==== ==== Waterproofing Basement: Waterproofing the Basement http://tinyurl.com/84zy3ou ==== ==== Among millions of homeowners today, most have never seen or even thought about the inside of their basement walls and floors. What these people do not realize is that their basement walls and floors are the foundation of their homes. Waterproofing your basement is important to accomplish in order to ensure the safe upkeep of your home. If you dont take steps to successfully waterproof the walls and floors in your basement, the basement walls and foundation of the house can become damaged. Even worse, they can start to crack and leak, leaving the structure of your house at risk. This article will help guide you through the process of waterproofing the walls in your basement. Its important to evaluate the perimeter of your house before you begin to waterproof your basement. Make sure that the ground next to your foundation slopes away from the foundation, not toward it. If you need to, add dirt up against the foundation to create at least a 2 per foot slope against the foundation. Next, you want to check your gutters and spouts to make sure that theyre clean. Check to ensure that your downspouts are discharging water at least 5 feet away from the foundation. Lastly, watch out for plants or bushes that are too close to the foundation because their roots may rot or create a pathway for surface water to get into your basement. Now that you have checked the area surrounding your foundation, its time to start the process of waterproofing in your basement. Try to waterproof your walls with a product such as Drylok or Xypex if you have minor, intermittent leaks. Drylok is a water proofer not a water sealer. It expands as it dries to become part of the wall. Xypex is more like applying a waterproof concrete on the surface that will bond with it. Then repair defects such as cracks in poured concrete walls and the places where pipes and tie rods go all the way through the concrete. For cracks that will not experience any thermal or structural movement, Drylok Fast Plug is very effective in sealing cracks in the masonry. Another reliable way to repair a wall crack is with an injection of construction-grade epoxy that penetrates the crack all the way from inside to outside. If you have serious water issues, you may want to consider using a French drain. A French drain is a continuous system of piping that runs beneath the floor of the basement and along the entire perimeter of the basement. If the process of waterproofing your basement seems like too much of a hassle for you, you can always call for outside help. Someone who is experienced with waterproofing a basement can inject hydroclay around the outside of your foundation. Hydroclay is a waterproofing version of bentonite clay. Its known for its ability to absorb large amounts of water. The specialist will pump the clay in from the outside. The clay fills in voids and follows the pathways that water uses to get inside your foundation, permanently sealing the basement. As you can see, waterproofing your basement is a detailed process. If you think that you may need to waterproof your basement, its important to follow the steps provided to ensure your basement can be waterproofed properly.
==== ==== Waterproofing Basement: Waterproofing the Basement http://tinyurl.com/84zy3ou ==== ====