thought it was the drain, turned out to be a tiny gap where the wall meets the floor
That’s exactly what happened to me last spring—spent days messing with the drains, but it was this hairline crack hiding behind some boxes. Window wells are sneaky too, you’re right. One time I found a puddle under my workbench and it traced all the way back to a window I barely use. Hang in there, tracking down leaks is like detective work sometimes.
Funny how leaks always seem to hide in the least obvious spots. If you’re still seeing water, here’s a quick step-by-step I use: First, check for any cracks along the wall-floor joint—run a flashlight slowly, even tiny gaps can let water in. Next, inspect window wells and sills for moisture or staining. If nothing’s obvious, try taping down some paper towels in different areas before the next rain; wherever they get wet first is usually your culprit. Sometimes it’s not the drain at all, just sneaky runoff or a clogged gutter outside. It’s rarely straightforward, but you’ll get there.
Title: Water pooling in basement—could it be a sneaky drain issue?
That’s a solid list, and I’m with you on the “never straightforward” part. It’s wild how water finds ways in that don’t make sense at first glance. The paper towel trick is underrated—caught a leak that way once when it was actually coming through an old cable line hole, not even close to where I expected.
One thing I’d add, though, is to not totally rule out the drain just because you don’t see obvious signs inside. Sometimes those old floor drains can back up without anything visible until you get a big rain or the ground’s saturated. If you’re feeling skeptical about the drain, you could try pouring some water directly down it (not during a storm) and see if it backs up or drains slow. Had a neighbor who swore his problem was gutter runoff, but turned out tree roots had worked their way into the main line—took forever to find because everything looked dry unless there was heavy rain.
Also, gutters and downspouts get blamed for a lot, but sometimes the grading outside shifts over time and just funnels water right into the wrong spot. Worth double-checking if dirt’s settled near the foundation or if mulch is piled up too high.
Anyway, leaks are like playing detective in your own house... frustrating but kind of satisfying when you finally catch the culprit. You’re definitely on the right track with all those checks. Just don’t beat yourself up if it takes a few tries—sometimes even pros have to hunt around longer than they’d like.
Had a job last year where the homeowner was convinced it was just the gutters, but after chasing my tail for a bit, turned out the old cast iron floor drain was packed with roots. Thing is, it only backed up when we had those crazy downpours—rest of the time, bone dry. I’m always a little skeptical when folks say “it’s definitely not the drain” because you’d be surprised how sneaky those backups can be. Sometimes you gotta get your hands dirty and check everything, even if it seems fine at first glance. Water’s got a mind of its own...
Water’s got a mind of its own...
I get where you're coming from, but sometimes it really is just the gutters or grading. I've seen basements take on water because the downspouts dumped right next to the foundation, and the drains were totally clear. Not saying you shouldn't check everything—roots in old pipes are sneaky—but I wouldn't rule out surface water issues too fast. Water finds the path of least resistance, and sometimes that's just straight down the wall, not through a clogged drain.
