Proper Waterproofing Is Necessary Before Basement Remodeling


by Bryan Cantrill - Date: 2007-03-19 - Word Count: 507 Share This!

Basements are good as long as they do not have any leaks that can allow water to seep in and damage any of the valuable articles that are often stored there. You certainly wouldn't want it to affect the health of the houses inhabitants!

As property prices continue to rise steadily, people now have to ensure that they utilise what space they have in the most effective way possible. Basements can be used for the same purpose as any other room in the house, it is not unusual now for a basement to be a stylish and well decorated living space or maybe even a play room for the kids. No longer are they a simple and unnoticed storage space.

Renovation and waterproofing professionals like us often come across a lot of unique ideas from clients of how they would like to use their basement space. These clients could have bought an older house as many new build houses are already focused on maximising the use of space.

A new generation home owners is ready to invest in something that they can use for a variety of purposes. You can see this once you have understood their ideas for their basement remodelling.

However, it is vital that all the initial work has been done when you look to turn the basement into a living space. This should ideally start when you lay the foundation stone for your building. A crack in the foundation wall will be an avenue for moisture to get into the basement.

It must be remembered that basements are by nature damp and prone to high pressure humidity that may lead to a number of problems. Concrete is naturally porous and if you do not go for proper waterproofing, there is every chance that you will end up with a wet basement - typically in seasonal rainstorms.

You should properly monitor the water supply system of your house - a leakage in the system may cause you enough pain and a lot of hard earned cash in the long run.

Our experience tells us, many factors, even the location of your house (like a lake side plot) can cause heavy and continuing dampness. We have also seen cases where the dampness was actually caused by neighbour's leaking pipes or roof drains.

In some cases we have found that Thoroseal used in the basement has caused a lot of damage, as it trapped moisture against the brick. The situation was worse when we took up the job and had to remove what was left of the Thoroseal along with the bricks as were no longer up to the job. In another instance we found that the house was not only wet in the winter, but also damp and musty even in summer.

To sum up, you can easily go for a basement remodeling, if you have proper legal permission to do so. But without proper waterproofing of your basement, the whole exercise may turn into a complete waste of money. Ensure you consult a professional for a thorough analysis of your requirements before taking any steps.


Related Tags: basement waterproofing, structural waterproofing, waterproofing a basement, waterproofing solutions

Bryan Cantrill is a freelance writer with years of experience in basement conversion and remodeling For more information on structural basement waterproofing solutions he recommends you to visit http://www.basementsuk.co.uk/

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