Waterproofing Basement Know-How
Years can go by before you run into the problem of rising damp and mold in your basement rooms. One of the first questions one needs to ask oneself when it comes to waterproofing basement solutions, is where is the water coming from? While this may seem obvious, answering this question will greatly simplify the decision that the waterproofing company will need to make, and will more easily enable it to decide what route needs to be taken to fix the problem.
Basement Waterproofing Baltimore MD
The layman’s approach to waterproofing basement problems is to try and plug the holes and seal the cracks in the floor and walls in the hope that this will stop seepage into the house. So they make a trip down to the local Lowes or Home Depot, and after discussing their problem with one of the helpful employees, they pick up a range of sealants in aerosol cans, together with some waterproofing paint, and head back home to start some DIY work. The sad truth is that this is unlikely to be very successful. One really needs the professional advice of one of the experienced basement waterproofing companies familiar with the waterproofing requirements of your area.
French Drain Basement Solutions
What exactly is a French drain? Water seepage into your home through the basement foundations or floor, is caused by a build up of water pressure on the outside of your home. This may be due to rising ground water caused by heavy rains or flooding from nearby underground water sources, which result in the water table rising to a level that will start exerting pressure around your foundations. Invariably, over the years, cracks and imperfections will have started forming in and around the foundations and basement floor, and these will progressively allow damp to enter your basement area.
Ground Drainage
Proper ground drainage will reduce the pressure created by this underground water, preventing it from seeping into your basement area and reduce basement waterproofing problems. The way this is practically achieved is by means of an exterior or interior French drain, otherwise known as a basement French drain. Your Maryland basement waterproofing company will know which kind is best for your property.
The principle behind a French drain is to excavate a trench and fill it with suitable gravel or suitable stone material, with a perforated pipe placed inside the drain, that redirects the accumulating water away from the area where it is not wanted.
Do I Need a Sump Pump?
If your waterproofing contractor decides to install a basement French drain, they will need to determine a way of venting the water that has percolated into the drain. An extremely successful solution is to lead the water through the drainage pipe and into a sump, in which an automatic sump pump has been installed. This basement sump pump will then eject the water through another pipe, leading it far away from the foundation and out into the garden where it no longer poses a waterproofing threat to your building.
Let us inspect your property and determine what solution is the most economical and efficient to solve your basement waterproofing problem.
