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Below Grade Waterproofing - Does Your Home Require It?

Any housing contractor will tell you that the time to deal with moisture issues that could befall your basement is during the time the house is being built. The only truly effective way to keep a basement dry in a climate where there's lots of rain and seepage is by doing below grade waterproofing. It's easiest to do as the basement is poured and the exteriors of the foundation are still visible; however, you can also waterproof the exterior walls of an existing basement making that area of your home drier, healthier, and more useful. To do the job after the fact is going to take a lot more work and cost considerably more, but it will be worth the added effort to have twice as much livable space in your home.

You've probably heard of waterproofing paints, and you may have even thought you've stopped the problem by using them. Unfortunately, while interior paints can block seepage into your basement, they still leave the foundation wall itself vulnerable to the negative effects of water damage. Water will still be able to seep into every pore, crack, and crevice in the concrete, undermining the integrity of your foundation. Therefore, it only makes sense that you need to waterproof your walls from the outside so that no water can infiltrate them. Although this isn't easy after the house is already built, there are firms which specialize in just such projects.

Below Grade Waterproofing - Before You Hire A Professional

The good news is that there are a few things you can try before going to all the expense of hiring excavators. These include banking soil against your foundation to allow for better water drainage away from your home, adding gutters to your house that are large enough to move water away from the foundation, and building in a sump pump. However, if these measures don't do the trick, then you'll have to hire someone to help you. They will need to dig a trench all around your house, coat the foundation with special waterproofing materials, and lay tile in the trench to handle excess water. You can imagine that all of this is going to cost you several thousand dollars, but it will help maintain the solidity of the foundation your home is resting upon.

Below grade waterproofing is a must in many areas, because water tables are often high enough to cause serious basement flooding. By taking preventive measures now, you could be saving yourself a great deal of grief in later years.