Basement Waterproofing Your Home

Not every house has a basement, but having one will increase your home's value and add much needed storage space. Although they are wonderful to have, a common problem plaguing many homeowners is water leakage and structure damage. This can be a result of failure to have your lower level waterproofed. Here is an overview of why every homeowner should take these precautionary measures and how to do it.

Basic waterproofing of one's basement is to simply stop moisture from getting into the home which will help maintain the structure. These measures consist of draining methods or sealers in or around the lower level of a building. Areas that can plague a home with water leakage are ones in places where ground water tends to build up. This build up will lead to an increase of the water table, which will then cause hydrostatic pressure to force water into the walls or flooring of a building. This pressure is great enough to enable moisture to literally seep through walls and seemingly solid material, which could cause great damage to the material.

There are three types of waterproofing measures that can be applied to one's home. The first and most basic are sealers applied on interior walls and flooring. These are used to prevent high humidity in basements, which lead to mold and mildew build up. Molds can cause sickness and ill health among for the home's inhabitants, so preventing this moisture can be helpful to your health. However, floor and wall sealers will not be able to withstand or prevent water leaks caused in an area where hydrostatic pressure is a problem. But they will prevent basic moisture build up.

For more serious problems, one may choose to install interior or exterior drainage devices. For water that is visibly leaking in, interior draining can be done by carrying water away from the building's foundation by way of a sump pump. A preventative measure that can be taken is an exterior draining method, consisting of a polymer compound being applied to the foundation's exterior walls. The latter option is the only method which is acknowledged by the International Building Code as able to prevent structural water damage.

Usually, a home is waterproofed during the beginning stages of the building's construction. It is best done at this point because it will incur the least amount of cost, as well as being much simpler to do than working around a finished building. However, it can be done to a home which has already been finished. But if it is a major problem, it is recommended that the homeowner seek professional help. For any minor problems that can be fixed by basic methods, there are "do-it-yourself" kits that can help you get started. But if at any point you find yourself unsure how to complete the task at hand, it is best to contact a professional. Any problems left unattended could result in more serious structural damage to the home, as well as much higher costs tacked on to fix them.

If your house isn't waterproofed yet, take time to consider how your house can greatly benefit from getting it done. Whether it will help erradicate the moisture, mold, mildew, or prevent serious damage to the structural foundation to your house, any homeowner will most likely find that it needs to be done. Doing so will greatly save potentially high costs from damage repair, as well as give you peace of mind that your home is safe from the elements.