Do-it-yourself Waterproofing Tips
So what’s next after a heavy rain and your basement is flooded with water? The good news is surface water, wall seepage or back-flow from sewer lines typically causes little to no structural damage to your basement or foundation. The water inside the basement braces the walls against the pressure of outside water and waterlogged soil.
1. Drain water out of a the basement
Wait to drain out basement water until the water level outside the home has decreased and a majority of it is gone. This will prevent the basement walls from pushing in or buckling and prevent the basement floor from heaving. If there is a large amount of water in the basement or if there is no basement drain, you may need to buy or rent a sump pump to get rid of the standing water.
If your electrical panel is located in an area of your home that has been flooded, you will be unable to use an electric sump pump, unless you use a pump driven by a 12-volt auto battery. Stop pumping when the two water levels become equal. Pump the basement water out at the same rate at which the flood waters recede. This will keep the integrity of your foundational structure in-tacked.
2. Clean up and remove debris
Once you have drained the basement water you can being the process of cleaning your basement. Remove the silt and dirt residue from the basement walls with a high-pressure hose. Next, using a shovel collect all the mud and debris off the basement floors to encourage your basement to dry out. If the stains are stubborn and do not come clean with the hose, use a stiff bristle brush and household detergent to clean. Begin scrubbing at the top of the basement wall and work all the way down to the floor. Rinse often with clear water.
Begin drying your basement immediately. This will decrease the ability of mold and mildew growth that can cause an already unfortunate situation to become much worse. If you are sensitive to mold or mildew or see any mold in your basement, be sure to wear a mask or respirator containing an appropriate filter. Open all doors and windows to allow moisture to flow outside the basement. Fans will help to direct the moisture out the open doors and windows. A dehumidifier will help speed up the drying process by removing excess moisture in the air.
3. Install a basement waterproofing system
If you basement floods after a heavy rain or snow melt it is important to install a basement waterproofing system to remedy the issue and prevent future flooding and water seepage.
Do-it-yourself Waterproofing Tips
Mold and mildew can be a very costly basement problem. Here are simple preventative tips for homeowners to take to keep mold and mildew growth out of their basement.
How to prevent:
Concrete basement walls are very susceptible to mold and mildew because they are porous. The combination between porous basement walls and basement moisture are ideal conditions for mold and mildew to grow. Preventing mold growth is a very important issue for many homeowners. Mold can ruin the integrity of your basement foundation and the rest of your home.
One step a homeowner can take against mold is eliminating basement moisture and water. Installing the SquidGee Dry System will dry up your wet, leaky basement. The SquidGee Dry System is not used to cure a mold problem, but can be an effective step in preventing mold and mildew growth in a basement. Another effective step homeowners can do to help defend their home against mold growth is adding natural light. A dark, damp basement is the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. By introducing natural light to the surface of basement walls, mold will have a difficult time growing.
Common causes:
A wet basement is the perfect condition for mold and mildew growth, because it is usually dark, moist and lacks proper ventilation. Addressing common risk factors for mold and mildew growth before the spores have the opportunity to spread through a basement and home is very important for homeowners to maintain the value of their biggest investment – their home.
Excess moisture and humidity
Due to the location of a basement, it is often plagued with excess moisture and humidity. This combination of moisture and humidity in a basement is what fuels mold growth. Placing a dehumidifier in the basement will reduce the water in the air. Also, a fan directing the air out of the basement will also help keep the air dry. Another easy way to reduce the amount of moisture and humidity in a basement is by opening windows for proper air circulation.
Lack of proper ventilation
Without proper ventilation, basement moisture and humidity can increase to deadly levels in a basement. This can cause a water issue and provide the exact conditions mold and mildew need to grow and spread quickly through a home. Airing out your basement regularly will maintain proper ventilation in your basement.
Leaking water pipes
Leaking pipes can be a disaster in a basement. Not only will it help mold grow faster and can waste water quickly, but it can severely damage a everything in your basement. Check your basement water pipes in the spring for any leaks. Contact a plumber immediately if you find a leak to fix it before it becomes a costly headache.
Dark basement
Introducing your basement walls and floor to natural light will help prevent mold and mildew growth. Mold and mildew have a very difficult time cultivating when natural light is present.
Poor grading around home’s foundation:
Check outside your home’s foundation for poor grading around the basement. Fill in and slope the soil away from the home. Look for areas that contribute to the collection of water next to your foundation and fill in to prevent pooling water.
Lack of gutter system
If you don’t have gutters or downspouts on the home, it would be a wise investment to add them. If you have gutters, check for and remove any debris clogging the gutters. Also, it’s important that the downspouts around the home extend at least 8 feet from the house to direct roof water away. Service walks that settled and slope back to the house should be adjusted to flow away from your foundation.
Do-it-yourself Waterproofing Tips
1. Begin with ventilating the basement by opening up windows and doors to create air movement. Placing a dehumidifier and fans in your basement will help reduce the moisture levels in the air.
If ventilation does not remove odors…
2. Mop concrete floor and walls with a bleach solution (3/4 cups of household bleach to a gallon of water). Rinse and dry after 5 minutes. Be sure to open windows when applying the bleach solution. This will speed up the drying process and reduce inhalation of the bleach.
3. Place a lump of dry charcoal in an open tin/metal container to absorb odors. These simple steps can help reduce moisture levels and slow the process of mold and mildew growth. It is recommended to wear a mask when removing the musty basement smell.
4. Adding a dehumidifier will help to reduce the moisture in the air, which can help cut down on the musty smell in your basement.
Do-it-yourself Waterproofing Tips
What is hydrostatic pressure?
Hydrostatic pressure is what builds up around your basement’s foundation and pushes water seepage into your home’s foundation. As water builds up in the pocket of porous soil around the exterior basement walls gravity pulls the water downward forcing water seepage into the basement.
How to relieve hydrostatic pressure:
To relieve hydrostatic pressure around a basement, you will need to tap into the source of the water by drill weep holes into the hollow cores of the bottom row of blocks. This will allow the water to drain, now you need to install a baseboard system that will collect the water and drain it to your sump pump. SealOnce Basement System an above floor channel baseboard system works on both poured wall and block wall foundations to relieve the hydrostatic pressure pushing against your homes foundation.
Block wall foundations have hollow cells that fill with water, which creates hydrostatic pressure. Tapping holes in each main cell will keep water from building up into hydrostatic pressure. With the SealOnce Basement System it’s not necessary to drill every cell available. Poured wall foundations do not have hollow cells, therefore, there is no need to tap holes into the wall. Poured wall water seepage comes in through the cracks in the wall and the cold joint where the floor and wall meet. Wall cracks should be sealed from the top down to within 4 inches of the floor.
Do-it-yourself Waterproofing Tips
There are several different signs of a wet basement. Checking your basement regularly for these signs will help you identify a leaky basement and address the problem before it becomes a major headache and a very expensive situation to remedy.
1. Water Stains
Water stains are the first clue to a wet, leaky basement. These stains could be along the walls or floor. These water stains could be a caused by something simple like overflowing laundry tub or you could a basement waterproofing problem as a result of water seeping in through the joint where the floor and walls meet.
2. Musty Smell
Excess stagnate moisture in a basement creates a musty smell, which can spread into your belongs stored in the basement and the rest of the home. The smell is not only unpleasant, it can be a sign that your basement is collecting water, which could lead to a big basement waterproofing problem.
3. Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew come in a variety of colors including black, brown, yellow or green. You should get it tested to know for sure if it is mold. Find a local mold certified specialist to assess your problem basement. Often the northwest corner of a house is known as a “cold corner” and susceptible to developing mold.
4. Efflorescence
Efflorescence produces a white or sometimes grayish ash on the basement walls. Sometimes the white-gray stains have a slight sparkle. These stains are caused by salt deposits left behind after water has evaporated. Although some of the water has evaporated, you now know that water has an entrance into your basement and could cause severe water damage.
5. Concrete Spalling
Concrete spalling occurs when water gets inside the surface of concrete, brick or stone. Salt deposits in the water settle in the surface of the basement walls causing the face of the basement walls to flake away, peel or pop off. Concrete spalling reduces the integrity of your basement walls and allows an entrance for seepage.
Do-it-yourself Waterproofing Tips
1. Not managing roof water run off
The most commonly overlooked solution to a wet basement is actually found outside the home. Properly managing exterior water is always the first step when fixing a leaky basement. Having gutters installed with downspouts that take roof water a minimum of 8 feet from the foundation will help prevent water from pooling in the porous soil next the foundation.
2. Not sloping the soil along the side of the home away
The immediate soil outside of your foundation remains less dense than the virgin soil 3 feet out. That is due to two reasons – first, when the soil is back filled around the newly built foundation it cannot be packed down tightly because it would cause the foundation walls to cave in. Second, warm basements radiate their heat loss into the soil around the foundation making the first 6 inches spongy and causing water to soak up faster than the heavier compacted soil further out from the home. To help prevent water from collecting in that area, fill in any depressions along the sides of the home to slope away from the home.
3. Ignoring settling service walks
Some older homes have service walks along the sides of the house that settle over time. Be sure these service walks direct water away from the foundation and don’t block water from draining.
4. Falling for the cheap paint fix
Many DIY homeowners fall for the cheap waterproofing paint fix only to be disappointed a short time later when their water problem returns. When you paint the cement walls the lime in the concrete will create a white effervescence bubble between the wall and paint. This brittle bubble will break off in shale causing a bigger mess. Waterproofing paints are cheap for a reason – they just don’t last and can’t fix a seeping basement.
5. Sealing the cold joint
Never seal the seam where the floor and walls meet. Some homeowners choose to seal the cold joint with hydraulic cement in an attempt to plug-up where the water is entering the basement. When you plug-up this joint more pressure builds up in the walls and causes the water to move to another place in the basement. When that happens remedying the wet basement becomes a lot more work, because that hydraulic cement will need to be removed before installing a basement waterproofing system.
