Basement Waterproofing Burke

Burke is a town that’s a little bit of old and new. It has a rich New England history, when Silas Burke first settled the land, and his house still stands to this day. But the town has also enjoyed modern 20th century planning, with Burke Center as an example of what a modern community can look like. For commuters, the town is serviced by the Burke Center and Rolling Road VRE stations, making this a quiet, stable, convenient place for Virginians to live.

However, as with many communities in Virginia and throughout America, the prosperity that Burke enjoys may only be on the surface. Underground may be a different story, but few homeowners in Burke will be aware of the problem, as not many residents take the time to see if they have a wet or leaky basement. It’s important that homeowners take the time to inspect these areas, and see if they need basement waterproofing in Burke to protect their homes against water.

Ignoring Water Can Cost You

Water coming into the basement may not be high on the list of things a homeowner will worry about. That’s understandable as water—at least in small amounts—can’t actually do much to hurt the basement. But the danger in this thinking is not realizing that the small amount of water appearing on the wall, or pooling on the floor is just a symptom. In the same way that a serious illness can exhibit many smaller symptoms before developing into a full-blown, life threatening condition, water in the basement is the same warning to a homeowner that a serious problem is brewing. And it’s up to residents to decide whether to acknowledge or ignore this warning.

For people that decide repairing a damp or leaky basement is too expensive, and money is the issue, it sets them down a much more damaging path.

If your basement is unfinished, you have to leave it this way, as water getting in on a regular basis is going to damage carpets, rugs, furniture, drywall, electrical wiring and any other renovations or fixtures you put in. If you go ahead with this anyway, the money you saved on not repairing the basement will be spent constantly repairing and replacing damaged basement fixtures and furniture.

If the water is coming in because of hydrostatic pressure applying so much force that water is literally “bleeding” into your basement through holes and walls, this means you have a lot of water surrounding your home. That hydrostatic pressure is looking for weaknesses in the basement structure, and when it finds it, it will exploit the weakness, make it worse, and accelerate the process of damage to the basement and increase the amount of water that comes in.

With a consistently damp environment, water creates a suitable breeding ground for mold. Once mold settles down and creates a large colony, it spreads by sending even more spores into the air, and it does this constantly. The money you saved by not repairing the basement is may now have to be spent on medical bills as breathing in mold can make people sick, and some mold can even cause very serious lung infection. Or, if saving money is still a priority, simply accept that you and other residents of the home may be sick as long as you live here.

If hydrostatic pressure is large enough, the situation can grow worse as the water can actually bend basement walls inward, and even crack floors, allowing more water in and damaging the foundation itself. Once a foundation is damaged, this can threaten the entire structural integrity of a home as the building leans, tilts, or even starts moving in different directions, resulting in a home that slowly tears itself apart. If you were trying to save money on the basement, letting things get to this stage has now significantly dropped the value of a home, made it extremely difficult to sell, and is now a physical threat to all residents as the building is unsafe.

Ironically, trying to save money on a leaky basement can lead to massive expenses later in the life of a home. Unless you prevent this from happening with basement waterproofing in Burke.

Prevention Works

AA Action Waterproofing has years of experience in helping homeowners with wet basement problems at many stages of development. We have many strategies in place to catch small problems and reinforce the structure now, while it is still in good condition, to eliminate these problems and prevent them from growing worse. For people that have larger water problems, we can conduct extensive, lasting repairs, as well as eliminate whatever factors that are causing the damage. If you need basement waterproofing in Burke, AA Action Waterproofing can help.