What You Need To Do Before Waterproofing Your Basement

If your basement is wet, smells rotten, or simply feels damp, then it may be time for a basement waterproofing project. Depending on the source of your problem, you’ll have to determine if you need to waterproof the interior or exterior of your basement.

Here are three steps you should takebefore moving forward with your project.

Confirm How Water Gets In

To properly solve the problem, you should first know the cause. There’s no need to undertake a large waterproofing project unless it’s necessary. In this instance, you need to find out how the water is getting into your basement in the first place. Be sure to complete a full inspection of your home’s drainage system.

You should also confirm that the ground around your foundation is setup to move water away.As the dirt around your house shifts over time, it’s possible that the dirt around your foundation has settled into what functions as a slope that brings water towards your home instead of away from it. 

Lastly, you should look to see if there is any plants or shrubs that are too close to your home. Any greenery that’s near the foundation of your home needs to be at least one foot away and on a slope that directs water away from your house.

Fill InThe Gaps

Before investing in basement waterproofing solutions, you need to make sure that any cracks or gaps in your walls are patched up. You can patch larger cracks with epoxy filler and anything less than 1/8-inch wide with polyurethane caulk that’s made for masonry.

Apply Interior Waterproofing Solution

You may be able to complete your basement waterproofing by simply treating the inside walls of your basement. There are four ways of accomplishing this; you can use silicate-based concrete sealers,waterproofing paint, concrete waterproofing coatings, or go with plastic sheets and panels. Each of these have their own benefits and limitationsbut none of them will work if the gaps and cracks in your basement aren’t properly sealed.