Cost of Basement Waterproofing: Basement Waterproofing Techniques
I live in a flood prone part of the country so it’s only natural that I get a lot of people asking me for advice on the cost of basement waterproofing. Well that’s a loaded question because there are a lot of basement waterproofing techniques that you can use, some are more expensive and some are not, it really depends on your home, your landscaping and whether or not you have had problems with basement flooding or not in the past.
Your home’s foundation is one of the most important parts of your entire house. Just think, if something were to happen to your foundation it would cause problems everywhere throughout your home, and you can’t say that about any other section can you? Even though you may not want to spend much money what could be a hypothetical foundation problem, it’s important that you apply the right basement waterproofing techniques because a foundation problem in the future costs a heck of a lot more than some waterproofing today.
So what is the right way to waterproof your basement? Well first some of the things you need to do to waterproof your basement aren’t actually done to the basement itself. Sounds strange right? Hear me out.
One of the problems that causes basement flooding and water damage is standing water near your foundation. This is not so much a foundation problem as it is a landscaping problem. Even though your land may seem flat it has a slope and it is very important that the slope be away from the house or water (which naturally runs downhill) will trickle right toward your house and collect right in front of your foundation. Without anywhere else to go water will then seep in and damage your foundation and wind up causing mold and mildew in your basement which smells bad and can cause major health problems.
Another non-basement way to keep your foundation waterproof is to install a good gutter system on your house and make sure you keep it clean from all debris. When you don’t have a good gutter system in place or you don’t keep your gutter cleaned, water runs straight off your roof to the ground. When it hits the ground it pools next to your foundation and causes major water damage. This is one of the primary reasons people wind up with basement flooding. Having a good gutter and keeping it clean makes a world of difference in terms of basement waterproofing.
Moving indoors, another one of our effective basement waterproofing techniques is to use a good waterproof paint on the inside of your basement walls. Basements are naturally damp in most areas so having water damage even from just humidity and condensation can accumulate on walls very easily. Water resistant paint is, well, water resistant as I’m sure you figured out so it prevents water from seeping in to basement walls. Simply by adding a couple coats of paint you can help to prevent foundation water damage that will be expensive and dangerous down the line.
If your basement is especially prone to being damp, you should also look in to using a dehumidifier down there as well. Dehumidifiers absorb dampness in the air and are a great tool to help keep your walls from having condensation form from damp air. Be sure to get a good dehumidifier if your basement has had trouble with water damage in the past, and make sure it is powerful enough to cover the entire square footage of your basement. Most boxes will tell you the approximate square footage it will cover so be sure to get the right size for your basement.
Bottom line, basement waterproofing doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition, in fact if you are willing to do most of the grunt work yourself then I just gave you four basement waterproofing techniques that will go a very long way toward keeping your basement dry all year round.
© Cost of Basement Waterproofing: Basement Waterproofing Techniques
Related posts: