3 Reasons To Waterproof Your Basement
A properly constructed basement should be fairly waterproof from day one. Water and concrete do not get along very well, and there’s a considerable amount of construction work and engineering that go into making sure they have as little contact as possible. As such, you might not understand why you would want to waterproof your basement later on when the original home builders already put so much effort into doing just that. However, there are at least 3 good reasons why you might want to hire a contractor to put in some extra work.
1. Waterproofing Wears Off Over Time
The earth does not stay still throughout the years, and whether it’s because of a gradual shift or else the regular cycle of freezing and unfreezing water, the initial work done to keep water away from your house may eventually be undone. The ground may settle so that it’s draining water towards your basement walls, or it may fall away in one area and expose the concrete exterior to the elements, or the foundation slab may simply crack and let water seep in. Whatever the case, you need to act fast, because not only does water steadily damage your walls and floor, it also invites in all kinds of insects and fungi to take over your home.
2. The House Code Is A Minimum Standard
Unless you specifically brought in a specialist during construction and spent the money on the most effective design, it’s likely that your basement was built only to the minimum standards laid down by the local house code. While these standards exist for a reason, they may be out of date at this point, or you may want to aspire to a higher standard that will remain effective for longer (and possibly even protect or improve the property value).
3. Humidity May Be A Factor
If you live in a state like Maryland that deals with significant humidity through part of or especially through most of the year, that may provide all the moisture required to start a major growth of mold or an insect infestation. If a dehumidifier turns out to be insufficient or if it’s already too late for it to stop anything, then you may have to resort to more drastic measures whether you like it or not.
If you do live in Maryland or the surrounding states of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, northern Virginia, or DC, then you should contact AA Action Waterproofing for a free estimate. We’ve got an A+ rating with the BBB, so you can trust that we’ll give you the plain truth about what needs doing to protect or repair your basement.