What You Need To Understand About Basement Leak Repair

How to Carry Out Basement Leak Repair

No homeowner wants to experience basement leaks in his or her home. Basement leaks are some of the most annoying issues, including insect infestation, mildew and mould, and unwanted rodents. Not forgetting the problems leaking water can cause to your basement and the entire home. That is why most homeowners consider basement leak repair as soon as possible they see the signs of water leakage in their homes.

Fortunately, basement repair is a DIY project that you can accomplish easily with a bit of dedication and time. It will keep your basement floors and walls protected from the damaging impacts of water leaking through the foundation or the walls. Don’t also forget that choosing to DIY reduces basement leak repair cost. At draincom, we will show you how to carry out basement waterproofing and keep it always dry.

Identify The Issue

A wet basement may imply that you are dealing with a bigger issue than you think. Water may getting into our home through many sources. So, the first thing you need to do in the basement leak repair process is to identify where the water is coming from. Check the gutters and downspouts. If they are not well installed, they let water to poor along the foundation of your home and filtrate through the porous walls.

The problem could be in the clogged drainage pipes and poor grading or ruts that might be directing runoff water to your foundation. Checking and correcting these issues will prevent your walls from being compromised by running water or water coming from gutters.

 First, you need to pinpoint where the condensation or seepage is causing the wetness in your basement. To accomplish this, use a strong adhesive to attach and aluminium foil to the interior of your basement wall. Leave it there for a couple of days and then take it off. If the top surface of the aluminium foil is wet, then your conclusion is as right as mine; the problem is condensation. However, if the wall surface is wet, the issue is seepage. But remember, the same problems can occur concurrently. 

Surface Preparation

The second step in basement repair. If there is some water on the floor, remove things that can get destroyed and mob it. If there is mould that has already formed, get rid of it.

Next, eliminate any broken or loosely attached mortar dust and debris around the leaking surface using a stiff brush. Now, clean the area vigorously. Remember that basement leak repair only is effective when done on a clean area. 

Seal Walls

Now that the area is ready go ahead and apply the sealant on the basement wall. To make it effective, apply the inner coat using a polyester or nylon bristle brush. For the second inner coat, you can utilise a masonry roller or a brush. Make sure that the sealant is worked directly into the cracks of the wall surface. After completing the first gallon, take measurements of the section covered. The area should be approximately 75 to 100sq ft. If you find that the area exceeds this measurement, know that you have spread the sealant sheet too thin.

So, apply another sealant coat over the whole wall surface. If you observe seepage after a couple of days, that shows there are still some small pores or pin cracks available. Apply another layer of sealant to those areas.

Seal Floor Cracks

Water that gets in your basement through the basement floor normally gets there at cracks or joints of the foundation. To solve this problem and have effective leak repair, use hydraulic cement to seal the joints or cracks.

To repair the floor crack, expose the crack by use of a hammer and chisel. Enlarge the space in the crack to make it bigger than the outside by chiselling it at an angle. This will give you a better grip for the hydraulic cement. When done with the process, get rid of all concrete debris and dust in the spaces using a stiff brush.

When using the hammer and chisel, always were googles as cement, and small particles can jump into your eyes and harm you. This is a precautionary alert, especially if you have decided to DIY basement leak repair. Choosing a DIY helps you reduce basement leak repair cost.

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