Basement Waterproofing to Prevent Mold

Basement waterproofing to prevent mold begins with finding the source of water leakage and moisture. A moist or wet basement is a breeding ground for mold and especially black mold. Waterproofing a basement yourself can save thousands of dollars in your pocket if you are willing to put in the time that a basement waterproofing contractor would cost.

A moldy wet basement can be very costly in terms of your families health and for this reason many homeowners lose there homes when over run with black mold caused by water damage done to their basements.

First you will want to determine if the water damage is an interior basement waterproofing problem or an exterior basement water proofing.

No matter how much mold removal you try to accomplish if your basement continues to be wet you will always have mold issues. Mold breeds in wet conditions and a continuously wet basement will keep breeding mold. Eventually the mold will get into your flooring and into your heating and cooling system and spread throughout your whole house.

Basement waterproofing is the only solution to ridding your home from mold. Eventually the wet basement breeds black mold and these mold spores are carried through your house making some people very sick.

Anything inside your basement that causes your basement to be wet or damp must be fixed. This includes fixing or replacing leaky water heaters, fixing poorly vented clothes dryers, wrapping sweating pipes in the basement and fixing any cracks in the walls and floors that is allowing water to seep in.

Sometimes due to poor drainage around the exterior you may need to put a sealant on the cement blocks on the outer walls and floors of the basement.

Once the basement has been sealed and dried you may have to have a dehumidifier added to remove any additional moisture that may build up in the basement. Also adding light to the basement may help control the mold due to the high humidity. We added glass block windows to our basement. This was a big help in controlling the mold.

I should also mention that a submersible sump pump may be your best friend if you should have a basement flooding issue. Houses built close to a flood plane can quite often have flood basements in the spring time. The submersible sump pump is a great saver from water damage done during these times.

Exterior basement waterproofing can get a little more involved sometimes, depending on what is causing the water damage to your basement.

One of the first reasons for exterior water seeping into your basement is improper gutter set-up. The downspout on the gutter must be running far enough away from the foundation as to not pool up water next to the foundation. Also you must take care of your gutters to make sure they are not clogged with leaves and debris in which may clog the gutter. This would cause over spillage on the gutter depositing the water right next to the foundation.

Another cause for water damage in the basement would be improper grading of the surfaces surrounding the foundation. The grade on the surfaces must always run away from the house or foundation with a gradual slope of 3/4 inch per horizontal foot.

After the basement waterproofing is done then you need to get rid of the mold that is still in the basement. The black mold especially needs to be taken care of and disposed of.