If you have noticed your basement has a musty odor, peeling paint, condensation, and mildew, you have a water problem. To deal with this problem, you need to waterproof your basement. To waterproof your basement, you can't start in your basement. You need to start at the top of your home and work downwards to prevent water from getting in.
1. Check Your Gutters
First, you are going to want to start by focusing on your gutters. Check your gutters and make sure they are not clogged. If your gutters are clogged, water isn't flowing through your gutters to the downspouts and away from your home. Instead, the water is going to find another path.
The water may be traveling down your house and pooling up around your foundation, which is what is causing water to get into your basement. To get water out of your basement, you will need to fix any damage to your gutters and keep them clean of debris. Stopping water from pooling around your foundation can help stop the water from getting into your basement in the first place.
2. Check Your Soil
Second, you are going to want to check the soil around your home. The soil around your home should slope away from your home so that water flows away from your home. If the soil doesn't slope away from your home and instead slopes towards it, that can force water into your basement. Grading the soil so that it slopes away from your home can help keep water out. Make sure that any plants you have are at least a foot away from your home. Roots can be intrusive, and tree roots can penetrate our foundation and cause cracks.
3. Check Plumbing Pipes
Third, you will want to check any plumbing pipes that run around or near your basement. If you have any plumbing pipes that are leaking, they could be causing damage to your basement. You may have overhead plumbing pipes inside your basement leaking or your outside sewage line or water supply line leaking. If a leaking pipe is an issue, you are going to want to fix that.
4. Check the Walls
Finally, you are going to want to check the walls of your basement. Cracks and holes can allow water into your basement and lead to long-term moisture issues. You can seal up simple cracks and holes; however, you should have your basement walls inspected to ensure there isn't any structural damage. You should also apply a waterproof coating to the interior of your basement walls.
Reach out to a company like Central Penn Waterproofing for waterproofing services.
