Blog

Many Montreal homeowners use springtime to start planning basement finishing or renovation projects.  Depending on the scope of your undertaking and budget, it can be well worth it to expand your living space and increase the value of your property.  However if you don’t include making sure your basement is waterproof first, you might encounter major costs later.  Having water ruin your newly finished drywall, panelling, carpets or flooring would be a nightmare scenario.  You have to make sure your basement won’t be damaged by a leak in your foundation.

Many older home in Montreal and the surrounding area were built before basements were intended to be living spaces.  Springtime renovation projects often involve replacing older windows especially if there has been any leakage problems during the thaw.  Moisture and even water leakage has been expected in basement windows because they eventually wear out and cannot keep the elements at bay.  Long-time leaking can also cause damage or rotting of the window frame leading to replacing the whole structure.  Small problems with window leaks can lead to a much bigger issue with moisture build up

The saying “Good fences make good neighbours” shouldn’t prevent you from having good relationships with your neighbours.  Building a good sense of community with the people in your Montreal neighbourhood can foster a good working relationship when heavy rains or thaws cause flooded yards or damage lawns.  A good relationship also makes difficult conversations if you think the potential source of the problem with your home is their property.  If you can’t find exactly what is causing water to be in your basement, it might be that something in your neighbour’s yard is the culprit.

The spring sunshine and warmer temperatures enable us to take a look around the perimeter of our homes to check for any water leakage issues.  Making sure your basement stays dry by waterproofing your foundation can be a good, proactive step to a carefree summer.  If you don’t protect it now, you may find that summer storm will include leaking or flooding in your basement, causing you worry and expense.  Here’s a list of places you should examine on your home inspection:

While spring has been late in arriving this year, it has finally come to Montreal!  Spring weather also brings out the list of home maintenance chores to be tacked including checking your basement to make sure it stays dry.  Leaks and unhealthy mold can cause serious property damage.  With temperatures outside fluctuating, internal temperature controls are adjusted frequently and humidity levels change along with them.  Spring time warmth and melting snow brings increased moisture into the air and into your home, especially into your basement where humidity levels tend to be high.  You migh

House inspections have become the norm for people buying a resale home and your real estate agent will likely recommend it. Older homes in particular need a close examination to make sure you don’t have extra costs down the line. You might even be able to negotiate a better price for your home if you know it’s going to take extra steps to ensure you don’t have future water problems in the basement.

The eavestrough on your home plays an important role in collecting and diverting rainwater or thaw water off your roof and down to the ground around your home. Most Montreal homes have these common features but don’t quite understand the purpose or process they play in protecting your home from basement leaks.  The troughs along the eaves of your home collect the water from the roof and direct it to a downspout which empties out at the base. 

Heavy rains are common in Montreal and can cause the soil surrounding your home to become saturated.  Lush front or back yard lawns need regular irrigation and also contributes to the saturation of the soil on your property.  When your soil is saturated it can cause erosion and shifting of your home’s foundation.  Structural instability of your foundation causes cracks which lead to basement leaks.  One method of avoiding this problem is to have a weeping tile system. 

When you first purchased your Montreal home you may have planned to expand your living space by finishing the basement. To avoid extra costs and major problems in the future, you need to carefully examine the foundation of your home. You can see the history of your home in the exposed foundation. If you see small cracks in the foundation and think they are harmless you should think again especially if you have not lived in the home through any extreme weather conditions. Heavy rains, rapid thawing and burst water lines can severely blood a basement that is not waterproof.