Mold, dampness or a musty smell in your basement or crawl space can
indicate big troubles. A basement that is not properly sealed is prone
to leaks and water damage. Damage of this sort can cause all kinds of
problems from small issues such as smelly clothes and other belongings
to massive complications such as structural issues. A waterproofing
company can be hired to assess the amount of damage that has been done
and provide solutions on how to take care of the issue. Read on to learn more.
Mold, dampness or a musty smell in your basement or crawl space can
indicate big troubles. A basement that is not properly sealed is prone
to leaks and water damage. Damage of this sort can cause all kinds of
problems from small issues such as smelly clothes and other belongings
to massive complications such as structural issues. A waterproofing
company can be hired to assess the amount of damage that has been done
and provide solutions on how to take care of the issue. There are
numerous ways this can be gone about, but there is only one that
actually solves the problem instead of only treating the symptoms.
There are, of course, ways that homeowners can go about taking care of
the problem on their own, but these are usually short-term solutions as
opposed to the fix one would receive from a waterproofing company. Some
examples of temporary fixes include spray-on sealants, hardening
solutions which are injected into visible cracks then left to dry and
other barrier methods. These methods will probably do the trick—for now.
They will temporarily stop any leaking but they will not fix the damage
already done nor will they fix the problem in the long term. The only
way to stop water from infiltrating an improperly sealed basement is to
have a drainage system installed outside of the foundation.
A properly installed drainage system will carry water away from the
foundation and out to other areas of surrounding land where it will not
create damage. A waterproofing company that tries to sell you on a
sealant instead of a properly installed drainage system is only
providing you with a temporary form of help, usually at quite a
substantial cost. Having the drainage system installed at the time the
house is built is optimal, but it is quite likely that this is not what
was done. These systems can be installed around existing homes to
channel water away from the actual foundation.
If you are experiencing a musty, damp smell in the basement or crawl
space a waterproofing company should be consulted. They can evaluate the
condition of the foundation along with any potential problem areas and
then give an estimate of the cost to remedy any troubles. Since the
basement is used to store valuable belongings, extra clothing and
seasonal essentials—and in some cases even used as living
space—protecting it before major problems occur is an initiative that
can be cost reducing in the long run.
