Tips On Waterproofing

Picture this: molds and mildew cramp your basement walls and ceilings, discoloring everything and giving off that unmistakable musty stink. With only these signs, you can be certain that you do have major waterproofing problems.

Of course, there are many other signs that will tell you to waterproof your basement. Peeling paint is one obvious clue that there are moisture problems in the room.

Other signs

Do you have damp spots on the walls? Water had seeped through and had been absorbed by your walls. Expect molds and other growth to follow.

Are your appliances and some metal furniture rusting fast in your basement? Is there a strange white substance decorating your basement walls without your permission?

Did you notice the dry rot black fungus attacking the wooden surfaces of everything inside your basement? When did you last check those cracks in your concrete walls?

Importance of waterproofing

The biggest reason for waterproofing is that a wet cellar can drastically cut down the value of your home by as much as 30% of the total sale price. Recent studies have shown that prospective home buyers do not even care to take a second look at houses with water leakage problems.

Even if there are no obvious signs of dampness or water flooding, it is still a good policy to look into the problem (potential or simply unseen and unnoticed) and solve them right away.

The first impulse for home sellers is to remodel their houses. Well and good, but the first place to start in the remodeling process is the basement before doing anything anywhere else in the house.

If you have no flooding problems or dampness, it is still best to solve this future trouble completely before even thinking of any remodeling jobs done to your place. An independent home inspector can help you identify potential problems.

Some pointers

For a comfortable, dry basement it is critical to have proper insulation. This insulating safeguard not only keeps out the cold, it also prevents condensation.

All year round, the ground stays cool as well as the basement walls. When warmer air comes in contact with the cool walls, some moisture is captured and becomes condensed liquid.

This liquefied moisture then encourages the growth of mold and mildew inside your basement. Proper insulation separates the warm air of the room from the cool surfaces (walls and floor), thus preventing condensation and creating moisture problems.

New products

In the market today are very good commercial waterproofing concrete sealers. Some are formulated for new concrete and others are for water problems or for use in old concrete.

These products are simply sprayed onto the concrete with a garden-type pump sprayer. The new brands are non-toxic, non-hazardous, and non-flammable.

They do not have VOCs (we used to call them solvents) and are fast-drying, water-based sealers. They do not even have unpleasant smells, and cleaning is simply using tap water.

Last words

As in all cases, never scrimp on costs and suffer in the end with less-than-ideal results in your waterproofing job. If you intend to keep your house, your health is at stake. If you are selling, the price goes down considerably.