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Posted on: 30 April 2020

Moisture is a regular part of Mother Nature and is present outside of your home in the soil and the surrounding environments. As a result, your home can always be susceptible to moisture seeping into your home, specifically through its basement walls, and causing havoc and destruction in its pathway in the form of moldy and musty materials. Here are some recommendations to help you keep your home interior dry and free of moisture damage and mold growth.

Install Exterior Protection

One of the best ways to keep water from getting through your foundation walls is to block it from the exterior of your home. However, this can require you to excavate some of the soil around the outside of your home's foundation. But once the soil has been removed down to the foundation slab, you can install a French drain or perforated drain pipe at the bottom of the trench. This drain will collect groundwater that has over-saturated the soil and divert it away from your home via the pipe.

Then, apply a cement-based sealant onto the outside of your foundation wall. This seal will adhere to the concrete and fill the concrete pores, further protecting your foundation walls from moisture saturation. Backfill gravel or crushed rock onto the drainpipe to fill in the area where the excavated soil used to sit. You can use this soil to fill in other areas of your yard. 

Install Waterproof Interior Products

Another method to protect your inside from moisture is to install materials that will keep your basement protected. This includes waterproof flooring, such as tile, vinyl laminate, and engineered flooring that repels water. You can also install a carpeting upon the top of a waterproof padding, which will resist the absorption of water should any water seep into your basement.

Treat the Interior Foundation Walls

You can provide additional protection inside your home by treating the inside of the walls with a protective barrier. Apply an asphalt-modified polyurethane membrane material that seals the surface of your foundation walls, filling in the pores of the concrete. This will block exterior water from coming into the basement of your home.

And as a great benefit, if your concrete foundation sustains any more cracking over time, the membrane will flex and move under any pressure present to remain a sealed barrier. So, if you have any existing cracks that grow or widen at all, the membrane will continue to provide the moisture-proof space to your home.

For more information about waterproofing, such as basement waterproofing, contact a professional near you.