Moisture is present in the outside environment around your home, within the soil, and in the air of your home. To tackle a basement moisture problem, it is important to understand what can create a moisture problem and where your problem originates from so you can completely eliminate any potential for present and future leaks. Here are some options to help you take care of a basement moisture problem within your home and protect your home from the damage that comes with a basement moisture problem.

Take a Look at Your Home's Drainage

The outside of your home is a big determining factor in the potential for moisture leaks, as the soil slope, gutter drainage, and any existing cracks in your home's foundation to all lead to a problem with moisture. But the first line of defense can often be the best, so make sure water drains away from your home foundation.

Inspect your gutter drainage to make sure it flows off your roof and onto a site that is not directly next to your home's foundation. If you need help in determining the quality of your gutter drainage and to look for any potential problems, consult with a waterproof specialist to look for any underlying problems. Your local home roofer or inspector can also provide some insight into your home's specific drainage pattern.

If water is allowed to collect around your foundation, it will seep into any small cracks in the walls of your basement. Too much water present in the soil surrounding your foundation can also create cracks in the foundation and widen existing tiny cracks to make the moisture problem in your basement much worse.

Install Interior Protection

An interior moisture protection barrier is one of the more common approaches to keep your basement dry. With a basement waterproof treatment, the inside of your basement is treated with a concrete sealant that bonds with the concrete surface to create an impermeable barrier to keep moisture out. This type of sealant is permanent and will continue to provide protection to your basement space.

You can also treat the individual cracks in your foundation walls with an epoxy that is injected within the crack voids where moisture is coming in through. Your waterproof professional will inject the epoxy filler into the cracks, and if the cracks move at all in the future, the epoxy will flex and keep its form if the concrete expands and contracts.

To learn more, contact a resource like The Dwyer Company.

Share