Scranton Water Damage / Wet cellars and basements

Wet cellar and basement water in Scranton

An old Scranton cellar was never meant to be fully dry. When a stone or block foundation takes on more water than usual, it comes in at the mortar joints and along the crack where the floor meets the wall. If the cellar is finished, that water ends up behind paneling and under carpet.

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The first hour. Keep away from the panel, the furnace, and any cords on the floor if the water is near them. Move boxes and anything you want to keep up off the floor. If the water is still coming in, note where. A photo of the spot helps the crew more than a description. Then send the form below.

When cellars here take on water

The NOAA normals for the Avoca airport put September as the wettest month of the year, at a little over 4 inches. Late summer and early fall storms, including the remnants of tropical systems, can drop a lot of that in one day. Spring brings the other kind of wet cellar. The airport averages about 45 inches of snow a year, and when a deep snowpack melts on top of frozen ground, the water has nowhere to go but along the foundation.

The city has also studied storm water flooding in specific parts of town in the last few years, including Keyser Valley and East Mountain. If you live where the street floods in a heavy rain, your cellar walls see more water than most.

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Why old foundations leak

About half the houses in Scranton were built before 1940, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 survey. Many of those sit on stone foundations. The old mortar between the stones wears away over the decades, and water follows the joints. Newer block foundations leak at the mortar joints and at the cove where the wall meets the floor slab. Window wells that fill with leaves become small ponds against the wall.

A white crust on the stone or a damp line a foot or two up means the wall has been passing water for a while, even before there is a puddle.

A new crack, or water from an old mine

Scranton grew up on anthracite coal, and much of the valley sits over old underground workings. If a foundation wall cracks or shifts suddenly, or doors upstairs start sticking all at once, mine subsidence is one possible cause. The state also lists a rarer problem it calls a mine water breakout, a sudden release of water from a flooded mine that can reach homes near it.

Standard homeowners policies usually don't cover either one. Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection runs a separate Mine Subsidence Insurance program that covers both, and its fund investigates each claim. The claim line is 1-800-922-1678. DEP also has an online map where you can check whether your address sits over mined ground. A crack like that needs someone to look at the structure first. Drying the cellar comes after.

How the crew dries a cellar

Pump or extract the standing water.
Pull wet carpet and pad off the floor. In a finished basement, paneling and drywall get opened where the meter says the wall behind them is wet.
Set dehumidifiers sized for the space. A stone cellar holds a lot of water, and the air stays damp long after the floor looks dry.
Meter the walls, the floor, and the framing above, and keep the equipment running until the readings drop.

A stone wall won't read as dry as drywall ever does, so the crew watches for the readings to level off. The goal is a cellar that is back to its normal dampness, with nothing left wet that can grow mold.

Finishing a cellar in an old house

A cellar that has flooded once often takes on water again. Before putting paneling and carpet back over stone, it is worth talking to a waterproofing contractor about drainage, and using materials that can get wet and dry out again.

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Questions

Is water through the foundation covered by homeowners insurance?

Ground water seeping through a wall usually is not, and flood water from outside needs a flood policy. Sudden water from a pipe inside the house is a different claim. Check your policy or ask your agent.

Can I just run a dehumidifier?

For a damp cellar with no standing water, a good dehumidifier helps a lot. For standing water, a finished basement, or water behind paneling, it won't keep up.

How do I know if a crack is from mine subsidence?

You usually can't tell by looking. DEP notes that settling, frost, and swelling soil can all crack a foundation too. If you have a Mine Subsidence Insurance policy, call 1-800-922-1678. If not, a structural engineer is the right first call.