If the recent rain in Virginia is causing you a headache, it might not be the change in pressure and temperature. You might be experiencing problems with a wet basement that is causing stress in your daily life. Many people use their basements for storage or extra living space. When they become wet, this can lead to unnecessary stress and frustration. Reliable Waterproofing & Masonry knows what a headache a wet basement can be, and we’re happy to help you get back on track to a dry, mold- and foundation damage-free home.
Causes of a Wet Basement
This may be the big question on your mind: “Why does my basement or crawl space keep getting more water in it?” You may have sealed all the cracks you could find, but the water keeps coming. This is a sign that there may foundation repair that is necessary to truly solve the waterproofing issue.
In most cases, wet basements are caused by hydrostatic pressure on the foundation walls. What is hydrostatic pressure? This is when water seeps into the looser backfill around the foundation and saturates the soil. The soil becomes heavy and dense and pushes against the foundation wall. The wall isn’t ready to have this kind of pressure on it, and it begins to feel stress and eventually crack or bow. Cracks let in water and cause wet basements. However, it’s not the right solution to just seal the cracks because this will not solve the problem. The water will continue to press against the foundation and cause more cracks and more wet basement problems. It’s important to get to the root of the problem instead of just fixing the surface issues.
Other causes of a wet basement might be water seepage through cracks in the windows or doors, improper yard drainage systems, or tree roots growing into the foundation. However, even simple things like a downspout too close to the home leaking water into the foundation or grading that lets the water pool at the base of the home should be taken into consideration when looking for the source of a wet basement problem. These, of course, can easily be remedied, but they may have caused foundation damage. This is why it’s important to contact a professional to perform an inspection. Reliable Waterproofing & Masonry will perform a free estimate on your home to determine the cause and how we can fix the issue.
How to Solve Issues with a Wet Basement
There are as many ways to solve wet basement issues as there are causes. The way to solve the issue will depend on what the cause is. As mentioned, if it is simply an issue of a downspout too close to the home or a grading issue, this can be easily remedied and the issue resolved. However, in most cases, the issue is more serious than a misplaced downspout and has caused foundation repair damage. In these cases, a different approach must be taken that is centered on getting to the root of the problem while also fixing the surface damage that is letting in the water and causing wet basement issues.
Foundation repair can be performed with helical tiebacks or plate anchors which will be driven deep into the ground into stable soil. This will support the foundation and attach to it with a plate. Once attached, all weight is transferred to the tiebacks or anchors and we can resolve any foundation issues occurring. Next, fixing issues with a yard drainage system will be massively helpful in eliminating wet basement issues. Once the yard is draining properly, it will not drain into the foundation and will cause little to no problems. After that, you can move on to interior waterproofing and vapor barriers. For an extra layer of security, a sump pump can be installed that will redirect any water that does make its way inside, out.
Don’t let the rainy weather give you a headache this month! Take charge and give Reliable Waterproofing & Masonry a call. We’ll set you up with a free estimate and find out what the problem is. We’ll give you a timeline and get to work resolving the issue. Give us a call today and find out what we can do for you!