You are the homeowner and must ensure that your home is safe for your family and protected from all sorts of mishaps. You’re not a basement expert and thus may not know when there’s a problem or even the appropriate approach once it happens. In the worst case, if you detect that your basement has a problem, then it could mean the damage is severe, and there are health and financial risks associated with it.
That said, it’s obvious that you need an expert to help determine potential concerns and give the best waterproofing solution.
Here are a few nuggets when choosing basement waterproofing
Water infiltration problems
Firstly, you have to find out if you have water infiltration problems which have led to damage. Some of the signs you need to look out for are puddles on the basement floor, some white chalky substance appearing on the walls, bowing walls, damp spots, funny odor- all these are signs that you need basement waterproofing. These problems are better handled when discovered early enough, and thus you need regular inspection, especially after a hard-rain season. If your floors and foundation walls are covered, you’ll have to remove carpeting or paneling to see if there is the presence of mold or moisture.
Once you discover some leakage on your foundation, you don’t have to panic; underground hydrostatic pressure could be the cause. Just call in a reputable basement waterproofing company. That way, you’ll be sure of a perfect and lasting solution.
The best basement waterproofing options
When doing basement waterproofing, you have three options to choose from; a long-term repair, quick fix, or a combination of both. The option you choose will depend on the type of problem you have. Are there condensation issues, leaking windows or wells, clogged sewer lines, mold and mildew growth, and such?
Quick fix issues will cost you several hundred dollars and can be completed quickly. These are crack injections using hydraulic cement, sump pump replacement, and waterproofing paint or primer.
For serious waterproofing breaches, you may need long-term repairs, and these could cost you in the thousands of dollars. These repairs could also take weeks or a month to be completed. These include; interior drain installation, French drain repair, and drain cleaning and repair.
Home disruption
Many of the basement waterproofing systems experts use less invasive methods. With vertical wall cracks, for example, they will dig a hole the size of a bucket to access and use cameras to inspect issues of clogging. That reduces the tearing up the entire pipe.
However, some complicated repairs can only be rectified through excavation. But before you allow for such, let the expert explain to you the extent to which they will go concerning the repair. Are there services like water, electricity that are likely to be disrupted? That will allow you to plan and make necessary arrangements to minimize disruption.
When considering waterproofing, you must get an expert to help you do regular maintenance and/or inspections. That will ensure any problems are identified earlier and cured.