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An old and stuffy basement isn’t just an eyesore — it’s a potential safety hazard. Even the smallest crack allows water to trickle in. And damp basements, as we’re all painfully aware, offer a fertile ground for mold and mildew. When left unchecked, this could cause potential health problems, or even threaten the structural integrity of your home.
The only permanent solution is a complete basement renovation. Apart from fixing all these issues, a makeover also boosts your home’s overall value.
Before you call the experts, however, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with certain basement waterproofing techniques to ensure that water damage issues don’t ruin your grand plans. Wondering where to begin? Find out in this waterproofing guide.
Signs a Basement Needs Waterproofing
Mostly all basements suffer from water damage at some point. This could be the result of a range of factors — from the obvious, like rain or snow, to the less obvious, such as improper landscaping. As a result, many homeowners suffer from water damage without knowing. Identifying potential symptoms at an early stage enables you to pick the right waterproofing options, as well as prevent costly repairs at a later stage.
Here are some tell-tale signs:
- Frequent condensation on windows and doors.
- Unexplained dampness on walls or floors.
- A musty odour that doesn’t fade over time.
- Flooding after rain or snowfall.
- Efflorescence, a powder-like substance appearing on concrete.
- Visible mold, warped and rotting wood, or cracked walls and floors.
How to Waterproof a Basement
Depending on the extent of the damage, or source of the issue, there are one of many house basement waterproofing options available to homeowners. While each is a distinct solution with its own pros and cons, these techniques can be broadly divided into two categories — indoor and outdoor solutions.
Outdoor Basement Waterproofing Process
Exterior basement waterproofing systems are effective, but complex to execute without professional assistance. Some focus on preventive methods that divert water away from the basement, others focus on exterior foundation sealing.
Either way, your first course of action is usually to excavate around the perimeter of your basement, which can be labour- and time-consuming.
Waterproof Coatings and Paint
Once the trench is dug, apply a waterproof coating to the footings. This acts as an additional layer of foundation waterproofing.
Many materials can be used to coat the exterior. Some options include polyurethane, rubberized asphalt, or solid bentonite sheets. To give you an idea of how they differ — some, like polyurethane coatings, last about 25 years, while the more expensive bentonite sheets are a permanent solution.
Once the coating is applied the trench is filled with six inches of soil.
Drains, Gutters, and Downspouts
These three diversion systems are crucial to keeping water away from the basement, but are rarely maintained as well as they should be. To prevent water damage, homeowners must regularly clean out and upgrade their drainage systems to prevent clogs.
Some invest in installing underground drainage pipes to take water further from the basement, others build roof collection systems to prevent water from hitting the foundation. Meanwhile, many consider French drains the most effective basement waterproof system. This is essentially a trench created around the foundation of your home, which is filled with gravel, and sealed with soil and grass.
Grading and Landscaping
Yard grading is considered a long-term and permanent solution to water seepage. A slope of six inches over 10 feet is sufficient for waterproofing basements. Adding soil patches around the foundation can help create this slope. Expert landscapers also use grass and valleys to redirect water from the foundation.
Interior Basement Waterproofing Methods
Interior weatherproofing techniques, on the other hand, focus on dealing with moisture once it’s already entered the basement. Indoor solutions may be less permanent, but they are also affordable, easy to execute, and a crucial step to finish basement renovations. The most common solutions include:
Masonry Waterproofing Products
Applying a layer of water-resistant paint is usually the first solution most homeowners think of — and it’s definitely one of the most effective and affordable fixes. But before the final paint is applied, all holes must be properly filled and sealed.
In many cases, it’s recommended that you inject at least two coats of masonry cement to the walls. To do this, peel off the existing paint, roll on the cement, leave the coating to dry, and add a second coating. This process effectively seals all pores and prevents moisture from seeping through.
Interior Drainage Systems
For many homes, concrete and painting aren’t the most long-term solution for sealing a basement floor. In areas that see heavy rain or snowfall, homeowners must supplement these techniques with a drainage system. Sump pumps, powered by either battery, electricity, or water pressure, are effective at removing water from the basement. When coupled with an interior French drain — a trench that works exactly like its outdoor version — the water is redirected safely into deeper soil outside.
Besides these two crucial methods, there are several preventive measures you can take to prevent water damage — such as avoiding storing wet clothes in the basement or upgrading HVAC systems. But to be frank, water damage is an eventuality that most homeowners face, which is why it’s so crucial to familiarize yourself with these basement waterproofing details.
Another thing to remember is that some of these basement waterproofing tips are more expensive to implement than others. So it’s worth comparing costs and seeing how much these measures add to your basement renovation price.
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Conclusion
A waterproof basement can offer several health benefits and protect the longevity of your home — and the first steps homeowners take before renovating a basement.
Once this is out of the way, there’s an incredible number of things you can do with the space. A waterproof basement can be converted into a den, a home theatre, a workspace, or even an inlaw suite — the options are only limited by your creativity.
Need support to make this dream a reality? Looking for more basement renovation tips and ideas? Get in touch with RenoDuck today. Our expert renovation team has helped homeowners across Toronto breathe life into their basements, featured on multiple renovation shows, and won nine awards along the way.