Basement Water Problems - There is Hope

If your basement is wet and damp there is hope to remedy the problem. Moisture or water in basements comes from two sources. The major culprit is ground water which is the water from the covering getting into the basement. The second and less severe is high humidity levels in the basement that form condensation and water vapor. Ground water that soaks the soil on the covering of the home can nothing else but find its way into the basement. Water can infiltrate the basement though holes and cracks in foundation walls or cracks in the basement floor slab. Water can also enter straight through porous foundation block or brick walls, most of the foundation walls are made of concrete block which have natural pours and cracks that can allow water to seep though. Solid concrete basement foundation walls are much good in retention water out.

The main idea is to get the water away from the covering walls of the home. Make sure all downspouts are discharging a minimum of five feet away from the covering walls. Make sure that gutters on the home are free flowing and do not overflow. Overflowing gutters will pour water against the covering walls of the home, and greatly conduce to basement water problems. Heal or replace any leaking gutters and downspouts to help keep the water away.

Gutter History

Make sure that the area colse to the entire perimeter of the home is sloped away from the covering walls so that water will shed away from and not toward the foundation walls. Concerning the covering is a very prominent step in retention your basement dryer. Make sure you remove whatever against the covering walls that can trap water such as planting boxes, and wood tie walls these will always be a source of trapped water.

Plug and patch holes in the basement foundation walls. Holes and cracks can allow water to enter. Plugging holes and sealing cracks probably will not solve all your basement water issues but doing so in tandem with the other restorative measures should go along way in helping to keep water out of the basement. Try sealing the interior foundation walls using hydraulic cement. Make sure you apply the cement to bare masonry or else it will not be effective. These types of sealers need to be applied in a thick coating so don't try to stretch it put the sealer on thick. The idea is the sealer material will seal the small holes and cracks and help keep the water from seeping into the basement.

If basement water problems persist you may want to consider installing a basement drainage system. There are two types of effective drainage systems. One type is installed on the covering against the foundation wall and the other is installed inside along the interior perimeter of the basement walls. If your home is already constructed the only real practical explication is the interior drainage principles method. This formula consists of perforated tubing that is installed below the basement floor slab along the interior perimeter that connects to a sump pump and sump pit. As water enters straight through the walls and as the water table rises the water will be directed to the sump pump and pumped out rater then enter the basement. You must make sure that the sump pump is discharging at least five feet from the covering walls in order to avoid redirecting the water back against the covering walls and then into the home.

Get a deal with on excess humidity. When humid air comes in sense with cold surfaces it makes water vapor. This condensation will run down pipes and foundation walls leaving the basement damp and smelling of mold and mildew. Some remedies for this condition would be to setup a dehumidifier, sealing your dryer vent pipe so that it does not leak hot moisture into the basement, installing a vent fan in any basement bathroom, and retention windows done during very humid summer weather. If you have a central air conditioner keep it on during very hot humid days so that it pulls condensation from the air. setup central air-conditioning in the basement if you do not already have the basement as part of the existing air conditioner register configuration.

Use caution when contracting with expert water proofing companies. Many times they will supply very expensive solutions to the question when that majority of basement water issues can be corrected without having to take out a second mortgage. If you do decree to use a water proofing company, make sure you do your homework and check their record with the good enterprise bureau.

Basement Water Problems - There is Hope