Loose Backfill Soil
Loose backfill soil is the soil that was disturbed when your home was built. The water works down to the tiling around the home which is designed to lead the water away from the home. Depending on when your home was built the tile goes to a floor drain, a sump pump, the storm sewer or sometimes its run away from the home in the yard. It is possible to not have tiling depending on the age of your home
The Clay Bowl Effect
The clay bowl effect refers to the natural consequence of excavating and backfilling when building a foundation. Water in the soil close to the foundation can and will build up and find its way in, seeping through porous basement walls or through gaps and basement wall cracks. Sometime when you first get water in your basement it comes in one section of the basement but due to the clay bowl effect the water pressure is around your entire foundation
Tiling and Sump Pump
While a footing drainage system can be effective for a time, eventually muddy water and particles enter the pipe and reach a tipping point. At this point, drainage is limited or completely obstructed. If the tiling comes into the home the sump pump plays a huge part in keeping your basement dry. Typically homes have builder grade sump pumps that are not very effective. All sump pumps are mechanical and will fail and some point
Problems Getting Worse?
With the drain tile clogged the water has no where to go but into the home. The longer the problem goes the worse the problem tends to get.
Clogged Drain Tile
Once the drain tile clogs the water is no longer able to get away from the foundation. The water will continue to put pressure around your foundation and water will typically come in where the footing and wall meet. Water can also come in through the wall and if you have lots of water pressure it can come up through the basement floor
Mold in the Basement?
When water builds up pressure in the cores of your block foundation it can damage anything against the wall. Sometimes the basement is finished making it difficult to know what is going on behind the wall. If organic materials get wet for a prolonged amount of time it is very possible to have mold in your home without you knowing it