No one wants to find water or moisture in the basement of their home. When you find water where it shouldn’t be you have to fix it and fix it quickly. The best way to avoid the problem in the first place is to waterproof the foundation of your home. You can be motivated to act before you have a problem by three basic reasons: you want to protect the value of the furnishings in your basement as well as the items you store there; you want to protect the health of your family; and finally it’s just common sense.
Many people use their basements for extra living space, entertainment areas or exercise and all the equipment that goes along with those activities. Most people find that their extra belongings migrate to the basement where there is storage space. If unwanted water or moisture has entered your basement you risk damage to your finished basement fixtures, equipment, personal effects stored there. If you are trying to sell your home, water or evidence of past leaks can cause a buyer to turn away or demand a lower price to close the sale. Certainly waterproofing your foundation is a precaution well worth the effort whether you do it when your home is newly built or when you are renovating.
The health of your family can be impacted by the presence of moulds, mildew, bacteria or fungi which can develop in a damp basement. Government studies have shown that respiratory difficulties are common in the people who live in homes with excess dampness or mould and that when those conditions are remedied, people’s health improves. Evidence of a serious problem with these health risks can be as simple as noticing an increased level of humidity, smelling something “off”, or seeing a salty looking powder on your walls or floor. Getting to the root of the trouble by identifying and correcting the leak is a good solution.
Let’s face it, if you’ve had water in your basement or excess moisture it is finding a way in and it needs to be fixed. Even if you believe extreme or unusual weather conditions caused the leak, the fact that it got into your home is evidence that there is crack or void somewhere in your foundation. Common sense tells you that if it has happened once, it will happen again. After mopping up your next step should be to call professional waterproofing experts. They will use advanced technological measures to identify the problems and recommend the solutions. You just need to call.