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Basement Waterproofing Paint

A wet basement is far more than the annoyance it seems to be. If water continues to seep through the walls, it can undermine the foundation of your house and cause it to collapse. In addition, even a little moisture can keep you from using the area as much-needed family space, and the musty air and mold and mildew spores can seep into the entire house leaving you with a very unhealthy living environment.

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Dampness and leaks in the basement can also cause your home's value to decrease in, because let's face it, who's going to want to buy the problems? Although basement water can be caused by many things, it often seeps in through minute pores in the walls and floor. In cases like those, you need to apply a good coat of basement waterproofing paint.

Some experts will advise you to have your foundation dug up so that you can apply waterproofing paint to the exterior. After all, keeping the water out of the walls altogether is the best way of stopping water damage. This is an extremely expensive procedure, though, and many people just don't have that kind of extra cash lying around. The next best thing, then, is to paint the interior walls with a paint that has been specially formulated to plug the holes and cracks and prevent water from coming in. There are a number of good waterproofing paints on the market for you to choose from.

Once you've selected the paint you want to use, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions explicitly. Clean the walls thoroughly with a wire brush to remove dirt, debris, loose paint, and crumbling mortar. You want to create a good, solid surface to spread the paint on, and you want to make sure that all fissures in the walls are free of debris so that the paint can get down into and plug them. The manufacturer will tell you how thick the paint needs to be. If you get it too thin, it won't keep the water out. If your coat is too thick, not only will you go through a fortune's worth of paint, but it will also take it a long, long time to dry and harden.