When it comes to doing home maintenance, waterproofing your basement should be a top priorities. You would think that since the basement is cut off from the outside, it wouldn’t be affected by moisture. Sadly, this is far from the case.
In fact, your basement is extremely vulnerable to water, which greatly increases the risk of mold growth. To combat this, you need to make your basement waterproof. Here’s how to do it.
Inspect the Area
Before you can waterproof your home, you or a professional needs to perform a thorough inspection of the area. This includes checking for things like cracks, holes or any other kind of opening.
Through these openings, water can seep in. Even if it’s just a small amount, water can still cause a lot of damage, so you need to cover the openings quickly. Covering these openings is actually very easy. You can use caulk, cement or a sealant to close them.
Invest in a Drainage Mat
To further waterproof your basement, you might want to consider investing in a drainage mat. A drainage mat is a special product that’s made up of a nylon filament core.
Basically, it is used to balance water flow and reduce excess moisture. To give you a little more insight, drainage mats are used to separate itself from your walls to safely allow water to reach a drain.
Source: ShutterstockUse Sealant
We briefly mentioned sealant as a way to close up any unwanted openings. However, that’s not all it’s used for. Sealants are also used on your wall’s exterior, boosting your protection.
There are many types of sealants used to keep moisture out. Some of the most commonly used sealants include cement sealant, acrylic resin, adhesive sealants and butyl rubber.
What You Shouldn’t Do When Waterproofing Your Basement
There are many things you can do when waterproofing your basement, but there also just as many things you should not do. For starters, you should never attempt to use plastic. It might keep the moisture at bay temporarily, but it will eventually break. Not to mention, mold can grow on plastic if the moisture is allowed to fester.
You should also never use limestone instead of gravel. Limestone drastically lowers the effectiveness of drainage and could potentially cause clogs. Finally, never use tar as a way to seal off openings. Over time, it will begin to weaken, which will allow the moisture to break through.
Adding moisture into an already damp basement can cause catastrophic damage to your home. Take the time to waterproof your basement now to ward off expensive damages down the road.
