Diy home improvement: How to waterproof your basement | Newsolio

Posted by on February 10, 2012

You can save a lot of money by waterproofing your basement yourself. Find out how you can do-it-yourself by reading this informative article!

If you have water leaking into your basement, it can literally dampen any plans you have for turning this area into a finished family room, recreation room, office or den. A leaky basement is a common problem with houses and other buildings, and it is most often caused by leaks or cracks in the floors or walls. These openings, that allow ground water to leak into your basement, can be caused by a contractor?s shoddy workmanship, or by just the normal settling of your house.

Diy home improvement: How to waterproof your basement

No matter what the cause of the water coming in is, the important factor is to waterproof your basement and stop the water from entering this area once and for all. The first step in doing this is to use a piece of chalk to mark all of the cracks and holes you can find in the floors and walls of your basement. These cracks and holes need to be repaired before you can proceed further. You will need to not just cover these areas up, but rather, you need to actually fill these cracks and holes with mortar, or another type of patching compound, to seal them shut. (Follow the manufacturer?s instructions on the container.) Then, allow the repaired spots to dry completely before you proceed further.

The next step, before you begin the actual waterproofing process of your basement, is to choose the type of waterproofing product that you are going to use. There are basically three types: powdered mixes, ready ? to ? use compounds, and paint ? like waterproofing products. The paint is the easiest to use because the walls and the floors of your basement don?t need a lot of preparation ahead of time, plus this type of product is very easy to apply.

Before you use any product, make sure that you read and follow the manufacturer?s instructions on the container. Generally, though, the instructions for using the paint ? like waterproofing product are as follows:

Open up all of the windows and the doors in your basement to help ensure there is adequate ventilation. It would be a good idea to wear safety goggles and gloves to protect you from spatters. You might choose to use a face mask if the fumes bother your breathing. Follow all of the precautions on the manufacturer?s instructions carefully.

Even if the walls of your basement are painted, you can usually paint right over them. With some of the powdered mixes and ready ? to ? use compounds, you must first remove the paint or the waterproofing product won?t adhere to the walls and floors. If the manufacturer?s instructions tell you to remove the paint on the walls and floors first, you can either sand blast the walls, or you may be able to just use a stiff wire brush.

Next, a paint-type waterproofing product is directly applied to dry walls or floors. You might need to lightly dampen the floors and walls of your basement by using a garden hose with an adjustable sprayer attachment if you are using another type of waterproofing product. If so, be careful not to flood the area, and don?t leave puddles of water standing on the floor. If there are low areas of standing water, sweep them into the nearest drain.

A good, stiff paint brush works well for this type of application. The paint-type waterproofer actually seals the porous cells that are in cement and cement blocks. Therefore, make sure that when you paint it on, that you work the waterproofing product into the pores of the cement blocks. And, make sure that you thoroughly cover the entire areas well, without leaving thin marks across the walls and floors. After the first coat dries thoroughly, you will probably need to apply a second coat for the product to perform its best.

Source: http://newsolio.com/diy-home-improvement-how-to-waterproof-your-basement,837

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