Basement Waterproofing Techniques That Really Work

!: Basement Waterproofing Techniques That Really Work

Having dampness or water in your basement can be a real problem and a difficult one to conquer. Unfortunately, there are numerous reasons why a basement is wet, and the culprit in your own home will seldom be the result of only one of these problems. You may be dealing with several challenges when you tackle the water problems in your basement. However, as long as you're acquainted with the various basement waterproofing techniques that are available to help you, you should eventually be successful in your endeavor.

One of the most common methods of waterproofing a basement is the installation of a sump pump. These little machines are installed in a pit in your basement floor and eliminate groundwater coming up into your basement. If you need to install the entire pit, this can be a time-consuming project. If you're lucky, your home was constructed with a pit already roughed in just in case. If not, you're going to have to dig a hole in the floor and install a formed-plastic pit so that you'll have a place to house your sump pump. Some of the sump pumps that are available on the market today have back-up batteries which will help keep your basement dry should the power go out. These little pumps do an excellent job of directing water away from your basement.

Your wetness problems may not be as simple as just installing a sump pump, however. Instead, you may have water seeping in through basement walls. There are a number of products available that you can use to paint your walls which will block the cracks and holes that are allowing the water to seep in. In more extreme cases, you may actually have to excavate around the outside of your foundation so that you can paint the exterior of the walls with a waterproof coating, too.

Instead of painting walls, there are felt and fabric products available that you can glue on your walls as barriers to water seeping in. Although this process works quite well, it is very expensive to have done, and if it should spring a leak later on, it can be very difficult to find.