Basement waterproofing is about prevention. It is more about water diversion and relieving hydrostatic pressure build up in the soil outside the foundation walls. While a professional should install a waterproofing system, there are tips homeowners can do with basement waterproofing.
Prevent hydrostatic pressure
Homeowners can do a lot to prevent hydrostatic pressure. Again, hydrostatic pressure is water buildup in the soil around the foundation. This is the pressure that causes foundation cracks and creates water leaks and seepage.
Homeowners can do their part to prevent hydrostatic pressure by maintaining gutters and downspouts. Never let a broken gutter, irrigation, or drain pipes dump water right next to the foundation. Always keep landscaping and grade sloping away from the foundation. Make sure to keep the drainage in the yard draining away from the foundation as well. Don’t allow for snow to pile up next to the foundation. Come spring that snow will melt and drain right into the soil creating massive hydrostatic pressure.
Just do everything you can to keep the soil around the foundation as dry as you can. Do your part on the exterior and it will help protect the interior of your house. Remember, the outside drainage is your first line of defense of basement waterproofing.
Inspect it yourself
The biggest basement problems start out little. If the small problem was caught earlier and fixed right away it would have cost far less and remained a small fix. Take your basement waterproofing inspections into your own hands. Make sure you inspect the health of your foundation every couple months if not more. By catching water stains or a small crack before they become massive cracks and leaks it will save you thousands of dollars fixing your foundation.
Watch for mold, mildew, or other signs of water issues. Is there a musty odor in the basement? Is it dank and wet? Make sure if you inspect your basement and catch the issue, then call a professional and get it taken care of. The problem will escalate. It will not go away on its own. And it will create very expensive problems if it is not fixed early on.
Maintain what you can on your own
Clean your gutters. Fix the broken downspouts. Regrade your landscaping to slope away from your house. Keep an eye on your sump pump and make sure it is working properly. If you have a basement waterproofing system you can also run a dehumidifier in the basement and make sure it is working properly. Keep the relative humidity levels at 50 percent. Make sure it is not overworking.
It really is so important that you do all you can to keep up with maintenance on your home. By doing this you can help prevent a lot of leaks and water damage. It is especially important that you clean your gutters regularly. Just doing little things like this can really help you avoid water damage. However, it is always a good idea to be prepared just in case water damage does occur in your home.
I like your tip to inspect your basement yourself so you can catch little problems early. I had some leaking in my basement a few months back, and I managed to catch it while it was small.
A friend of mine recently had a rather frustrating problem with a flood and her basement wasn’t waterproof. The results were pretty bad, and I wanted to make sure that I avoid coming to a similar situation in the future. I really appreciate your helpful tips about how to do this really effectively. I will be contacting some professionals soon, thank you!
For those of us that live near sea level or a body of water, it is important to keep our homes dry. Water is tricky and will find a way through the tiniest crack to enter your home. If left unattended, that tiny crack could become a gaping hole. To prevent this from happening, there are waterproofing methods that every homeowner can take advantage of. I would suggest getting professional help if you notice any signs of cracks or leaks.
I like the suggestion you made about inspecting your basement. That seems like an easy way to save money by catching big problems early. Our neighbor didn’t notice foundation issues until he saw a big mold problem. He told me to look into waterproofing, so I appreciate the information. I’ll setup an inspection schedule.
Thank you for the help. I just moved into a house with a basement for the first time. So far I do not think that it has been thoroughly waterproofed. I have inspected it once before for cracks and mold, but hadn’t given it much thought since then. How often do you recommend checking for those signs myself?
Thanks for the helpful tips on waterproofing. I like your tip on inspecting it by yourself. I guess I should probably go around my home and make sure that it looks good as far as I know. I also like what you said about maintaining what I can on my own. I may need to hire someone to do some waterproofing to make sure that my home is safe though. Thanks for the help!
I’ve never really gone and inspected around my basement before. I live in a pretty dry area, so it’s not something I have to worry about so much, but I should probably still be aware. I can agree that you should keep your gutters and downspouts clean. We got ours replaced last summer and it rained really hard, and I didn’t realize how much they actually do. Without them, water got everywhere! Thanks for the info!