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Few homeowners find a damp basement more distressing. Even small signs of dampness in your basement could signal bigger trouble; moisture can lead to expensive and time-consuming repairs, while water seeping in could damage structures and create toxic mold growth. What steps can we take to keep moisture at bay and dry our basement systems?

What Causes Moisture Damage to the Basement?

To understand how best to keep your basement dry, you must understand why they have excess humidity in the first place. Water has an uncanny ability to sneak into homes despite our best efforts to keep it out. Basements, in particular, can become humid due to their unique construction and nature and require basement waterproofing & repair – here are some causes of damp basements:

• Improper soil and drainage systems:

Basements can become wet when rainwater or groundwater cannot drain away efficiently from them, leading to excessively wet basements. Inadequate drainage systems often contribute to this issue – as water collects around your basement foundation without being directed away, attempting entry.

• Poor installation and maintenance:

Gutters should direct rainwater away from your foundation. Unfortunately, poorly installed gutters or too clogged up may cause water to pool around them instead of flowing off in their intended path.

• Misleading Slope: An incorrect slope could result in water accumulating around your foundation instead of running off, creating flooding conditions around it instead of flowing away as intended. If this is the case for you, water could pool around it instead of draining away properly and collecting around your home instead of flowing off.
• Hydrostatic Pressure: Hydrostatic pressure can build when water collects around your foundation. Gravity pushes down on it as gravity presses down upon it to try and release this pressure, forcing the water into any available cracks on your basement walls or floor to escape this pressure buildup. Sometimes, the pressure can even cause cracks!
• Foundation Cracks: Watering can easily find its way into your basement through cracks in windows, doors, or basement walls, providing it with an entry point into the room. Water always follows its least resistant route into space.
• Condensation: Basements tend to be damp environments. Condensation may lead to mildew and mold growth in your basement.

These are a few of the reasons that can lead to moisture in your basement. If you find any of these signs causing dampness in your basement, contact a professional basement leak repair company near me for your basement foundation inspection.

Top Three Basement Waterproofing Mechanisms

As we now understand what causes basement moisture issues, let’s discuss ways we can prevent basement moisture. Basement waterproofing can be accomplished in three ways.

#1 Interior

Your basement should be waterproofed from any water entering. Sealants, coatings, and condensation-prevention measures may all help.

#2 Exterior

These methods are used on the exterior of your house to prevent water from entering it in the first place. Examples may include exterior drainage systems and waterproofing exterior walls.

#3 Drainage

Basement moisture problems often stem from drainage issues. Fixing an ineffective drainage system or installing one altogether are viable solutions for this problem.

Every situation is unique, so you must recognize any waterproofing problems in your house. All three techniques must be employed for an effective basement waterproofing solution.

Now let’s examine three waterproofing methods and discover more.

How to Waterproof a Basement from the Inside?

• Fill cracks

Hydraulic cement can be used to fill cracks in basement walls by mixing it with water and then pushing it into them with either a putty blade or by hand until it expands and fills them up.

• Seal Walls

Masonry waterproofing can help seal walls to stop moisture from entering from the outside, as evidenced by moisture testing. Applying two coats is effective against water entering from outside and can effectively stop its penetration into your basement walls.

• Add Interior French Drain

A French drain interior is a trench that runs along the basement floor and directs water towards a sump, collecting excess moisture that flows off other parts of the basement into its basin before being pumped outside to be released back into nature. Filled with gravel and perforated pipes to channel drainage water from other areas into its path toward its final destination

How to Waterproof a Basement From the Outside?

• Grading Your Yard

Grading the yard will stop exterior water from seeping into your basement and foundation from outside sources. With some basic equipment like a wheelbarrow, shovel, and additional fill dirt, a homeowner can grade their soil in as little as one or two days.

• Install or upgrade gutters today.

Gutters collect roof runoff and channel it away from foundations or basements, typically through concrete hardscaping around their properties or slopes with long roof overhangs. While gutters are essential in most homes, some might not need one depending on factors like proximity to concrete hardscaping.

• Seal Exterior Foundation Walls.

Protecting basement walls against water requires using a synthetic liquid membrane, bentonite sheets, or synthetic sheet membrane. For added moisture protection, a cementitious coat can also be applied outside.

To utilize any exterior foundation repair and sealing method, the soil must first be excavated from the walls to the bottom of the foundation, and excavated trenches dug around its perimeter must be dug for drainage purposes. Drain tiles can then be placed to ensure effective drainage.

• Install Exterior French Drain

French drains are trenches lined with gravel, pipe perforations, and fabric to block weeds, filled with gravel to fill the trench and channel water away from your basement or foundation. French drains are perfect for yards with pooled water that seeps toward basement walls – thus, French drains make ideal yard drainage systems.

Drainage Systems

Moisture in your basement can often be traced back to poor drainage. To keep the area dry and avoid black mold growth, proper drainage systems must be in place in your home – these will divert rainwater or groundwater away from its foundation. Different drainage systems are available to control this water around your house; begin by looking at what types of soil surround your house, as different types can retain more moisture than others, and see which works well with drainage systems available to control it. Contact a professional foundation repair company to inspect your basement leaks and provide effective solutions.

Inspecting its functioning in depth ensures your drainage system works for you. Assess how your home’s foundation slopes away from it rather than towards it; depending on your circumstances, it may be necessary to install a pump that collects water around your foundation before pumping it away from it; these interior drainage systems are specifically designed to do just this!

Sump pump installation must be designed to work even during power outages, making a sump pump or interior drainage system an intensive undertaking that should only be undertaken with professional basement waterproofing companies’ advice and consultation.

Which basement waterproofing method is ideal for you?

When moisture enters from outside, it’s often necessary to employ both interior and exterior waterproofing techniques in order to restore a waterproof environment in the basement.

Basement moisture that originates internally, such as condensation or leaky pipes, does not necessitate exterior waterproofing. Instead, moisture management techniques may be more appropriate; running dehumidifiers to control temperatures and moisture levels and fixing or replacing leaky pipes may help alleviate interior water.

Final Thoughts

Waterproofing the home is the key to protecting it against future damage. Affordable Foundation Repair provides comprehensive waterproofing and crawl space repair services designed to safeguard those most important to us – our homes.

Affordable Foundation Repair provides free estimates to its clients prior to providing services, so there will be no surprises or obligations upon receiving services from us.

Dial 855-749-1322 to schedule your free inspection.