As useful as water can be in our daily activities, it can cause serious damage to properties. The majority of these damages are preventable if taken care of early. Therefore, looking for a way to secure parts of your apartments prone to water damage before it gets out of hand is essential.
The basement, the lowest place in your home, can be prone to various forms of water due to flooding, condensation, and exposure to water pooling from the outside. Also, the surrounding soil could become heavier, weighing down on the foundations of your home. Hence, complete waterproofing of your basement will be needed on the outside and inside to avoid damage.
Before you start waterproofing your basement, here are five things you need to know about it to carry out a perfect job.
1. Identifying the Leak Sources
The first and most important aspect of waterproofing your basement is identifying where the leaks come from. A water puddle is one major sign pointing out where the leak may be coming from. Also, cracked walls, molds, or mildews can be indicators of the source of the leak.
Water leakage can also be due to plumbing & sewage issues elsewhere in your house. However, If you notice moisture or condensation, this is less cause for concern than a leak, as you can improve this by maintaining proper airflow and temperature.
2. Waterproofing has Two Main Parts
The basement waterproofing has two main parts: interior and exterior. Depending on the leak’s situation and your interest, you can choose to have any or both waterproofing done to your basement.
Interior waterproofing involves repairing cracks and using epoxy to seal them. You can also install a sump pump with a backup battery pack to remove accumulated water even when there’s a power outage. Other acts like installing window wells, reinforcing walls, etc., can also be done to improve the interior waterproofing.
As effective as the interior waterproofing can be, it’s much more effective when combined with the exterior. The exterior waterproof prevents water from pooling outside the basement’s wall, reducing the wall’s lifespan. In addition, you can install drainage systems in your lawns and driveways to direct water away from your structure.
3. It takes time
Unlike other home improvement activities, waterproofing your basement can take up to 2-5 days to complete depending on how much work needs to be done. It will help to get your basement checked and fixed early before winter and stormy weathers to ensure your house stands strong during those seasons
4. It’s A Long-Term Investment
Waterproofing your basement to prevent water from continuously seeping into the house is a form of a long-term investment. With this, you can reduce the water damage on your apartment and eliminate molds and fowl odor. Eventually, it helps convert the room to a useable one, improve your property value and prevent your furniture from unnecessary damage
5. Helps you use your money on other important matters.
The cost of purchasing a new home or furniture isn’t comparable to the cost of waterproofing your basement. When you waterproof your basement, you can prevent your house foundation from weakening, which might result in collapse. Also, when you fix the basement early, you won’t lose out on pieces of furniture placed there.
With these pieces of information at heart, you can then start making progress to waterproof your basement.
