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Tips For Waterproofing Your Basement Walls

14 April 2016 by Kyle Brown

If you want to prevent your basement from becoming damp, you can take a step in the right direction by waterproofing the walls of your basement. Doing so will protect your home from potential water damage and also help keep away bacteria and mold. Here are some tips for how to do it.

Fix All Existing Cracks

The purpose of waterproofing is to take preventative measures against water leaking into your home through your foundation. If there is an existing crack that water can get through, any other waterproofing methods that you do could be compromised. That's why you need to start with fixing those existing cracks in your foundation walls.

You can seal small cracks in a wall using an epoxy wax sealer, which can be purchased at a local home improvement store. It helps to place something flat against the crack until the epoxy compound starts to stick. You can do this using a flat wooden board.

With the cracks sealed, water will not leak through them, and the section of the wall will have less stress on it. This will help give the wall a fighting chance against potential damage that can be caused by the crack getting bigger.

Use Waterproof Paint

Another way to protect the walls is to use waterproof paint. The benefit of using this kind of paint instead of regular paint is that it doesn't wear out when water touches it. The protective film actually will keep the concrete wall dry.

Always clean a concrete wall before painting it to make sure that the paint sticks and forms a seal. If not, the paint could peel off if it comes in contact with water.

Apply Hydraulic Cement

Have you ever wondered why your foundation's concrete walls tend to be more susceptible to allowing water to infiltrate your home? It is because pores in the cement can form when walls contract. Once water builds up under the surface on the outside of the walls, the water will eventually seep through these pores and get into your home's basement.

You can apply a layer of hydraulic cement to the walls, and you won't have to worry about the material shrinking. Instead, hydraulic cement will expand and form a seal that is airtight. The material is not water soluble and actually can harden in wet conditions. This all makes it ideal for waterproofing.

If you need help performing any of these waterproofing tips, contact a waterproofing contractor in your area, such as those at Sammons Waterproofing.

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