5 Exterior Basement Waterproofing Hacks
Whether you’ve got an old home with an unfinished basement or a newer home with a finished basement, keeping water out of it is a must. Damp and moisture-laden basements cause all kinds of health issues for the people living inside the home and can actually lessen the value of the home if you ever try to sell it. To help keep your basement nice and dry, use these five exterior basement waterproofing hacks. Basement Waterproofing that Carries Water Away
- Keep your home’s gutters clean.
Clean your home’s gutters and keep them clean. How often you need to perform this task depends on the type of foliage you have growing around your house. For instance, if you have maple trees anywhere near your home, you’ll probably need to get up on a ladder and deep clean your gutters at least twice a year.
- Check the pitch of your home’s gutters.
Improperly pitched gutters cause water to flow away from the downspout or to pool in one area and spill over the side. If water is spilling over the side, you might as well not even have gutters because they are not doing what they are intended to do. Water falling over the side of the gutters lands directly near the foundation of your home, and it will eventually get inside your basement.
- Extend your home’s downspouts.
Downspouts are pretty simple, but we recommend every single one have an extension added to move water even further from the foundation of your home. There are many ways to accomplish this. From pieces of extra downspout to flexible tubing, downspout extensions save homeowners a ton of money in basement and foundation repair costs each year. Landscape Basement Waterproofing
- Taper the ground away from your house.
If you thought landscaping was just for making your yard look pretty, think again. Proper landscaping around your home can help keep water out of your basement. Dirt, grass and mulch can all be tapered in a slope away from your house to encourage water to flow downhill and away from the structure. For instance, if you use mulch around your house, add more at the foundation of your home and less at the bottom of the “hill” to guide water away.
- Address broken or settled concrete and asphalt around your home.
Over time, concrete and asphalt have a tendency to shift and settle. Usually, the way they settle isn’t in your home’s best interest. If this happens, you need to address the situation as soon as possible to keep water from flowing into your basement every time it rains. Asphalt is pretty easy to fix, as more asphalt can be added to fix dips, cracks and settlement. Concrete, on the other hand, is a little more difficult to repair. We provide concrete mud-jacking, which lifts sunken concrete back to its original position. This technique is much less costly and more convenient than completely replacing old, settled concrete. If, despite putting all of these tips into practice, water is still present in your basement, there’s probably a bigger issue at play. Give Davis & Sons Concrete a call. We will figure out the problem and help you with all your basement waterproofing needs.
