In this Post
-Tips for Waterproofing Your Basement
–Signs Your Basement Needs Waterproofing
The basement is one of the most important parts of your home. You can increase its functionality and usability by properly organising and maintaining it. There are a number of ways you can make the most of your basement space. For instance, you can turn it into a gym, workspace, laundry or maybe a big lounge. Since basement spaces are built underground and usually have a lot of draining and clean water pipes running all around it, they are more susceptible to water damage than any other part of the house. Moreover, rainwater and flooding streets also pose a big threat in this regard. So, to help you cope up with this challenge, we’ll be discussing some of the best DIY ways to waterproof your basement in this blog.
Let’s begin!
How to Waterproof Your Basement: Best DIY Ways to Follow
Here are some of the most useful tips to waterproof your basement before it shows any signs of water leaks or damage.
- Create Sloppy Foundation Around Basement
- Waterproof Walls
- Repair Leaks In Water Pipes
- Check for Clogged Drains
- Keep Humidity at Bay
Create a Sloppy Foundation Around Your Basement
Building a foundation that slopes away from your home, instead of inclining towards it is one of the best ways to keep water from entering your basement space. However, this should be a part of your construction plan but in case you didn’t think about it at that time, you can always make it a part of your home renovation or remodeling project. In case, you are planning to undertake a remodelling project, here are some key ways to prepare your home for it.
Waterproof Walls
One of the most important tips to waterproof your basement is to patch the leaks in your foundation, which are usually caused by cracks that sometimes appear in concrete or brick walls, which allow moisture to seep in from the outside, resulting in gradual water damage. However, the best way to prevent water from seeping in is to apply hydraulic cement, which quickly sets and hardens, putting a cap on the liquid coming through the walls. Before applying the cement, you need to first clean the surface of the foundation.
Pro Tip: Once you mix the hydraulic cement, it can only be used for about 10 to 15 minutes, so be sure you’re ready to use it before it hardens and becomes useless.
The presence of any particles of dirt, dust or oil will hinder the process of cement bonding. Wire brushes also work well in this regard. Once you get rid of all the loose particles stuck on the foundation, you can begin with the process of cement application to prevent water damage to your basement walls.
Repair Leaks in Water Pipes
Leaking water pipes is one of the major causes of water damages in your home, which is why it is very important for you to identify and fix them when carrying out your DIY home improvement project. Being surrounded by draining and clean water pipes, your basement space is always prone to damages caused by plumbing leaks. So, make sure all the water connections in your house, especially near your basement area are in good shape. You should also have a water pump in your house as a part of your contingency plan. Since basement spaces are underground and if they get filled with water due to the leaking pipes it may be impossible for you to take it out without having a water pump.
Check for Clogged Drains
Sometimes water damage to your basement walls is also caused by clogged drains. If you see any signs of seepage in your basement, immediately check the drainage system in your home, find out whether it’s in the working condition or have clogged. Bring it back in running condition as soon as possible to avoid any further water damage. Maintaining a clean and running drainage system in your home is one of the best DIY ways to waterproof your basement and keep its walls and floor in good condition.
Pro Tip: To prevent water damage to your basement walls and other leaking problems, you need to direct the water away from your house. Gutters can be very useful in this regard. Gutters can catch rainwater and then whisk it away with the help of downspouts. In case, your house doesn’t have gutters, consider installing them. It will help you in waterproofing your basement.
Keep Humidity at Bay
Since basements are built underground, you’ll never get to experience much ventilation and sunlight there. As a result of which, if humidity makes way into your basement space, it stays there for a long time. Condensation and humidity can make your basement space damp. It occurs when water from the cold pipes reacts to the warm air around it causing humidity. So, one of the most useful tips to waterproof your basement is to keep humidity at bay. To do so, you need to make use of insulating material to cover up all the pipes running through your basement walls.
Signs Your Basement Needs Waterproofing
Some of the key signs your basement needs waterproofing have been listed as under:
- Presence of Mold or Mildew: This can be a result of excess moisture in the air, even if there is no standing water in your basement. As mentioned before, basements are underground and have a lack of ventilation, which is why humidity stays there longer than any other part of your home. However, mold can pose serious health risks if left unaddressed.
- Paint: One of the biggest signs your basement needs waterproofing is when the pain starts to peel off the walls. Including excess dampness, there may be plenty of other reasons causing it such as the wrong choice of paint or that the surface coated in the paint may not be properly waterproofed. This calls for your attention.
- Leaking Walls: When your basement walls show the signs of leaks and formation of damp spots and condensation. This means the pipes behind the concrete have started leaking, or it can also be through the seepage of water through the soil outside the walls, which is why our point was based on building sloping foundations around your basement area.
- Formation of Fungus: Often known as dry rot, it is a blackish-brown fungus that usually forms as a byproduct of the decaying process, which grows on wood. It can appear on any wooden surface as a result of leaks and excessive moisture.
- Flooding or Standing Water: If your property is located in an area where the groundwater table remains high, water could find its way into your basement if its walls have faults or that its floor hadn’t been properly waterproofed. If your basement is affected by regular flooding, then it could be a result of any possible plumbing leaks or draining issues.
Now that you know how to waterproof your basement and how to fix seepage and water damage in it using some really handy DIY ways, it’s time for us to wrap up this blog. Well, if you know about some more useful ways to waterproof your basement, then don’t hesitate in sharing them with us at blog@zameen.com. Your feedback means a lot to us.
Meanwhile, you may also be interested in reading about ways to waterproof your home and DIY plumbing hacks. Here are a few necessary tools for your home, which will help you carry out some easy DIY home renovation tasks to decorate your place.
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