Wet basements are every homeowner’s nightmare. On top of being extremely unpleasant (wet, leaky, and musty isn’t exactly a desired ambiance), flooded basements can be hazardous to your health and expensive to fix.
There is good news, however, and that is your knowledge of how to prevent basement flooding can save you the misery and money that it may cause you in the future! Here are the do’s and don’ts of waterproofing your basement.
DO your research. There are four main types of basement waterproofing including interior sealants, interior drainage, and exterior waterproofing. Each home and basement are different, so you will have to explore different solutions for different problems. For example, a waterproof sealant may do the trick for some homes but others may require a foundation drain or cleaning.
DON’T use DIY sealants. Easy fixes are temporary. Leaks always come back. A trip to your local home improvement store will bombard you with sealant options promising a permanent fix, but that’s just not true. If you find a small leak and want to cover it up while you brainstorm a serious plan of action, then go for it. Otherwise, DIY sealants are a waste of your time and money.
DO find the leak source. Is water seeping in through the ground, through a window, or your foundation? This is an important step because if you find the source of the leak, stop it, and fix it, your leak won’t come back.
DON’T ignore the leak. This is the worst thing you can do for your home and overall foundation health. That crack or leak will grow and so will the severity of the problem.
DO keep your gutters and foundation drains cleaned. Clogged gutters and foundation drains mean disaster for your basement. A backed up rain gutter could let loose and dump pounds of water against your home’s foundation. Regularly cleaning your gutter from leaves and debris will allow collected water to move from the downspouts and away from your a backed up foundation drain will allow water to rise and flood your basement.
DON’T allow your downspouts to pour water directly around your foundation. Shooting water against the foundation is going to cause serious problems.
If you are experiencing basement flooding, EcoClean can help. We specialize in cleaning and unclogging lines and drains, inspection of sewers and lines, and repair and replacement of basements, manholes, and other structures.
EcoClean is available 24/7 for any flooding emergency. If you are unsure of what to do when you experience leaking or flooding, call today for more information!
