Contending with water seepage as a homeowner is never fun. If you act quickly, you can spot the signs of seepage before the problem spirals out of control. The contractors operating out of your area can help you determine what the source of your seepage is and what waterproofing measures may serve you best while you’re searching for solutions.
Water in Your Basement
Seepage doesn’t always reveal itself with large, standing pools of water. If you suspect you may have seepage on your hands, you’ll want to look for signs including:
- Foggy windows
- Damp walls
- Mold clusters
- Critter infestations
- Warping doorways
- Damp, porous objects, like your couch, carpet, or other fabrics
- Damaged personal belongings
How does this water get into your home in the first place? Water tends to flow along the paths that gravity directs, meaning it can get into your home through your:
- Window wells – The windows you have leading into your basement have sealed window wells that make perfect caches for water. Unfortunately, the more water gathers in these wells, the more harried those seals are going to be. If a seal breaks, you may rapidly find yourself dealing with excess moisture or seepage in your basement.
- Foundation cracks – Hydrostatic pressure can build up outside of your foundation and basement. This pressure causes the materials making up both structures to rapidly expand and contract. The stress from those changes in size can eventually result in cracks and leaks that can add to the seepage your home may already be enduring.
What Happens If You Don’t Repair Your Leaks?
If you’re concerned about saving money, you may think it’s best to wait to repair your home until a leak has resolved itself. Unfortunately, that’s not how leaks work. The longer you let seepage make its way into your basement, the more likely it is that you’ll permanently lose value on your home.
The cost of repairs can be daunting for those who have never considered them before. The longer you wait to invest in any repairs, however, the more you’ll likely have to pay when you go to try and recover your home’s lost value.
Waterproofing Your Home
One of the best ways to combat home seepage is to invest in early waterproofing measures. Some of the best for keeping hydrostatic pressure and seepage at bay include:
- Interior drains – Interior drains help you protect the whole of your basement from unwanted seepage. These drains catch water that might leak inside through your walls, floors, and wall-floor joint. This water is then directed to drain into a sump pump system.
- Sump pumps – Sump pumps are necessary when you have interior drainage, as the water needs somewhere else to go other than on your basement floor. These reliable systems pump collected water out of your basement and away from your home through discharge lines.
- Vapor barriers– You’re more likely to see vapor barriers in a crawl space than a basement, but that doesn’t mean that this waterproofing measure isn’t versatile. With the help of the professionals working out of the Winston-Salem, NC, area, you can place these plastic-like liners on your basement walls. Most vapor barriers are dense enough not only to keep water out of your home but gasses as well.
- Dehumidifiers – Excessive moisture can be a big problem in basements, as it often leads to issues like mold growth. Keep these issues at bay by having an energy-efficient dehumidifier installed in your basement. Not only will this unit control moisture and humidity, but it also will clean and filter the air, reduce odors, and help prevent mold growth.
You don’t have to go into a fight against home seepage alone. If you’re not sure where to start when repairing your basement or installing preventative waterproofing measures, you can reach out to one of the professional foundation and basement repair contractors in the Winston-Salem, NC, area. After a home inspection from a Tar Heel Basement Systems expert, you can obtain a personalized quote you can reference when determining what kind of waterproofing measures or services you want to invest in.
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