Basement Waterproofing: Secure Your Basement Before Winter Arrives
Depending on your location, the cold season can wreak havoc on your basement. Melting snow and ice can drip into your basement and severely damage everything in it. If melting snow and ice causes major problems for your basement every year, waterproof and secure the room before winter arrives. Learn why and how you should waterproof your basement before the cold season hits below.
How Do Snow and Ice Affect Your Basement?
Your basement is the lowest structure in your home. Because of your basement's location, it's vulnerable to a number of things, including melting snow and ice. Melting snow and ice can drip down the sides of your home and form puddles around the perimeter of your basement. The puddling water can slowly soak into your basement and make it extremely damp.
Damp spaces tend to attract mold and other types of fungi over time. As long as the conditions are just right, mold can grow even in cold environments or places. You may not notice the dampness in your basement until mold begins to crop up inside your main living spaces, such as your bathroom and laundry closet.
Mold isn't the only issue melting snow and ice can cause for your basement. The moisture in your basement can also damage your furnace and other equipment. If you waterproof your basement before the cold season arrives, you can keep multiple problems at bay later. All you need to do is call a basement waterproofing contractor for assistance.
How Do You Successfully Waterproof Your Basement?
A contractor may do a number of things to waterproof and secure your basement before winter arrives, including installing an exterior drainage system around it. An exterior drainage system uses a thick perforated pipe to draw water away from the basement. The system can fit below ground (subsurface) or it can fit above ground (surface). In addition to installing a drainage system outside your basement, you may also consider placing a drainage system inside the basement.
An interior drainage system removes water from the basement floor before it has a chance to build up inside the room. The water collects inside a small device called a sump pump. A sump pump mechanically draws water from the basement floor and releases it outside the basement via a small perforated pipe. A sump pump works to keep water out of the basement all year round.
If you're ready to waterproof your basement against melting snow and ice, call a basement waterproofing contractor and schedule your services today.
