Basement Waterproofing Tips for Fall 2021
Basement Waterproofing Tips for Fall 2021
Prepare your Basement Foundation for the Fall Season with these helpful Waterproofing Solutions!
Fall is here and it’s time to start thinking about waterproofing around the house! This August was a dry month with lots of sun and very little rain, but the precipitation is coming in due time. It’s time to start preparing your basement foundation for a lot more rain, snow, and eventually when it all melts. We have five great ways you can prepare your foundation for the absolute worst and how you can maintain the health of your basement walls as we prepare to change seasons once again. These five waterproofing tips for Fall 2021 will give easy ways to prevent excess water from finding its way into your basement. They require a few products that you can easily buy at a home hardware store and are easy to apply around your home.
1. Check your Eavestroughs and Downpipes to make sure there are No Water Blockages
The number one way water finds its way into your home is from water pooling around your house because your eavestrough and downpipe system is failing. This common waterproofing system is designed to move the rainwater away from your home to a place where it will need harm your basement foundation. Especially in the Fall season, leaves will find their way into your eavestroughs and funnel into your downpipes, preventing rainwater from flowing freely through the system. The overflow of water will then pour over onto your property and most likely end up on the sides of your foundation. If the water starts to freeze and melt rapidly, this is how the water finds its way into your foundation cracks and cause damage to the integrity of your foundation structure. That’s why it is so important to make sure the water is properly disposed of away from any of your concrete structures including your basement foundation and concrete walkways.
So make sure you can reach your eavestroughs to clean them from leaves blockages or any type of disruption to the flow of water. If you can’t reach them yourself, it’s important to hire a company that can clean them out. Even with a proper gutter guard system installed, it’s still important to clean out any eavestrough blockages as these gutter guard systems are not 100% failproof. As well, make sure the water is not being dumped onto your foundation walls at the end of your downpipe. Make sure to displace the water with a downpipe extender to a safe location that is not going to impact other parts of your house or your neighbour’s house. Great basement leak prevention starts with a working and functional eavestrough and downspout system.
2. Check to make sure your home has Proper Grading sloping away from the Property
Having proper grading is super important for keeping your basement foundation dry. Grading can redirect water away from your house that would normally sit at the base of your foundation walls until they find a way to soak down into the ground. Grading can be done using soil or with cement and when done correctly, will send the water away from the house. This will prevent the water from storing in places where it can freeze and do damage to the things around it. If it’s your foundation, having water pool up beside your basement walls could eventually result in the water leaking into your basement space.
- If you have concrete surrounding your foundation, make sure it is installed with a slope flowing away from the foundation. The sides of your house should not have a valley where water can sit and find its way onto your foundation. Prepare the concrete with a slight slope that will cause the water to flow away from the foundation
- If your foundation is surrounded by dirt, use more soil to create a slope with the highest point being beside your foundation. The soil will prevent the excess water from draining down into the earth and redirect the water to drain away from the home. Over time the water will erode some of the soil you put down so be sure to check on the grading to make sure it still effectively redirects the water from your foundation walls.
3. Check and Seal Foundation Cracks and Walkway Cracks
Your next step is to inspect your surrounding foundation walls and walkways and check to see if there are any alarming foundation cracks that could lead to water finding its way into your basement. If you find some minor-sized cracks, it is in your best interest to seal them before they become major cracks. Parging cement is great for resurfaces minor cracks along your foundation wall. You can also use crack filler products and cement caulking tubes that are easier to use when fixing your foundation cracks, but at the cost that they might be just temporary solutions. Also, look out for faults in your mortar joints and consider refilling them as these are other ways water can seep into your home and do considerable damage. If your foundation cracks appear to be bigger in size, you might need to consider getting them professionally fixed to prevent further erosion.
For your foundation walkways, use cement to resurface your concrete cracks or consider redoing the concrete work done in those spots. Water can still travel through these small vulnerabilities if you have left them unchecked.
4. Check your Basement Windows for Water Leaks and get some Window Well Covers if needed
If you have basement windows, you might have to do a bit of easy maintenance to make sure they don’t cause water leaks. If your basement windows sink lower than the ground level, you most likely have basement window wells and you will most likely need to clean out the leaves and debris found inside it. Oftentimes, window wells will clog and not drain water properly into the ground and the drainage tile below it, so make sure you clean it out properly and make sure you have crushed gravel inside of the window well to increase the drainage potential. As well, you can purchase window well covers that will help make sure water doesn’t overfill the window well and then drain into your basement. There are many different types of window well covers that let in various amounts of sunlight but all will tremendously help keep a great amount of rain and snow away from your basement windows.
If you need to have basement window wells installed in your home, RCC offers these services. Our waterproofing team can install metal window wells and order custom window well covers if it’s a service that you need.
5. Have a Waterproofing Inspection Done on your Basement Foundation
If you see signs that something is wrong inside your basement or if you think water is entering your home from the foundation, it might be a good idea to talk to a waterproofing specialist or get a waterproofing inspection done on your home. Some waterproofing companies will charge for this waterproofing service but RCC Waterproofing offers free inspections after speaking to one of our local waterproofing specialists. Be sure to contact us so we can have you speak with the waterproofing specialist stationed in your area. Our inspectors can break down what could be happening to your basement foundation and schedule the waterproofing inspection so that our team can perform a “water test” to see if you indeed have a basement leak or not.
The information is free so there is no downside to inquiring into what could be happening to your home. Especially in older homes, eventually, your foundation will wear and tear, allowing water to enter your home in places that were previously sealed and water leak free. It’s important to catch the water leaks or inquire about major foundation cracks before they grow bigger or in the worst-case scenario, they result in a basement flood. Our waterproofing specialists are here to help you prevent these horrible situations from happening, especially before the winter season comes where it becomes much harder to perform a basement foundation repair.
RCC Waterproofing and Foundation Repairs has been servicing Ontario customers for over 100 years. Their repairs have outlived lifetime warranties by at least two times. The company provides professionally trained sales representatives to view, assess and quote on repairs. The installers are employees of RCC and most have long term working relationships. RCC carries full insurance including WSIB coverage and HST registration.
RCC Waterproofing offers:
- A Lifetime Waterproofing Guarantee!
- 24-hour emergency services for Ontario residences
- Fully trained technical sales representatives to view, assess and quote the repair
- Over 100 years of third-generation family success both in products and services and superb warranty
- Full-service options, providing either exterior or interior repairs depending on issues, location, and structure
- A successful record of servicing over 75,000 customers
