Can You Waterproof Basement From Inside?

Basements are built to take up water as they are built below grade. Humid basements can impair the pillars of your foundation, inflict damage to stored items, stimulate mold growth, and can slim down your home’s market value.

Water seepage into the basement is such a problem that fills homeowners with apprehension. Tiny trickle or small puddle might be a slight hitch for you but it is, in fact, an alarm for a bigger problem.

Overly humid basements can make a hole into your pocket due to heavy repairs. Therefore, it is imperative to know certain ways to keep your basement dry.

What causes wet basements?

Each one of us should have complete knowledge about what causes water to fill your basements in the first place. Here are a few reasons behind wet basements:

1. Poorly maintained gutters
2. Hydrostatic pressure
3. Cracks in walls and floors
4. Condensation
5. Inappropriate landscape of the foundation
6. Inefficient drainage system

So, by getting the moisture out of your basement and settling the basal problems, one can cushion the blow. This sounds easy but at its core it is intimidating.

If you’re someone desperately looking for how to fix a damp basement problem, you’ve landed at the right place. In this article, we’ll educate you on the troubleshooting of soggy basements and will also make you learn how you can do interior basement waterproofing.

Waterproofing Basement Walls from Inside

Yes, it possible to do inside basement waterproofing. First, you need to figure out where the moisture is coming from. Identify whether it’s the outside source that is permitting water to puddle up after rain or is it the moisture due to condensation on the walls and windows of your basement.

How can you get to the source of moisture?

This can be checked by placing aluminum foil on the interior of the basement walls. If after some time, you see moisture on the outside of the foil, this means your basement is collecting water via condensation due to high humidity.

How to Waterproof Basement Walls from the Inside?

Here are some of the steps you can take to protect basements from water intrusion.

1. Redirect water away from your foundation

Land grading is important when you have water inside your basements. If the slope of the ground runs towards your foundation, runoff can leach into below-grade rooms during times of heavy rainfalls or accidental water problems.

If the ground slopes are 6 inches 10 feet away from your home’s foundation, you may face drainage issues. Thus, poor grading can compromise the overall integrity of your home.

To stop water from entering the basement, you need to grade your yard. This will help elude the entry of incoming water. So, a key to keeping your basement dry is the positive grading of the landscape (away from your base).

How to grade? By creating mounds of soil or trough-like depressions, you can reshape the landscape to divert the water flow.

2. Fill cracks and gaps

If you find water dripping through gaps or cracks into the basement, you need to seal them with hydraulic cement. It contains some additives that aid the cement in adhesion and expansion.

As the sealant sets rapidly, it easily travels deep into the cracks and crevices to prevent more water from coming inside. If this task is beyond your expertise, take help from a professional basement waterproofing company.

3. Apply a masonry waterproofing product to the walls

If your foil test confirms water seepage in basement walls (inside water source), peel the existing paint off. Seal/coat the interior of the walls with a suitable masonry waterproof product. When the paint dries, the sealant forms a watertight bond to stop water from seeping through. This is how you can waterproof your basement walls from inside.

4. Add or upgrade gutters or downspouts

Gutters and downspouts work to channel water away from your house. They play a conducive role in maintaining good structural health of your home or building.

If you lack gutters or sump pumps, consider adding them. If you have already installed downspouts or gutters, do fasten metal or plastic extensions. It will help to capture runoff or excess water and drain it far away from your base.

5. Install an interior drainage system

Installing an interior French drain and an efficient sump pump system is the best-known method to provide the utmost protection against water dribbling or accumulating in your basement.

This is a bit hard task but solves the water problem. To layout the French drain connected with the sump basin via a drainpipe, you’ll have to dig the trench on your basement floor.

Then fill the trench with more gravel. The drain tile takes excess water to the sump basin and then water is discharged out of your house through an electric pump.

Conclusion:

Nothing gives homeowners cold feet than wet basements. Since basements or cellars are constructed below ground level, water can easily get into to make things worse.

The sooner you troubleshoot and find a comprehensive fix to the problem, the easier it is for you to maintain your home and keep the inhabitants safe and healthy.

Interior waterproofing of the basement is a good option to consider if you want the area dry and clean. This is because it is much less invasive and can be done without any substantial exterior excavation.

Also, it doesn’t drive your budget up. Basement waterproofing is a requisite for preventing mold growth and keeping the very area dry. You just need to take some necessary steps to yield the best results.