Basement Waterproofing Annandale
Annandale is fortunate enough to be a part of Howard County, and that means that there is convenience, affluence and quality living in this little area. While it may not regularly make the news in the way bigger cities like Baltimore and Washington D.C. do, that also means that it is a place where young families can take root, growing and maturing together in a nurturing environment. Anyone who lives in Annandale is lucky to be there, and is a proud resident of a dynamic, growing community.
But Annandale’s prosperity doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. Homeowners in the area are vulnerable to a serious, potential problem that can affect them as seriously as anyone else in Maryland or the rest of America. It might not seem like an issue at first, but for anyone with a damp, or leaky basement, basement waterproofing in Annandale should be a top priority to keep a small problem from becoming a very large, expensive one.
Escalating Stakes
Water getting into a basement is a combination of two factors; gravity, and water’s ability to always find “the path of least resistance” to exploit potential weaknesses in any structure. Whether it is water flooding out of an obstructed roof gutter, down the wall and right beside the foundation, or hydrostatic pressure cracking a basement floor, or even pipes leaving a basement that aren’t as tightly sealed as they could be, water will always find a way to move downwards and, upon finding these structural vulnerabilities, use them to gain entry into a basement.
At first, this may not seem like much. Water dripping from pipes or walls comes in small amounts, forming little pools on floors and, in isolated instances, this doesn’t appear to be very damaging. The problem with this thinking is that it is like ignoring the early warning symptoms of a problem that can grow much bigger. Water is a force of erosion, which means that once it has both the time and opportunity, it starts to wear away and destroy whatever it encounters. An improperly sealed pipe that lets a little water in now, will let more and more water in later. One crack in the basement floor will eventually “spider-web” into many larger cracks. A pool of water forming on the floor can eventually become a layer of water flooding the entire basement with one heavy rainfall.
In all of these instances, the early signs of a leaky basement eventually grow into a much more serious problem. And these problems can damage the foundation, parts of the home, and eventually threaten the entire structural integrity of the house. This drastically lowers the value the home until much needed basement waterproofing in Annandale finally takes place to address the problem.
Call The Professionals
AA Action Waterproofing has been an experienced service provider of basement waterproofing in Annandale for decades. We offer a three-pronged approach to basement repair that is based on the specific situation you find yourself in. When you use AA Action Waterproofing, the first thing we will do is come to your home to gauge the extent of the problem. We look at the problem areas you have found, but we also conduct our own investigation to see the damage that you may not be aware and, more importantly, what circumstances have caused the problem in the first place.
From here, we can make a recommendation on an effective plan of action based on what we’ve found. For example, if it’s clear that the leaky basement has already created an environment in which a sizable mold colony is flourishing, this presents an immediate health hazard to all residents, so mold remediation should be the priority for health and safety concerns. If cracks in the walls or floor are showing severe signs of damage to the foundation, then foundation repair will be a necessary step for both stopping the water and preventing further structural damage to the entire home. This may involve techniques such as “mud jacking” which refills an empty space under the foundation with concrete so as to prevent water from gathering in the space, and provide more stability to the foundation it may have lost due to soil movement.
Once immediate mold or foundation concerns have been addressed, serious basement waterproofing can begin. Vapor barriers are an effective means of keeping water from entering a basement from the outside. This requires a trench be created around the outside of a home to properly access and seal the foundation. For low lying areas in which water will always gather at the basement, flood control measures like French drains and sump pumps are tried and true methods of preventing water that comes into a basement from staying there.
Every home is unique and has different needs. Contact AA Action Waterproofing today to find out what your home needs for maximum basement protection.