Do It Yourself Basement Waterproofing

A large percentage of homeowners who have basements also
experience water leaks, so it's no surprise that there is a huge
demand for do it yourself basement waterproofing information and
products.

Let's first look at why basements are plagued by water seepage
and flooding. Excess moisture in your basement not only limits your
use of the space but it also can cause a number of serious
problems structurally as well as ruin or destroy furniture and
furnishings.

Basements are basically built into a large hole that's been dug out
of the ground. Once the walls and floor of the basement are built,
the remainder of the hole is filled in with effectively, loose soil,
even if it's compacted afterwards. Water naturally finds its way
through the path of least resistance, and in your case, that will be
the looser soil around your basement. So eventually, even though
it may take a few years, you will get a build-up of water around
and even under, your basement.

This creates hydrostatic pressure on the basement walls and floor.
This often attacks the outside membrane or protective coating,
and/or water finds its way through tiny cracks or larger structural
cracks. This sometimes happens even with systems that are
designed to remove water away from the building because pipes
get blocked with silt or heavy rainfalls overload the system.

It's at this point that many people turn to do it yourself basement
waterproofing rather than have the basement completely
excavated and re-done, usually at great expense. The often-used
solution is to tackle the inside rather than the outside, by utilising
products such as sealants on the inner walls and floor.

A typical project might involve:

- prepare the walls by removing all loose or crumbly material
- remove any previous repair material or foreign material
- make sure the basement is as dry as possible, hire heaters or
large fans if necessary
- prime walls and floor if the product requires use of a primer
- patch any particularly noticeable flaws, gaps, seams or joints
- wall/floor junctions may require a 1" bead of sealant
- top-coat all surfaces with the final product, using 2 or 3 coats as
appropriate

That's about it. If the product is a good one you will have a sealed
basement that should last for a number of years. Top sealants
such as PermaFlex are supposed to be a complete, permanent
indoor basement waterproofing system. It's quoted as being "the
only indoor waterproofing system that completely seals any
basement permanently, no matter how wet or deteriorated" and
can be brushed, rolled or even sprayed on.

A complete solution would cost the average homeowner hundreds
of Dollars for a good-sized basement rather than thousands, is
perfect for do it yourself basement
waterproofing and is a great budget-conscious solution for a
common and potentially expensive problem.