No matter how much effort and expense you put into maintaining order in your home, some things seem inevitable. Like water in the basement. Basements have the perfect conditions for moisture because they are underground. Although there is soil beyond the walls, water can often find a way to sneak in regardless. When this water seeps into your basement, all your hard work you put in to keep your house neat goes to waste. But don’t lose heart, because there are always solutions.
The first thought that comes to mind is basement waterproofing, but that term can be pretty vague. There is a difference between basement waterproofing by the pros at City Residential Foundation Repair, or just buying a crack injection kit at Home Depot and calling it a day. If it is not done correctly, your hard-earned money goes down the drain (unlike the water).
First things first, why does water leak into basements all across Ottawa?
Before you look for solutions, you need to identify where exactly the problem is; the floor or the walls. For this there is a simple trick. Take a plastic sheet and cover the entire basement floor with it. Make sure you seal everything perfectly. Let it sit for two weeks and if the floor is damp, that indicates the floor is the problem. If not, then you know you need to get the walls checked. Easy and straight to the point.
Now again, you have two problems. The water could be seeping in through the walls or the ceiling of the basement. If it is the walls, the solution is simple. You could go for an interior weeping tile system. But if it the roof, then there is a larger issue at hand.
First you need to notice a few things to determine why there is leakage. The slopes outside the house on your property could be slanting towards your house, directing the water to the foundation of your house and encouraging water to seep in. Or there could be an issue with the plumbing in your house causing a leak.
You can do either of the two things once you have the problem figured out. If it is indeed the seeping in from outside, then install an exterior weeping tile system. Otherwise, you can install a French drain. They are both elaborate processes that require the trained hand of a team of basement waterproofing experts. Don’t waste your time and money on a quick fix – get it done once and get it done right.
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