Spring is here and with it comes the rain! I am sure if you have a basement and have had problems with water before they are sure to show up again now. Many believe that they have to live with water penetration in there basement, this simply is not true. For years now basement remodeling has been a popular way to add space to ones home and if water could not be stopped this simply would not be possible. Even the smallest amount of moisture will ruin drywall,clothing,or almost anything if left alone long enough. With that being said lets take a look at the best ways to stop your water problems forever!
The first thing you will need to do is walk around your basement and check for areas of penetration. This includes any place that are damp,moldy,or even just plain wet. Mark these areas and any places of past water penetration on a diagram of your home for future use. Once you are sure you have everything checked and laid out properly on your diagram it is time to go outside.
Once outside take a walk around the perimeter of your home looking for any clogged,bent,or otherwise non functioning rain gutters. If you find any problems in this area be sure to get them fixed before anything else. The number one cause of water problems in the home is from improper water removal outside the home. If you do not find any problems with your gutters we can move on to the next check.
Remaining outside you need to look for any gradients in your landscaping that slope towards the home. The best places to check first are the areas on your diagram that showed problems in the basement. Also look at any structures near the home such as a deck. If these are sloping in any way towards your foundation they will need to at the least have a run off system installed. These run off systems will consist of french drains in any areas that have water pooling and a gutter system on the area of the deck that is sloped towards the home.
Before you go about installing hundreds of dollars worth of drains and gutters though there are simpler options to try. The first is raising the grade of your landscaping to slope it away from the home. This can also be tried with your deck and is the best option in this case as well. While this is generally a cheap option it will be back breaking for sure!
If you have done all of this and still have issues with moisture in the basement then you will have to attack it from there. A sump pump can be installed along with a channel along the walls to direct water to the pump. This is usually a job best left to specialists though as some heavy machinery is needed. When they install the pump make sure it has a battery back up and that the water is not just being pumped to the outside of your home and draining right back to the basement.
The last step you may take is sealing of all cracks and chips with some epoxy putty and a water sealer. Both of these products are available at your local hardware store or online. When using them be sure to keep the area clean and dry for proper application. Also be sure to have the basement well ventilated for a few hours at the least.
If you have followed these steps to proper water removal then your basement should be “high and dry” so to speak. If you continue to have problems after trying these remedies you will need to contact a specialist. You may have bigger issues such as underground springs or such to deal with. Good luck in your home improvement!