Spring Should Not Occur in Your Basement

Thinking about spring these days.  While the ground is thawing and we are thinking about flowers coming up…take a trip down to your basement.  Basement foundations are under a lot of pressure, with the ground outside repeatedly freezing and thawing.  At some point a crack may appear and let some moisture in.

If your basement is unfinished, have a close look at the walls.  Move storage and boxes away from the corners.  If you see efflorescence, which looks like a salty or chalky residue around the walls or floors or you see a crack, it’s time to act.  It’s time to give a basement waterproofing professional a call.

Finished basements present more of a challenge…keep a close eye, think about getting a moisture reader. Amazon and Bob Vila rated the Calculated Industries 7445 AccuMASTER Duo Pro Pin & Pinless Moisture Meter quite highly.  Look along the baseboard or the carpet.  Your baseboard might look stained and carpet might be damp.  If so, it’s definitely time for intervention.

Basement waterproofing is a home repair job that should be left to the professionals, but it’s all about prevention and early detection.   I’m happy to provide you with some phone numbers of reliable professionals.

Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Here is what some prevention might look like!

1. Exterior grading:

Once the snow starts melting or after a good rainfall, take a walk around the exterior of your home.  Is there water pooling around your home?  This could mean your grading is poor.  Over the years soil erodes from around the foundation of your home.  You should have the proper grading of six to eight inches higher than the surrounding area that should gently slope over 8-10 feet.

2. Gutters:

When it’s raining, pop on your boots and raincoat and have a look to see what is happening.  A good eaves or gutter system should be collecting the water coming down your roof into your downspouts and directing the water away from your foundation.  The downspouts should be extending away from your foundation.  If you are seeing an overflowing downspout, they might just need a good cleaning.  Leaves and debris gather there over the years.

3. Gardens:

So many people, myself included, have lovely gardens out front just under their front window.  What do we do with gardens?  Water them.  You see the problem now.  When you are building your garden, remember that proper slope for drainage away from your home and don’t water more than your plants can drink.

4. Shrubs and bushes:

Keep them trimmed about a person width away from your home for proper airflow.