7 Basement Waterproofing Tips

Cartoon woman holding door shut to prevent a flood

7 Basement Waterproofing Tips

Icon for no water leaks

 

 

There are a variety of ways that homeowners can prevent water from finding its way into the basement. It may come as a surprise, but the majority of these tips are easy and cost efficient. But most importantly they will help you avoid undergoing serious repairs to your foundation.

Gutters and Downspouts

One of the easiest ways to prevent water from finding its way into your home is by having clean gutters. As a homeowner you need to ensure that water can flow properly through your eavestrough without any obstructions.

In addition, making sure your downspout is at least 8-10 feet away from your foundation allows for the water to drain away from you home as oppose to directly to it.

Soil

Soil can be your enemy or it can be your friend. Knowing how to use soil to avoid water draining towards your home is an important skill for any homeowner. Soil that surrounds your home should be on an incline, approximately on a slope of ¼ inch per foot. By using soil in this manner water will drain away from your foundation.

Not only does this help your home, but your garden will also thank you later.

French Drain

Sometimes excess water can sit between your home and your neighbours home. Eventually this water will drain somewhere. To safeguard your home, installing a French drain can allow water to be directed towards the front or the back of your yard.

Lowes provides a great DIY video on how to install a French drain which you can see my clicking the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stdBRIDYmDQ  

Window Wells

Like your gutters, if your home has window wells, you need to ensure there is no debris blocking the drain. Window wells only work if you let them do their job. Keep an eye out to ensure ideal drainage. 

Windows and Doors

There is a white rubber material that outlines your windows and doors. Its called caulking and it is a great way to stop water from entering your home. But like anything, caulking is subjected to wear and tear and and to ensure it performs properly, it needs to be in good condition. Check to make sure the caulking around your windows and doors does not have any holes or breaks to prevent water penetration. 

 

Sprinklers

Sounds simple enough, but making sure your sprinkler system is spraying water away from your foundation is an easy way to prevent water from finding away into your basement.

 

Trees

Taking a look at the trees that surround your home can also help prevent future problems. A very popular website called This Old House which helps homeowners take care of their property states that trees like silver maples should be planted at least 20 feet from your home. Whereas smaller trees like white fir's should be planted 10-15 feet from your home.