Here’s the situation: there is mold and mildew growing on the walls and ceiling of your basement, causing everything to be stained and leaving that awful musty basement odor. It doesn’t take much to be sure that you have issues with water leaking into your basement.
Without a doubt, there are other obvious ways to determine if you need to waterproof your basement. Look around. Do you see peeling paint on the walls? Well, there you go, your basement obviously has moisture issues.
Signs of problems.
Do you see water stains on the walls? If you see damp areas on the walls, then you know that water has leaked in and has been absorbed by the walls. Left untreated you should expect to see mold growing soon. There are some simple DIY tips that you can do yourself for waterproofing basement walls.
Next, take a look at the appliances and other metal objects in the basement. Are they rusty? Look too for an unusual white substance on the basement walls.
If you have wooden furniture or baseboards or paneling, you may see dry rot black fungus. Another sign that you have water or moisture problems are cracks forming in the concrete walls.
Why waterproofing is serious business
After spending so much on a home, there’s nothing worse than losing value due to a damp basement. Did you know, homeowners may lose up to thirty percent of the sale price when they try to sell a home with a leaking basement. Today’s potential home buyers have lots of houses to select from, so they most likely will pass on a home with a leaky foundation. With all of these options they can afford to be selective.
If you don’t see dampness indicators on the walls or water on the floor, if you smell the musty odor then you can expect moisture and mildew. Take care of the problem quickly and repair the damage before you have major foundation issues.
When some home owners hear that they have basement leakage, their first instinct is to remodel the whole house. Maybe so, but until you fix the leakage there’s no reason to redo the entire house. Fix from the bottom up; where the issue started in the first place.
Even if you have no flooding problems or see moisture, it’s still a good idea to seal the basement before you consider any other home remodeling jobs on your house. An independent home inspector can help you locate future problems.
A few helpful hints
To feel comfortable and happy in your basement, you must have the right insulation. Keep your basement secure from cold air and dampness by properly insulating it.
The ground and basement stay cool year round. When warm air hits the cool basement walls then moisture will form as condensed liquid.
From there you’ll find mold and mildew growing inside your basement. With the right insulation, the warm air will be separated from the cooler surfaces of the floors and walls and keep the moisture problems from growing.
What can you find at the home improvement store?
You can find high quality waterproofing concrete sealers on the market now days. There are some developed for new concrete and others for water problems or for older concrete. Most are non-toxic and are easy to spray onto the concrete with a spray gun.
Environmentally conscious, these new products do not have VOCs or solvents and are quick drying and water based. Most have no bad smells and are easy to clean up with tap water.
If you require a good waterproofing basement guide, then by all means do your research and locate the finest quality products available for the best results. If you require help, then find a specialist or contractor to help you. However you decide to do the job, remember that your home and health are important and at risk whenever your basement has water problems.