Water in your basement is not a good thing. If you notice that you have water seeping into your basement, you want to make sure that you handle it as soon as possible because water can cause small cracks in your foundation to become larger cracks. Larger cracks mean that you are going to have to have your entire foundation repaired, which can be really pricey. There are things that you can do that will help to keep water out of your basement, where it doesn't belong.
French Drains
A French drain is a trench that runs along the side of your house, not far from the side of your house. The way that one of these drains works is that it is dug down a few feet — how far depends on where you are, how much frost gets in your ground, and a few other variables. Then, some gravel is placed along the bottom of the trench. On top of that gravel, a pipe with holes drilled into it is placed. The reason that the holes are drilled into the pipe is that it will allow the water to go into the piper. Then more gravel is placed on top of the pipe, and the trench is covered up. The reason for all the gravel is to keep the dirt from clogging the holes in the pipe.
Membrane
Another way to keep your basement dry is to use a membrane on the basement. There are a variety of membranes that you can use; some go on the outside, some go on the inside. For example, there are liquid membranes that you can paint on your basement walls and floor. As they dry, they will help to create a waterproof barrier. You can also work with a concrete contractor to have them install a membrane on the outside of your basement. To do that, they are going to have to dig around the sides of your foundation so that they can affix the membrane. If you have a lot of cracks or existing damage to your foundation, this would be a good idea because they can fix that damage before the membrane gets put on.
When you get water in your basement, you need to get it repaired as soon as you can. There are several options to repair it, but you might end up combining options for the best results.
Contact a basement waterproofing service to learn more.
