Cost of Waterproofing a Basement

If you see puddles in your own basement, wet spots or white chalk substances on the walls, then you might have a problem that needs to be addresses right away. You would you want to waterproof your basement for great number of reasons – in the most serious cases water can cause some damage to the foundations of your house and present electrical shock hazards, but even in mild situations the dampness can promote the growth of mildew and mold that are known to cause allergies and asthma.

If your basement is waterproofed, you can use that extra space for storage or turn it into a lovely home theater or gaming room. Waterproofing your basement comes at a cost, but before you pick up the phone and start calling local contractors or asking you bank manager for yet another loan, take the time to investigate the problem. If you aren’t up for the task you can contact a few basement waterproofing specialists here and compare quotes.

In order to do so, find out where the water is coming from – in the case of seepage, caused by insufficient outside drainage, you can easily rectify the problem yourself by clearing out the debris that block the gutters or the downspouts. You should also make sure that the downspouts extend ten feet or more from the house and the ground wound the house slopes away from the foundation. In this case, you can either spend no money at all or in the worst case scenario pay a few hundred in case you need to replace any damaged downspouts or gutters.

If condensation is the problem, then in order to reduce the cost of waterproofing your basement, there are few steps that you can take and see if you can avoid calling a contractor. You can examine all the piping that runs through the basement and replace or repair any leaking pipes and also insulate the cold water ones; having dehumidifier in the basement and air conditioner that keeps it heated in the winter and cool in the summer will also reduce condensation considerably.

More difficult to fix are problems caused by seepage through the concrete pores or cracks in the foundation and in these cases you are likely to need the help of a local contractor. The costs for the materials and the labor will vary from one region to another, but you can lower these costs by getting at least three different quotes and choosing the one that is the most affordable. You can also ask the hired contractor to pass some of the discount on the materials that he is getting to you, or ask him if you can purchase the materials yourself if that is less costly. In most instances, the local contractors will give you free, no obligation estimate so you can call as many contractors of them as you wish, but you should take their experience and skills into account as well since waterproofing your basement is something that you would want done right and only once.

© Cost of Waterproofing a Basement

Related posts:

1. Cost of Basement Waterproofing: Basement Waterproofing Techniques
2. Home Foundation Leak Repair
3. Basement Flooding Cleanup and Prevention

Cost of Basement Remodel

Remodeling your basement is a wonderful way to add value to a house as well as creating more family space. There is a variety of cheap basement finishing ideas to make your basement in to a room you will want to spend all of your time in.

Let your imagination run when considering how to develop every element of a basement remodel. The basement might be transformed into a game room, guest bedroom, entertainment room, organized storage, extra bathroom, home office, home theater, playroom, apartment, Jacuzzi room, wine cellar or a combination of one or more space depending on the basement size. These are a few ideas for remodeling your basement. Think of all the possibilities and the best use for the space for your family. Talk to each family member and learn their ideas as well as what they want. Everyone might be thinking about the same thing or it might answer some questions on what is most needed.

Get ideas for remodeling your basement from friends and family, photos, magazines and the internet, just for starters. This will inspire you and help you create your own new space. Keep the basement’s size, shape and condition in mind when making remodeling plans. This will help you determine what direction you will take the project and customize the space. If the remodel is mostly a waterproofing project you might just be repainting or putting in a new floor. If the basement unfinished or is only partially finished the planning process will be more in-depth because it is not only decorating, but also construction.

When creating a new room consider how to best use the space in relation to the rest of the house as well. Sine you are doing new construction you are designing on a lean slate. Use this to your advantage. Do you need more storage? Adding more storage could help free up room throughout the rest of the house while also allowing for a new family area in the newly remodeled basement.

Remodeling time is also a prefect opportunity to update materials. Becoming environmentally friendly is popular and on many people’s minds today. Even during a construction project “green” material is available. Eco-friendly materials can be as simple as energy saving light bulbs placed in new lighting. Nevertheless, there are other green materials including wood that are used in construction. Research what is available and what you would like to use. Research the benefit and differences of using “green” materials. This information is important to help you decide on materials and start your supply list.

When you have an idea of everything, you want and need for the remodel it is time to start planning. Take measurements and do the research needed to find the exact elements wanted such as paint color and carpeting.

Remodeling a basement has many benefits such as providing more room to entertain family and friends. Remember to take pictures during the remodeling process. Then create a scrapbook. Finally, host a party in the new basement following completion to show off the effort. It is a perfect time to celebrate.

© Cost of Basement Remodel

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1. Cost of a Kitchen Remodel
2. Cost of Waterproofing a Basement
3. Cost of Basement Waterproofing: Basement Waterproofing Techniques

Cost of Basement Waterproofing

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:

1. Cost of Waterproofing a Basement
2. Basement Flooding Cleanup and Prevention
3. Home Foundation Leak Repair

Basement Flooding Cleanup and Prevention

So you have basement flooding cleanup issues and you aren’t sure what to do next? Don’t worry it happens to the best of us, unless of course you live in the desert. A flooded basement can cause quite a number of problems so you don’t just want to sit on this and not do anything about it. What exactly can you do about it? Let’s break it up in to two groups: prevention and cleanup.

Basement Flooding Prevention

If you think you’re in an area where your basement could get flooded (and don’t fool yourself most of us non-desert dwellers could have flood problems) then there are a few steps you should take to save yourself some frustration and expense.

First, go out and clean out those gutters you’ve been ignoring for all these months/years. Gutters are designed to move water away from your house and your foundation so when gutters get plugged up with leaves water doesn’t flow properly, causing it to drip off the side. All the water that drips off the side has to go somewhere so it leaks in to your basement by default. Cleaning out gutters is really easy and only takes an hour or so, stop being lazy and go do it.

Next, make sure your yard is landscaped so that water doesn’t pool in any areas, especially near the house. If you notice that after it rains you have puddles next to your foundation it is a great idea to go out and build up the top soil so the slope of the ground flows away from your house. This will go a long way to prevent standing water from ending up in your basement.

Then, buy some foundation waterproofing paint or have an expert put some on for you. Waterproofing paint (or drylock) goes on like regular paint but it absorbs any water in the foundation preventing it from seeping in to your basement. Don’t be stingy with it, apply a good coat and if necessary apply two coats. Basement flooding can be a major pain, so don’t find yourself in a bad spot because you didn’t want to spend $20 on another can of waterproofer.

Lastly, look in to installing a sump pump in your basement if you already don’t have one. A sump pump is a hole in the ground that collects flooded water in your basement. Once the water in the hole reaches a certain level it pumps the water out to a safe area. This can go a long way to solving any potential flooding problem you may have.

Basement Flooding Cleanup

So you may be reading this and you already have a flooded basement and you want to know what you should do. A flooded basement can cause all sorts of problems from rotted sheetrock, to damp insulation to weakened support beams so you want to take this flooding problem seriously.

First, make sure there are no electrical wires or outlets that could reach the flooded area. As you know water and electricity don’t mix so if you see any wiring coming in contact with flood damage then call a professional immediately and keep everyone away in the meantime. Don’t take chances here.

Next, get any items stored in your basement away from flooding. Fragile items and cardboard boxes can be damaged very easily by water so be sure to get them to higher ground. Even those durable items like plastic toys should be removed from the flooded area because if they are not cleaned properly mold and mildew will build up on them causing a health issue for you and your family. Also be sure to get any appliances up off the ground as well, cement blocks underneath work great in flood prone areas.

Then make sure the area is properly dried. This you may need to consult a professional on if the damage is too much to dry on your own. Professional flood contractors have fans and dehumidifiers that will dry the room out quickly and easily. Remember any water not dried out will turn to mold and mildew so you want to make sure you do it right.

Last, make sure everything is cleaned properly. Flood damage can cause a lot of health issues, not to mention unpleasant smells in your basement, so you want to make sure you clean as thoroughly as possible.

Bottom line basement flooding is a serious problem, so don’t take chances. If you can prevent it do so, but if you find yourself with a flooded basement, call a professional and breathe easy.

© Basement Flooding Cleanup and Prevention

Related posts:

1. Cost of Basement Waterproofing: Basement Waterproofing Techniques
2. Cost of Waterproofing a Basement
3. Home Foundation Leak Repair