How To Think About The Cause When Looking For Leaking Basement Solutions
Many of our older homes have basements and they can be great additions and functional places for you to use. For example, they could be a getaway for the kids or could be a place to store things rather than the garage. Many of these rooms do suffer from water infiltration problems, however, which can make them unusable if you’re not careful. Therefore we need to look for leaking basement solutions when we have found the cause of the issue.
As you cannot fix anything if you don’t know what is causing it, don’t be tempted to try and apply one of the first leaking basement solutions that you come across.
Do you know whether what water leaking in from the outside, or is it being generated internally in the form of condensation? Do a simple test by applying a piece of aluminum foil to the wall securely and then check back in a week or so. Is the dampness on the inside or the outside?
Many people find that their leaking basement solutions are a lot simpler than they might imagine. For example, have a look outside first and see if the land around your home is sloping inwards toward the wall? If it is, you need to do some landscaping readjustments so that rainwater is channeled away rather than in.
While you’re out there, look at your down pipes and gutters above. They may need to be adjusted and specific channels put in place to once again direct rainwater away from your home to more appropriate drainage areas.
It’s often easy to let heavy shrubbery buildup around our home so that it causes an issue. Moisture buildup in the soil around the house could prevent natural drainage and you do need to let the sunlight get to it productively. This could be one of your external leaking basement solutions.
Remember that dampness in your basement may be caused by sweating or condensation. If you can get a free movement of air in, it will quickly dry out the room, so always make sure that good ventilation is a priority. Can you channel air-conditioning in there; this will help to dehumidify the air?
One of your shortest term options when it comes to leaking basement solutions is to place a water absorbent sock in the affected area. It’s amazing how efficient these can be and how much water they can soak in as you look for longer-term fixes to your annoyance.
