Sunday, October 19, 2008

Do It Yourself Basement Waterproofing

Most homeowners will often have water leaks in their basements, if they have one, so it is almost a guarantee that they will look to purchase DIY basement waterproofing products and gather information on how to best resolve their leaks.

The first thing to examine is the reason why basements are affected so much by water seepage and flooding. Serious basement problems due to excess moisture many times cause numerous problems to the basement structurally, as well as limit space, and ruin and or destroy furniture and furnishings.

Basements are the part of a home or building that is wholly or partially below ground level. After the floor and walls of the basement are finished, loose soil is used to fill in the rest of the hole. 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 causes water to weigh down, and to exert pressure upon the floor, and upon the basement walls. How you will do it to yourself about basement waterproofing and does it really a protect coating? Even waterproofing systems with pipes designed to drain water from a building can become blocked due to silt or become overloaded by heavy rains. 

This is when many people decide to try do it yourself basement waterproofing in an attempt to avoid the expense of having the basement competely dug up and re-done. Many people solve the problem by using sealants and similar products inside on the floor and walls.

A typical project might involve:

- prepare the walls by removing all loose or crumbly material.
Previous repair or foreign material must be removed.
Heaters and large fans can be used to ensure that your basement is as dry as it can be.
Use a primer coat on the floors and walls if the product requires this to be done.
- patch any particularly noticeable flaws, gaps, seams or joints.
The requirement at the floor/wall is 1"bead of sealant.
- top-coat all surfaces with the final product, using 2 or 3 coats as appropriate.

That is about all A sealed basement shoul last for a number of years if the product is good. The best sealants, such as PermaFlex are assumed to be comprehensive, one-time, solutions for the waterproofing indoor basements. The quote says that it is the only waterproofing system which totally seals any basement for all times. It could be very wet and deteriorated though. It can then be brushed, rolled over or even be sprayed on.

A full solution would cost homeowners a fraction of the cost and is perfect for do-it-yourself basement waterproofing. It's also a wonderful solution for those with budget concerns with common and often expensive problems.

No comments: