Water In Your Basement? Fix This One Problem and Prevent Many More

There are plenty of ways water can find its way into your basement; cracks in the foundation or walls, flooding, and inadequate waterproofing methods – such as broken sump-pumps – are all common factors. You may not think too much of it if you have just a small leak or damp spot in your basement, but even a small leak can turn into a big issue.

Property Damage

Most people like to use their basements for storage. A dry basement is the perfect place to store away things you don’t need lying around the rest of your house, like extra clothes or craft projects or all of those seasonal decorations. However, this is only a good idea if you have a dry basement. If your basement developes a water leak, storing anything down there is a bad idea. Water can and will ruin most of the things you keep in your basement – books, photographs, furniture, clothing  – and any mold will only compound the problem and make most of that stuff unrecoverable. Besides the damage to items in your home is the damage to your home itself. A water problem left unchecked tends to grow bigger, and excess water can be a big blow to the structural integrity of your house. Water in the basement can make wooden structures become warped or rotten, cause excess window condensation, and will widen any cracks in the foundation over time.

Health Concerns

Another thing to think about when considering your water problem is the possible effects on you and your family’s health. As mentioned before, a mold problem often follows closely on the heels of water damage. A damp, dark basement is the ideal environment in which fungi can grow and flourish – and flourishing is the last thing you want fungi to be doing in your house. Household molds and their effects on health have been studied quite extensively in recent years, and though there are numerous types of mold that all have different effects, there’s a similar verdict for all – mold in your house is never a good thing. This is definitely something to take seriously if you or a family member suffers from respiratory issues like asthma or allergies; mold is a strong irritant for both conditions. Mold can be expensive and time-consuming to get rid of, so the best route you can take is prevention. That means keeping your basement as dry as possible; mold needs a damp place to survive, so keeping moisture at bay will prevent any destructive mold issue from occurring in the first place. A water leak can become both a serious and expensive problem if its left alone, but if caught early, a wet basement is usually a simple thing to fix. Don’t let water cause major damage to your home before deciding to take action; by making sure your basement is properly waterproofed and stopping problems where they start, you’ll save yourself from plenty of headaches and expenses in the long run. If you’re not sure how to start waterproofing your basement, contact us today; we’ll let you know what steps to take and what you should do to keep your basement – and the rest of your home – safe and sound for years to come.