The basement is unfinished, but it has workbenches for my husband's tools, and we have our washer and dryer down there. Fortunately, the heater and appliances do not sit directly on the floor.
The walls are fieldstone with some kind of mortar. The floor is about 1-2 inches of cement or some type of concrete surface. The house is on a slight rise, and we have never had any puddling in the street or yard during heavy rains or snow. Our downspouts are clear and run at least 10 feet from the house.
The house is about 130 years old, and when we sell it, we assume it will be torn down because of its age and condition, so we don't want to spend a lot of money (my husband is retired and I have about six more years before I do the same).
Any idea why the water is still appearing and what we can do? My husband doesn't think this will ever happen again, that last year was just unusual.
Answer: I hope your husband is right. I wonder if the intensity of the flooding and the water ponding in it for several weeks created damage that makes your basement more susceptible to flooding from now on.
That damage might not be readily apparent. The rise in the water table that your plumber points to might have undermined part of the floor enough to let water pool there, for example.
There might be a crack in the foundation below the soil line outside that directs water into the basement when there is enough of it and it doesn't drain properly.
In my semifinished basement, which has a sophisticated system of perimeter and french drains leading to a sump, there is, under the laundry sink, one very small spot where water from the outside collects during winter months when there is heavy rain or melting snow.
