Choosing Between Damage ContractorsChoosing Between Damage Contractors


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Choosing Between Damage Contractors

Your friend's best friend's cousin might sound like your best bet for an inexpensive, quick repair, but it might be smarter to hire the professionals. A few years ago, I made the mistake of listening to some friend's advice on working with an unlicensed contractor, and I have been regretting that choice for years. In addition to leaving behind wet walls and a damaged interior, the unskilled contractors that I worked with also showed up late and were difficult to get a hold of. My blog is all about helping you to choose the best contractors for the job, so that you can get on with your life.

Insight To Solve Your Damp Basement Problems With The Right Waterproofing

Water is an important element to life, but it is not something you want to invade your home. When water comes into your home through cracks and small openings, whether it is through the roof, via a window opening, or through the basement foundation, it always causes some type of damage and often mold and mildew growth that can result in expensive repairs. Here are some tips and recommendations to help you solve a damp basement problem and make your foundation home walls waterproof to stop the moisture leaking into your home.

Evaluate the Moisture Problem

Water leaking into your basement space, whether it is finished or unfinished, is not a good situation. Too much moisture either inside your home air or in the surrounding soil can lead to a trickle of water entering your basement space and wet drywall, carpeting, and fixtures along with the potential for mold. It is important for you to figure out where the moisture is originating from so you can stop the problem and prevent it from recurring. 

Have you had a recent heavy rainfall in your area? This can cause excess saturation in the soil around your home's foundation, which pushes the moisture into any crack or opening in the foundation walls or slab. Or has your basement been excessively humid either from repeated bathing without venting the air from your basement? Another cause may be from your dryer vent pipe getting blocked or loose. The excess humidity expelled from the back of your clothes dryer can put extra humidity into the air and cause moisture build-up on the walls, leading to condensation.

Complete a check in your basement by taping a piece of tinfoil onto an unfinished basement wall overnight. In the morning, check to see if there is condensation on the back or front of the tinfoil: condensation on the back means moisture is coming from the foundation wall, and condensation on the front means it is due to high air humidity. To remove excess humidity from the air, you can simply turn on ventilation to push the air outside or use a dehumidifier in your basement. Contact a waterproofing professional to help you with exterior moisture problems and to waterproof your foundation.

Look For Waterproofing Options

There are several ways you can waterproof your foundation walls to keep moisture from intruding from the outside. First, your waterproof professional can apply an interior coating or sealant to block out moisture. They can also install an interior French drain and sump pump with a wall waterproof barrier. Or they may choose to waterproof from the outside using perforated drainage pipe and exterior sealants. Talk to your professional about the best recommendations to treat and protect your home.

To learn more, contact a resource like Central Penn Waterproofing.