Waterproofing your basement walls is one sure way to keep water leakage and moisture at bay. By sorting out all the places that need waterproofing on both the inside and outside parts of a wall, you will be making a big step to protecting your basement and the properties therein. Regular double-checking of your home precincts keeps you in the loop with regard to the sloping behavior of the earth to or from your home foundation. The addition of dirt at the foundation can also alleviate a situation where the earth seems to slope toward your home foundation. Cleared gutters and downspouts can also play a part as well in keeping your basement safe.
Moving into a new home?
After moving to a new home, you need to take a walk around the house to observe the drainage system installed at the footing level. The sloping needs to be good enough to perfectly direct water away from the home. At times, it may require you to backfill the trench if you see the need to do so. The application of waterproof membranes helps keep the foundation safe and intact. Waterproofing it reduces the level of moisture buildup, which ends up damaging your basement if not controlled. All the same, you may choose to dig up a drainage ditch at your home and install waterproof materials or membranes.
Waterproofing inside
Concrete waterproofing material more often than not penetrates up to 10 inches through the previous concrete of a wall (untreated). The materials are suitable for inside waterproofing as their core functionality aims at reducing the amount of moisture in the basement especially in places with high humidity. Penetration of the concrete material leads to its expansion hence sealing all the concrete pores and eliminating the possibility of water infiltration. Thought it works from the inside effectively, you can still apply it on the outside walls of the basement.
Drain lines
The concrete material will effectively block and prevent water from moving through the walls. However, hydrostatic pressure resulting from the groundwater constantly pushes against your home foundation making your basement vulnerable. Unfortunately, the concrete material is not enough to handle this problem. For this particular case, you will require well-installed drain lines throughout your home perimeter. It helps alleviate the level of hydrostatic pressure. French drain among others will trap water from heavy rain and direct it to the street’s drainage system. This leaves your home foundation free from water and protects your basement from leakages.
What about floods?
During floods, you need to create some time to clean up your home and direct water away from the foundation. Basements particularly need cleaning in this event. If the basement has window, open them to let in fresh air that will clear moisture from it. Some basements do not have windows and therefore, fans do a great job in drying them and reducing moisture build-up. As you clean the basement and dry it, ensure that all the electricity is off. Use flashlights to locate parts of the wall that may have cracks and repair them before the damage spreads.
All in all, waterproofing in Toronto requires consistent efforts and an occasional monitoring of the basement and foundation of your home. The sooner you notice a problem, the easier it will be to take appropriate action early enough to correct it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]