If you have to deal with a wet basement every time it rains, you might be looking into waterproofing options. Even if you don't use your basement for anything other than as a place to put your furnace and water heater, you still want the walls and floors to stay as dry as possible. A basement that's wet frequently will grow mold, develop a bad odor, and attract pests. Here are some basement waterproofing choices and why interior waterproofing might be your best option.
Exterior Basement Waterproofing Methods
A contractor might waterproof your basement by applying a coating to the exterior basement walls. To do this, the contractor has to dig soil away from the house to expose the walls. When the walls are cleaned off, a coating can be put on, or the contractor might attach a membrane to the walls that blocks water from seeping into your basement.
A French drain might also be installed in a trench near the side of your house to catch water and move it away from your home. In addition, the contractor might look over your property and pinpoint problems that lead to a leaky basement, such as gaps around egress windows, gutters that spill water near the foundation, and landscaping that causes water to roll toward your house rather than away from it.
Interior Waterproofing Methods
Exterior basement waterproofing is often done when building a new house. Exterior waterproofing can also be done on an existing house, but it is disruptive. It might not even be possible to use the heavy equipment needed to dig a trench or move soil if you have a small lot with neighbors close by.
That's why interior basement waterproofing might be your best choice since all of the work is done indoors and no heavy equipment is needed. Interior basement waterproofing involves busting through the concrete floor to put in a drainage pipe that catches water before it gets on the basement floor.
Water that enters your basement is routed toward a basin in the floor that houses a pump. When the water level in the basin is high enough, the pump triggers and moves water from your basement to the outdoors where it can drain away. Other methods of interior waterproofing include sealing cracks in concrete and putting a waterproof coating on the walls.
Each home is different, so your waterproofing contractor has to inspect your basement and your property outside to determine the best way to keep your basement dry so you don't have to worry every time it rains.