With winter just around the corner, waterproofing your basement or crawl space is becoming more and more important. If there’s any work you want to get done, now would be the time. After all, the winters in Winston-Salem, NC, can get pretty rough. When you see signs of dampness in your basement, it can be tempting to attempt to fix the issue by yourself, but there are a few reasons why you shouldn’t rush off to attempt a DIY fix.
What Can Go Wrong?
In short, many things can go wrong when you try to waterproof your basement or crawl space without professional input. Most obviously, you could end up wasting time and money on solutions and products which are not right for your home. Secondly, you could identify only one of the underlying issues which is causing dampness and standing water to invade your home. Thirdly, you could cause damage by trying to install a product or fix that is not right for your home or the problem that you are facing.
The most worrying possibility of all, however, is that you could cover up a more serious problem by implementing a DIY fix. For example, if you fix cracks in your floor without investigating your foundation, you could be covering up structural instabilities that will only grow over time. The best-case scenario when this happens is that the problem snowballs until it becomes noticeable. In this case, the cost of repairs will be higher. The worst-case scenario is that this undiagnosed issue causes a collapse or shift in your home.
As you can see, it’s a good idea to at least consult an expert.
What You Can Do to Waterproof Your Home
Of course, there are some home waterproofing tasks you can undertake alone. The easiest and most effective are:
Seasonal Gutter Clearing
Your external gutters and downspouts are a huge part of your home’s waterproofing measures. If they are kept clear and clean and positioned properly, they will funnel water away from your home and property foundation. As such, clearing out your gutters bi-annually is hugely beneficial to your property and will go a long way to prevent flooding and dampness.
Proper Yard Planting and Grading
A lot of the problems that occur in your basement or foundation are caused by excessive soil saturation or dehydration. However, if you properly landscape and plant your yard, you will be able to control the level of moisture and movement in the soil around your home. Certain plants will form complex root systems that stabilize the soil and increase drainage and moisture control.
Schedule Your Yearly Maintenance Appointments
Scheduling yearly maintenance appointments to ensure the integrity of your appliances is another easy way to keep your home dry and safe. Your sump pump and dehumidifier should be kept in good repair if you want them to remove water from your home efficiently. Likewise, your water heater should be maintained yearly to prevent leakages and plumbing floods.
What Professionals Can Do for You
Professional foundation repair and waterproofing specialists have a number of tools and skills at their disposal that the average person is simply not likely to have. This means they are more able to diagnose and treat underlying problems effectively. More than this, it means that they are likely to complete any necessary repairs quickly and efficiently.
The team at Tar Heel Basement Systems is experienced, educated, and skilled in recognizing and fixing issues of all sizes and types. Whether you have a concern about leaking walls or your foundational integrity, we will respond quickly to identify, stabilize and fix the issue. Better yet, our inspection appointments are entirely free. They include a same-day written quote, which details all of our suggested repairs as well as the costs associated with their implementation. We offer this because we believe that our work speaks for itself and that your safety and security are most important.
