How Does Water Get Into Your Basement?
Seepage can get into your home through multiple avenues. The most common include:
- Window wells – Your basement windows are most often the primary source of moisture throughout your home. When it rains, your window wells with gather water. If the seals break, you may have more than seepage on your hands.
- Leaks – Basements that haven’t been waterproofed tend to leak. Your seepage problem may be the result of hydrostatic pressure. This pressure, generated by water gathering outside of your home, will negatively impact the build not only of your basement but of your foundation. If you don’t act to stabilize your structural supports, they’ll constrict and expand to the point where they may crack.
- Foundation cracks – Hydrostatic pressure can also crack your foundation if you don’t tend to your seepage problem. Contractors will have to fix a cracked foundation before dealing with your seepage.
When you start to deal with seepage, you won’t always be dealing with standing water. Seepage can cause a number of problems in your basement and home. Some of the most common seepage symptoms include:
- Unpleasant smells
- Mold clusters
- Warping door frames
- Water-damaged belongings
- Uneven floors
What Happens If You Don’t Fix A Leak?
When your home starts to leak, it’s not always clear what you can do to fix it. However, you do always need to fix a leak or seepage before it worsens. If you opt not to deal with your water seepage, the damage can start to impact your home’s structural supports.
If you act quickly to fix a leak, you’ll be able not only to protect your home’s value but your family’s health as well. Leaks that grow out of control can foster the growth of mold clusters. When you prevent seepage throughout your home, you eliminate the potential for those growths to flourish.
Waterproofing Your Home: Ins and Outs
You don’t have to let water seepage keep you from enjoying your home. It’s easier than you might think to waterproof your home. You’ll want to discuss your best options with the contractors operating in your area. Some of the most common measures include:
- Interior drainage – To keep water away from your belongings, you first need to catch it. An interior drainage system installed just below the floor and throughout your basement’s perimeter will intercept any water from the walls, floor, and wall-floor joint. Once this water is collected by the specially designed drainage system, it is channeled to a sump pump system.
- Sump pumps – Sump pumps are among the most common types of waterproofing solutions used in Indianapolis, IN. Once water collected from the interior drainage system is drained into the sump basin, the system pumps the water out your basement and away from your home and keeps it from returning to your basement.
- Dehumidifiers – Dehumidifiers work well to control humidity and help prevent mold growth. Your dehumidifier will pull the moisture out of the air and keep it from re-entering your home. We recommend investing in an energy-efficient model that has self-draining abilities so you won’t have to worry about emptying any buckets.
- Vapor barriers – Vapor barriers are large plastic-like sheets that are so dense, they’ll keep water out of your home. They’ll even pull double-duty and keep the vast majority of gases like radon out of your basement and crawl space.
Owning a home has many benefits. It’s up to you to ensure that you take the necessary measures to protect your basement. If you’re worried that you may have to deal with seepage in the future, or if you’re dealing with seepage now, get in touch with one of the contractors in your area. You’ll benefit from an inspection and a free quote on all potential services.
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