DIY Steps to Keep Water Out of Your Basement

1. DIY Steps to Keep Water Out ofYour Basement Be it a small crack or a huge one, water always finds its way. And there are several reasons as to why water enters your basement. Flash floods, drainage problems, and appliance failures are some of them. When water accumulates in the basement, it becomes a ground for mold and termites to grow. If you want to avoid this from happening, you can get in touch with one of the water damage restoration companies. You can also indulgeinto some DIY steps for preventing water getting into your basement. Here’s what you can do to keep the waterout. Seal thosegaps As mentioned above, water has a tendency to leak through cracks. If there are gaps around plumbing pipesor

2. concrete walls, water can enter into a basement. Make use of polyurethane caulk or hydraulic cement to seal those gaps. Check if the water still enters after sealing. Ifit still does, you might have to resolve the groundwater problem as mere sealing won’twork. Keep downspoutsaway The downspouts that help you to get rid of excess water should be kept five feet away from the house. You can do so by adding metal or plastic extensions to the downspouts. You can also install an underground drain pipe so that the gutter runoff remains far from yourhouse. Waterproof the basementwalls Moisture and condensation often form on the basement walls. Apply sealant on the walls to avoid this from happening. Apart from this, you can also waterproof the basement walls with silicate based concrete sealers, concrete coatings, plastic sheets or waterproofing paint. Also consider waterproofing the outside walls of the basements so that you can fill the gaps in the foundationif there are any. This process might prove too expensive as you will need to excavate around thehouse.

3. Invest in a sumppump When you install a sump pump, it will protect your basement during floods by pumping the water out. If the level of water in the basement goes up, the sump pumpis smart enough to discharge the water outside thehouse. But before installing one of these for your house,conduct research on how to find the right sump pump and useit. Get the rain gutterscleaned When the gutters are blocked, it results into the water pouring in your home’s foundation creating the risk of basement flooding. Hence, make sure that you get rid of leaves or branches, debris etc and check if there areany loose particles from the asphalt roofing in the gutters. If there are any loose gutter straps, you must tighten them. In case of any gunk in downspouts, you can get rid of them by pouring a lot of water with the help of garden hose.

4. If your basement is already flooded, you must get intouch with the water restoration service provider so that you do not have to deal directly with floodwater. If not, you can take the steps mentioned above and protect your basement. Fore more info : http://www.servicemasterbyar.com/services/water-damage/