Keeping your basement dry
Finding and correcting issues with moisture in your basement is best done sooner rather than later. Putting this off can affect your health and potentially cause permanent damage. More than dealing with mopping up water and drying out rugs. moisture and water can lead to mold growth, wood rot, and issues with your foundation walls. Most problems with water in the basement come from improper handling of water flow outside. It is ESSENTIAL to keep your gutter and downspouts clean and flowing away from the foundation and proper grading all along your walls. Overtime as your house settles and cracks can form along the walls. These areas are prone to allowing water from saturated soil to find its way inside. Here are some tips to find and deal with problems you may be having. Many of the problems can be DIY projects and some may require bringing in an expert. The sooner you deal with the problems the easier they will be to tackle.
FIND THE SOURCE:
If you have a small area of moisture it is easier to pinpoint the problem. Whole wet walls may be more difficult to identify. Since concrete is porous, you may see streaks that let you know where the water is coming in. Look for signs along cracks, at the corners of windows, between mortar joints, along the joint where the wall and the floor meet, and around pipes where they enter or exit, such as a water-supply line or a sewer pipe.
If you don’t see any specific area of concern and entire walls are moist you can conduct a simple condensation test. Start by drying an area of the wall with a rag and then attach a one-foot square piece of aluminum foil to the wall with duct tape. Peel off the foil after 24 hours and check how the underside of the foil feels. If it is wet, water is seeping through the wall from the outside.
This is usually caused by improper drainage along the foundation. Check gutters, downspouts and grading around the foundation. As a general rule of thumb, the grading should decrease 6 inches every 6 feet away from the home's foundation. To create a proper grade, use a long board. Have someone help you hold one end against the foundation. Using a ruler to measure, position the other end of the board 6 inches from soil level at the point where the slope will end. Set a level on top to make sure the board is straight. That shows how high the soil needs to go along on the foundation. The best way to tamp down the topsoil is to add 2 inches of rise at a time and walk it down with your feet. Then add 2 more inches and repeat until you are finished.
Gutters should be cleaned regularly. I usually do mine 4 times a year. Downspouts should be free flowing and drain into a downspout diverter or extension that will take the water at least 4 feet from the foundation.
In some cases it may be necessary to put in an exterior drain tile system. This is usually a last-ditch effort because it’s pricey, easily running $10,000 or more. It requires excavating the soil from around the outside of the foundation in order to install a perforated drain at the footing level. A waterproof membrane is often installed on the outside of the basement wall, and the system usually requires putting in a sump pump where water will collect and then be pumped to the surface. This is a job I generally recommend be done by a foundation contractor, but it could greatly reduce basement water problems.
DON’T FORGET THE WINDOW WELLS:
Keep the window wells clean and replace the ones that are deteriorated. The metal window wells will rust over time allowing water to seep into the well area. Standing water can seep in around windows. If possible try and install a window well drainage system when you replace the metal well. Dig approximately two feet lower in the well area, and then fill the space with gravel to help rainwater disperse rather than collect in the window well. Then, caulk around the window with a caulk suitable for use on masonry, such as a silicone window and door caulk. Sloped covers are useful to not only keep out water but also debris.
KEEP THE DRAIN AT THE BASE OF THE EXERIOR STAIRS CLEAR:
This may like an obvious place to start but it isn’t always apparent. Be sure the drain is not only clear of leaves and debris but that is completely free flowing. There may be a clog 10 or more feet down the pipe that only causes problems with heavy flooding rains. A snake or calling a Roto Rooter type company can take care of this if the drain is clogged. Run a hose in the pipe regularly to make sure it isn’t backing up.
DON’T MAKE ANY REPAIRS IF THERE IS STANDING WATER:
This is prudent for a variety of reasons. If there is standing water in the basement there is an increased risk of electrical shock. If necessary turn power off to the basement until you have been able to pump out and mop up standing water.
USE THE APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS:
Areas where problems often are found is the joint between the wall and the floor and cracks that form along block mortar joints. These areas are susceptible to cracking during normal settling and from lateral pressure from the soil. This may seem ominous but it is fairly common and can be an easy DYI project. Use a hydraulic water-stop cement that expands to fill the cracks and crevices where water can find its way in. Be sure to follow the directions for use, since this is a quick setting cement you only want to mix what you can use in a quick time frame. In some areas like where pipes or electrical cables may penetrate the exterior wall you can use plumbers putty or expandable foam insulation.
IF NECESSARY PUT IN AN INTERIOR DRAINAGE SYSTEM:
This can be a lot of work and can be expensive but if you need it don’t put it off. This is similar to the exterior drain tiles mentioned above but is along the wall/floor joint. This is a job I generally recommend being done by a pro. If you are really handy there are You Tube videos that can walk you through it. There are also some drainage systems that are added to the wall, floor joint but I don’t know how effective they are. Do some research and see if this is something you can do yourself or if it’s better to bring someone in to help.
APPLY WATERPROOFING TO BARE, CLEAN INTERIOR WALLS:
If your walls haven’t been painted and are clean of efflorescence you can apply dry lock. The dry lock paint will only adhere to bare masonry. If the walls have been painted or if efflorescence (white mineral deposits) has built up you will need to strip and clean them off. You will have to decide if it is worth your time and energy to strip the paint. Depending on how many layers are there it can be tedious and time consuming. It may be worth the money to have a professional come and sand blast the paint. You can use muriatic acid to remove the efflorescence. Once the walls are clean and down to bare masonry you can paint the dry lock on similar to any other paint. Be sure to get it into cracks and crevices and put on at least two coats.
DON’T FINISH THE SPACE INSIDE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE YOU HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM:
Now you have done all this work you want to be able to enjoy your space but don’t rush it. Until you have been through a period of heavy rains with no future signs of moisture don’t bother repairing drywall or replacing carpet or other flooring. It can be very hard to wait and continue to live in an unfinished state but you don’t want to have to redo the work later. This is one time when patience can really pay off. If you drywall before you are sure the problem is corrected you can have mold growing behind the walls for months before you realize it is even there.
KEEP UP ON THE MAINTAINENCE:
Keep an eye on trouble areas and don’t let things slide. Most moisture in basements is caused by grading and improper flow of water from downspouts and gutters. Keep on top of these things. Also be sure to keep the drain at the exterior stairs clear of debris. I have seen lots of DYI solutions to keeping leaves and stuff off the drain cover and out of the pipe. An ounce of prevention is worth a TON of cure when it comes to issues with water.