A homeowner is definitely scared of natural disasters like floods. Water and dampness in your home can cause significant damage to your house and belongings and pose serious health threats. Standing water can cause growth of mold and mildew in your basement on fabric and wood.
If you notice water in your basement, then you should take immediate action. Not only can it cause issues stated above but also be a sign of several underlying issues. Hence, the first step is to find out where the water is coming.
A major issue is when water comes up from your basement, the ground absorbs dampness and because your basement floor is below surface level, it has dampness surrounding it all the time. Hence, in order to get support and help the homeowners find out where the water is coming up from the basement floor, basement waterproofing specialists are hired. They will give you some insight on how to stop water from coming up through the basement.
Check the gutters and downspouts
Keep the gutters clean and ensure that any water coming from downspouts is channelized away from the house. It may appear strange, why to inspect the top of your home, to rectify a problem at the bottom. But, here is the explanation. Your gutters collect the runoff rain and melted snow accumulated from the roof. If the gutters get clogged, water will go through the downspout and may overflow over the sides and down the walls of your house. This will pool a lot of water around the foundation of your house which may gradually seep in the ground creating force against the basement floor. If there is a small crack or opening, then water will find its way and enter inside.
This is why it is essential to add extensions to your downspouts and ensure that water is channelized away from the house so that there is no pooling around your foundation.
Basement waterproofing
If you know that the water is coming into your basement from the walls or foundation floor, then don’t wait. You can do basement waterproofing in two ways- internal waterproofing and external waterproofing. Both the approaches are similar, different is on which side of the foundation wall, the process will be done. With interior basement waterproofing, you need to install a waterproof membrane on the inside of the foundation wall and you need to dig a trench for the installation of weeping tile for better drainage. For external basement waterproofing, the process is done outside the foundation walls.
Waterproofing your basement prevents water from entering your basement through the walls and drives water away from the house through a newly installed drainage system.
Sump pump installation
A sump pump pumps water out of your basement away from your house. It has a catch basin under your foundation floor which catches some of the water trying to enter from under your basement floor and removes it from there. It lowers hydrostatic pressure and lowers the chance of water coming up through the basement floor.
Finding dampness in your basement is worrisome and the best way to stop water from coming up through your basement floor is to prevent it. You can hire professionals to inspect your basement floor and take immediate steps.
