Basement Waterproofing Bel Air

The Maryland town of Bel Air might not be in the same league as its parallel in California, but it has a rich history of its own, and many proud, decent families living fulfilling lives here. Bel Air wasn’t stopped by fires, and when it came time to do the right thing, it took a stand against racism in the last century. And while the Ma and Pa walking trail is much more quiet than the original railroad that ran through here, it’s also made for a perfect place for hikers and families to enjoy nature.

All of these benefits, however, don’t help residents with a problem they may not even know that they have. Homeowners usually worry about damage to the roof, or the invasion of pests into the home. Water getting into the basement isn’t normally high on the priority list, but without basement waterproofing in Bel Air, small problems can become very serious and very expensive.

Problems That Grow

On the surface, it doesn’t seem like water getting into a basement would be a very big issue. This is especially true for those homeowners have an unfinished basement, where the space may only be used for storage, laundry or maybe a workshop. After all, what harm can a little water on the floor cause?
The problem with this line of thinking is that it’s the same as a medical doctor ignoring an early symptom. If everyone ignored a pain in the stomach, or a toothache, this means they are allowing a condition that could easily be prevented at an early stage to grow worse and more severe. Water coming into a basement means that something in the structure has broken down, or is being overwhelmed.

If this erosion continues, more water will get in, and these structural weaknesses in the basement can become worse. By ignoring the water that comes in, homeowners are also conceding that they would rather let their basement and foundation grow worse over time and pay for a much more serious, expensive repair bill rather than stopping the problem now. And while that is every homeowner’s choice, it is going to have a long term effect not just on the structural integrity of the home, but even its value. And it could all be prevented through basement waterproofing in Bel Air.

How Water Hurts

Even in an unfinished basement, water can be a damaging force. The presence of water on the floor means that it’s not pooling on the ground, it’s also in the air. A cool, humid environment is the ideal environment for a variety of mold. Mold is always in the air, in the form of spores, and it’s nearly impossible to get rid of without expensive purification equipment. Once mold spores make their way to a basement that is dark, cool and damp, they can settle on the ground, mature in mold, and start breeding form a serious mold infestation.

Depending on the type of mold colony, this can present anything from a mild to a very severe health risk, as some mold spores can, in sufficient number, cause major lung infections that require serious medical treatment. A large mold colony in the basement represents a health risk to every single resident of a home.

Beyond that, water can eventually cause sizable amounts of damage to the basement itself. A basement will usually contain the furnace, water heater, fuse box, and other types of hardware. All of these are susceptible water damage if enough accumulates, and can be expensive to repair. If you have a finished basement, then water leaking in through walls or even the floor of the basement will ruin the drywall, carpeting and any other work you’ve already done, requiring more expenses, not just to fix the problems with the leaky basement, but to repair the renovations that have also become damaged. If the water coming in is because a symptom of a failing foundation, this also means that your home may be structurally unsound, which is both dangerous and a significant drop to the value of a home.

All these problems, as serious as they are, can be addressed either before or after by getting the help of teams specializing in waterproofing basements in Bel Air.

Call The Experts

Waterproofing basements in Bel Air should be done by experienced groups, like AA Action Waterproofing. With a proper consultation, one of three major services will be required depending on the situation you’re facing.

For people that already have a mold infestation, mold remediation should be the first priority step, as this creates the greatest health risk for residents in the home. The mold itself can be eliminated, and the space in which the mold appeared should be treated with chemicals to prevent the mold from taking hold in the area again. Once this phase has been completed one of the other major services should be used.

Foundation repair may be another service that can help to stop water from coming into a basement. If your basement floor has cracks in it and water is coming up through these cracks, hydrostatic pressure from below needs to be addressed. If your concrete walls are chipped or “honeycombed” and water comes in through that, it means the concrete was improperly mixed and your walls aren’t doing their job. If there are cracks in your walls, and your floors aren’t level, your doors no longer fit in their frames, or stairs are crooked, your foundation has shifted, causing your entire home to become “crooked.” This needs to be fixed.

And finally, if you want to keep water from coming in, or are in an area where water in the basement is just a fact of life, water proofing techniques like vapor barriers on the exterior, or French drains and sump pumps installed in the basement itself can control flooding and keep it from lingering in your basement.

All of these techniques will help with basement waterproofing in Bel Air. You just need to get in touch with AA Action Waterproofing to find out how we can help.