Real Estate Investing :Wet Basements in West Hartford - Blame it on the Clay?

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If you’ve spent any time living or looking at homes to buy in West Hartford, you’ll know that West Hartford could easily be called Wet Hartford for all the wet basements in town.

It inevitably comes up during showings, especially if the buyers are from out of town. Over the years, I’ve heard different explanations - high water table, poor town planning and flooding due to the presence of several brooks and streams.

Then there were the sewer backups a few years ago caused by a period of heavy rain, which the MDC blamed on an aging sewage system.

The Hartford Courant has an article today which may explain the reason why so many homes have wet basements and yards - Clay in West Hartford’s Soil Spells Drainage Woes.  Having spent the weekend gardening, I can personally attest to the clay content in the soil. However, the soil in town doesn’t seem any worse than others I’ve lived in. Maybe I’ve just lived in towns with a lot of clay in the soil?





Clearly it’s an issue in town. Most homes have a sump pump or some other type of drainage system.  But even that may not be enough. You have to have power for a sump pump to work or have one with a battery backup. And a sump pump won’t take care of the moisture that comes in through the foundation - for that you may need a combination of drains, a humidifier and foundation crack sealing.

My current home has two sump pumps, a SaniDry basement dehumidifier and a perimeter drain. Whatever the cause, all of these do a great job keeping our basement dry.

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