Fixing Wet Basement Problems

Have you noticed that your basement is emitting heavy, damp smell? Or, are there some puddles of water in there after rain? Maybe some wet spots on the wall have caught your attention? If your answer is positive, then you need to make haste, and take measures, for you have a serious issue, for wet basement can gravely jeopardize your home, and health of your family. Here are few advices on how to find a solution for this situation. Most important fact is that you act fast to solve your wet basement problems.

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Water can penetrate through several ways, and can have natural or artificial nature. If soil nearby your house is soaked with water, it can penetrate through unsealed blocks or floor, causing heavy damage to your basement. This damage can be repaired, although the price is very high, but more troubling aspect is that the foundation of your house will be weakened, which will lead to cracks in the walls, or ever ruination of part of the house, and this is far more expensive, and can be life-threatening. Also, water can come through unsealed windows during heavy rains, sleek or snow melts, or some cracked pipe can be the cause. It is crucial to spot the problem as soon as possible, and act according to this.

From the outside

First type of solution is applied if you have wet soil around your house. Drying out ground in your vicinity is well-advised, in order to reduce the amount of water within the soil itself. There are several systems on how to conduct water away from your house. Installing a system of pipes that will lead water away from your house is a good choice, but it requires professional help, and very often, an excavator. In addition, you can add a few layers of polyethylene membrane around your house, but in order to do so, you must fig around your house to coat part of the house that is in touch with the soil, in order to prevent water to go through basement walls. On the other hand, if cause of extra water is coming from the above, or from the roof to be specific, installing gutters is something that you must do. Those installations are easy to obtain, and will take out the water away from your house during rain, but can be issue if left unattended, for leaves and dirt can easily clog the pipes. In addition, installing an underground gutter is also an option.

From the inside

There are several solutions on keeping the water out of your basement that are applied from within the basement itself. The most common advice is to install a dehumidifier, but this solution is only temporary. In longer terms, you will also have to face higher energy costs, something that can take a lot more money than it seems. On the other hand, if you have minor moisture problems, for example, only a few months a year, then this would be a good solution for you. If not, some digging is required, in order to be safe from water coming in. Dig out few inches deep canal around your basement, near the walls, and install perforated pipes inside the canal. Extra space that was left, fill up with crushed stone or pebbles, in order to leave space for water to flow to the collector, in this case, pipes. This so-called “French system” must be connected to the other one that will lead water out of the house. Depending on the amount of water, it may require another canal across the floor, or just near the walls. When everything is set up, seal it with concrete, in order to make it invisible. In addition, if you notice a single spot of moist on your wall, then the problem are leaked water pipes. This problem can be solved by a plumber, if you are less keen on tackling it on your own, or you can take action by yourself. You must perforate a hole in the wall, in order to get to the pipes. Be careful though not to damage pipes in the process. When you have found the leaking spot, take needed fixings, and seal the wall back again.

So, everything said considered, it is of utmost importance to spot the problem early on, in order to lower the cost of the repairs that can appear later. Concerning health of your family, this kind of problem is driving us to be even quicker, for wet surroundings can cause serious respiratory system problems, and many more.

Damian Wolf is a writer and passionate DIY hobbyist. He loves to write about his own DIY projects, and about all interesting topics in home improvement. Damian is also a tools collector, who mostly uses Gasweld online tools to add another tool piece into his collection.