4 Signs A Basement Needs Waterproofing
Posted on: 8 November 2021
Basement waterproofing can protect your house from a range of problems. How will you know whether it's time to contact a basement waterproofing services contractor? Look for these four signs water is creating trouble in your home's basement.
Visible Water
This applies even if you're not seeing giant pools of water. If you see a little bit seeping through the wall, that's still a bad thing. When water is penetrating the walls of a basement, it is damaging the foundation, too.
The issue will get worse as the water carves more pathways through the wall. This is especially true in regions where freezes and frosts happen because the ice can cause expansion and contraction.
Musty Smells
Especially if the problem isn't so severe that water is appearing, you might have to look for more subtle signs. You may also have to sniff. Mustiness is a sign mold is getting enough water to perpetuate its reproduction. Even if you're not seeing the water, it may be present in the form of humidity.
Note this can happen in dry and hot environments. Water can condense in basements due to the temperature difference between outdoor and indoor air.
If you smell mustiness in a basement, you can try giving the space a good cleaning. Should it return, though, you're probably going to need to waterproof the basement.
Stains From Salt, Rust, and Other Minerals
Particularly if you don't go into your basement a lot, water can come and go without you noticing. Likewise, the draw of a house or a very good AC system can also sometimes dry the water before it causes musty smells.
However, water may still leave behind signs it passed through a wall or floor. Oftentimes, it will deposit stuff it absorbed while going through the ground or the wall. This may appear as salt, rust, or similar mineral stains. If you see red or tan staining on the walls, there's a good chance the water absorbed metals and left them behind on the surface. Similarly, water can absorb salts and leave them behind as white deposits.
Peeling or Cracking Paint
Many people paint their basements. Sometimes, they even use paints that are sold as waterproofing products. However, water finds a way. You may see evidence of this in the form of peeling or cracking paint. Chips can collect on the basement floor, too. If the paint hasn't been up for more than a decade, there's a good chance water is causing the damage.
For more information, contact a waterproofing service in your area, such as J.A. Kilby Enterprises Inc.
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