Basement Waterproofing - Get Ready For Rain
The noises - a trickle, a drip-drop, or heavy rush or splash.
Ahh, the sun is gone, rainy days are here! Roofs, gutters, and
downspouts function in harmony to keep us safe and dry during a
downpour. Rainwater rolls down our roofs; much like it does down
the mountains. It is then collected in gutters before they are
channelled into downspouts like waterfalls. All of these show
what roofing and waterproofing is all about.
1. More Protection
Waterproofing is more than just channelling the water away from
our roofs. It extensively prevents water from entering the house
through a substance application specifically designed for
waterproofing.
2. The Concept
Basically, to ensure basement waterproofing, one has to take two
steps. The first step is to mount a very reliable drainage
system. This is because if your drainage system becomes clogged
with leaves or simply can not handle the amount of water
capacity, water will accumulate instead of being neatly cyphoned
away.
Of course, even with the best gutter and roof, water still
penetrates the ground naturally when it rains, because not all
rain will fall on your house, some will fall around it, perhaps
on your front or back yard, or your neighbors yard.
Either way, if too much water is retained in the ground, the
possibility of water entering your basement exists, and the only
solution is to have your basement waterproofed.
3. Never Again - Find The Source!
Before you do basement waterproofing, it is a must that you find
the cause of leakage first
- Is there a crack in the wall? - Was the house built with weak
structures? - Are waters outside flooding and causing too much
pressure?
In order to detect any of these problems, inspect your house
thoroughly. Usually, water will penetrate on areas where there
are cracks, usually on the floor or walls of the basement area.
Do all of these things before you apply basement waterproofing.
The unfortunate part is that in order to actually apply a coat
of waterproofing, you have to dig at least six feet right next
to the wall. The waterproofing mixture must be applied directly
to the outside of the basement wall - it can't just be poured on
the ground next to your basement! This is an extremely physical
task and so in all honesty you should hire a handyman or better
still, contact a service to do this for you. The service will
come with the added benefit of providing you with a warranty for
services offered that guarantees you won't experience the
problem again for a set amount of time.