A Guide to Water­proof­ing Your Home

Apr 22, 2024 • By Matthew Stock.

As the rainy sea­son approach­es the Chicagoland area, home­own­ers face the task of safe­guard­ing their homes against poten­tial water dam­age. Think of water­proof­ing your home like putting on a rain­coat before a storm. Just as a rain­coat keeps you warm and dry, pre­ven­tive water­proof­ing shields your base­ment from seepage.

Under­stand­ing the Impor­tance of Pre­ven­tive Waterproofing

Neglect­ing water­proof­ing can lead to severe con­se­quences. Water intru­sion into your home­’s base­ment or crawl space can pave the way for mold growth, wood rot, and com­pro­mise the very struc­ture of your res­i­dence. The costs asso­ci­at­ed with repair­ing such dam­ages far exceed the invest­ment required for pre­ven­tive mea­sures.

Rou­tine Home Inspec­tion and Maintenance

Home­own­ers should con­duct rou­tine inspec­tions of their prop­er­ties to iden­ti­fy poten­tial vul­ner­a­bil­i­ties. Here’s a sim­ple check­list to help you nav­i­gate your inspection:

1. Check Gut­ters and Downspouts:

• Clear any debris obstruct­ing gut­ters to ensure prop­er water flow.
• Inspect down­spouts for clogs and ensure they direct water away from the foundation.

2. Exam­ine Base­ment or Crawl Space:

• Search for signs of mois­ture, such as damp­ness, mold growth, or musty odors.
• Look for cracks, gaps, or signs of water seep­age along exte­ri­or foun­da­tion walls
• Inspect walls and floors for cracks or dis­col­oration, indica­tive of water intrusion.
• Check for pool­ing water near the foun­da­tion, indi­cat­ing drainage issues.

3. Test Sump Pump:

• Pour water into the sump pit to ver­i­fy the pump acti­vates and effec­tive­ly removes water.
• Test the bat­tery back­up to ensure func­tion­al­i­ty dur­ing pow­er outages.

4. Inspect for Exte­ri­or Water­proof­ing Issues:

• Look for signs of dete­ri­o­ra­tion or dam­age to exist­ing water­proof­ing sealants or coatings.
• Iden­ti­fy areas where water may pen­e­trate through porous con­crete or gaps in the foundation.
• Check the lev­el of dirt and mulch around the house to ensure it is not high­er than the top of the foundation.

Pro­fes­sion­al Eval­u­a­tion and Solutions

Address­ing base­ment seep­age involves a com­bi­na­tion of pre­ven­ta­tive mea­sures and proac­tive solu­tions. Sim­ple alter­ations such as installing a leaf fil­ter, or gut­ter guards, can help min­i­mize water accu­mu­la­tion on the roof, while repair­ing base­ment cracks pro­vides a cru­cial bar­ri­er against mois­ture infil­tra­tion. Addi­tion­al­ly, ensur­ing down­spouts are prop­er­ly posi­tioned to direct water away from the foun­da­tion is essen­tial for main­tain­ing a dry base­ment environment.

U.S. Water­proof­ing pro­vides access to expert guid­ance and tai­lored solu­tions for your water­proof­ing needs. Our team of expe­ri­enced Advi­sors can assess the sit­u­a­tion com­pre­hen­sive­ly and rec­om­mend the most effec­tive mea­sures to pro­tect your home. 

Reach out to U.S. Water­proof­ing for a free con­sul­ta­tion.

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