Basement Waterproofing
Get
Ready For Rain
By Mark Jansen
The noises - a trickle, a drip-drop, or heavy rush or splash. Ahh, the sun is
gone, rainy days are here! Roofs, gutters, and downspouts function in harmony to
keep us safe and dry during a downpour. Rainwater rolls down our roofs; much
like it does down the mountains. It is then collected in gutters before they are
channelled into downspouts like waterfalls. All of these show what roofing and
waterproofing is all about.
1. More Protection
Waterproofing is more than just channelling the water away from our roofs.
It extensively prevents water from entering the house through a substance
application specifically designed for waterproofing.
2. The Concept
Basically, to ensure basement waterproofing, one has to take two steps. The
first step is to mount a very reliable drainage system. This is because if your
drainage system becomes clogged with leaves or simply can not handle the amount
of water capacity, water will accumulate instead of being neatly cyphoned away.
Of course, even with the best gutter and roof, water still penetrates the
ground naturally when it rains, because not all rain will fall on your house,
some will fall around it, perhaps on your front or back yard, or your neighbors
yard.
Either way, if too much water is retained in the ground, the possibility of
water entering your basement exists, and the only solution is to have your
basement waterproofed.
3. Never Again - Find The Source!
Before you do basement waterproofing, it is a must that you find the cause
of leakage first
- Is there a crack in the wall?
- Was the house built with weak structures?
- Are waters outside flooding and causing too much pressure?
In order to detect any of these problems, inspect your house thoroughly.
Usually, water will penetrate on areas where there are cracks, usually on the
floor or walls of the basement area. Do all of these things before you apply
basement waterproofing.
The unfortunate part is that in order to actually apply a coat of
waterproofing, you have to dig at least six feet right next to the wall. The
waterproofing mixture must be applied directly to the outside of the basement
wall - it can't just be poured on the ground next to your basement! This is an
extremely physical task and so in all honesty you should hire a handyman or
better still, contact a service to do this for you. The service will come with
the added benefit of providing you with a warranty for services offered that
guarantees you won't experience the problem again for a set amount of time.
For more great basement waterproofing related articles and
resources check out
http://www.waterproofing-advisor.com