Having a basement is a great aspect of home ownership in the Raleigh-Durham area. After all, not all parts of the United States can offer the option of this extra indoor space. But many homeowners take having a basement for granted. They forget that basement moisture can cause costly damage if not controlled. Below, we explore the six primary causes of basement moisture and how to stop them.

Six Causes of Basement Moisture

Water is one of the most damaging elements on Earth. One only has to consider the Grand Canyon to understand that water can carve its way through even the most resilient materials. Around your home, water can unfortunately create cracks and seep through brick, wood, rock, concrete and soil. This leaves your home particularly vulnerable to basement moisture. Moisture even develops inside your basement from environmental changes.

Below are the six main causes of basement moisture:

Poor Drainage in the Soil
It is very important that you have proper drainage for water around your home’s foundation. Otherwise, rainfall and groundwater can make their way through your foundation and into the basement. Instead of routing itself around your home’s hard external surfaces, water from soil builds up around the foundation and finds a way in. Once inside your home, a tiny leak or seeping water turns into damaging basement moisture.

Ineffective Gutters
Rain gutters along the base of your roof and down the side of your home are supposed to properly direct rainfall away from the building. But when these gutters are poorly constructed, become clogged or malfunction, damaging water drains directly toward your foundation. There, the water seeps into your house and becomes basement moisture.

Improper Slope
The slope of the land on which your home sits also plays a role in properly directing water away from the structure. An improper slope can enable water to collect at the foundation and seep inside.

Hydrostatic Pressure
Water building up around your foundation creates hydrostatic pressure. Gravity then forces the water down and outward to relieve the pressure. If the water is not properly redirected, it forces itself through existing cracks and even creates new ways into your basement.

Basement Cracks
Obviously, having cracks in your basement’s structure enables water to make its way inside. Water even has the power to expand cracks, particularly during the freeze-thaw cycles of winter.

Condensation
Even without water seeping in through your home’s foundation or basement walls, condensation creates a basement moisture problem. Even slight moisture creates bad smells, mold and mildew. Mold and mildew can be very expensive to eradicate once they occur, particularly if they grow within your basement’s structure and spread to other parts of your home.

Thankfully, there are multiple ways to prevent or stop these six causes of basement moisture. The professionals of Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions of Raleigh, Southern Pines and Fayetteville can help. Below are three key solutions we offer to rid your home of this moisture and keep it dry for years to come.

Top 3 Ways to Stop Basement Moisture

Preventing basement moisture is actually easier than you might think. You only need to call Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions to evaluate your moisture threats and install basement waterproofing.

The top three methods of basement waterproofing include:

Indoor Waterproofing
From the inside of your basement, there are a variety of methods for basement waterproofing and preventing moisture. These methods include sealants and coatings used to fill cracks and provide a waterproof barrier.

Outdoor Waterproofing
Outdoor basement waterproofing methods keep damaging water outdoors, where it belongs. These effective options include exterior sealant applications and gutter systems.

Drainage Systems
Basement moisture quickly builds up if your home does not have adequate internal or external drainage. Common types of basement drainage include the installation of sump pumps inside or French drains outside.

Contact Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions Today

If you suspect your home has basement moisture problems, Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions is ready to help. We proudly serve the Raleigh, Southern Pines and Fayetteville areas, as well as surrounding communities. We provide a free inspection of your home to determine the best methods of basement waterproofing to solve your moisture problems. Then, we develop a detailed written plan for you that includes a project timeline and cost estimate. Call Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions today at (919) 508-7503.

Drainage Problems

According to Edward J. Murphy and his famous theory, problems arise at the least convenient times. Murphy is the engineer who remarked, “If anything can go wrong, it will.” While your mind is typically not on your lawn or foundation during the holiday season in North Carolina, it actually should be. This holiday season is likely not the time you want to prove Mr. Murphy right, especially when it comes to home drainage problems.

Experiencing drainage problems is never convenient. But these issues can disrupt your holidays in dramatic ways. January is even worse when it comes to drainage issues in the Raleigh, NC area. In fact, January is the third wettest month of the year and brings potential for ice to form wherever water seeps, drips or drains.

Below are three big ways drainage problems can affect your holiday season and how you can prevent these issues or fix them when they occur.

Pooling Water and Moisture Woes

Most households are busy during the holiday season, welcoming guests and extended family for festive events. But if you have drainage problems affecting your foundation, these celebrations can become musty, mildewy and mucky. Frankly, drainage issues can become embarrassing problems in front of your loved ones and friends.

Standing water from poor drainage also turns your lawn into a swampy, muddy mess. If people walk on the wet ground, they can accidentally track mud into your home, ruining carpeting and messing up your clean floors. Wet ground is a slip-and-fall risk that can lead to serious injuries. Drainage problems in the basement can make this space smell badly. Your damp basement can also grow unsightly and unhealthy mold or mildew that triggers your guests’ allergies, headaches or other conditions.

Instead of waiting until after the holidays or even next spring to have your home drainage and waterproofing checked, consider scheduling this service now. Remember Murphy’s Law and put yourself one step ahead of potential drainage problems just before one of the wettest times of the year. Drainage and Waterproofing Solutions provides a range of services year round. We can help you have one less problem that can go wrong for your holidays.

Bad Odors Indoors and Outside

A musty basement smell is a sure sign of a foundation drainage problem. If your basement smells badly or has mold or mildew growing within it, you need help from Drainage and Waterproofing pros. You may even be used to the musty smell wafting around your basement or other damp areas of your home. But your guests will notice it right away. Some may even suffer health effects of the mold and mildew, as mentioned above.

Outdoors, stagnant water in your lawn develops characteristic smells, too. Besides potential for smelling badly, drainage problems take away from the beauty of your holiday lights or your home’s year-round curb appeal. Pooling water and mucky areas of your lawn indicate you should call the Drainage and Waterproofing pros.

More Expensive Problems If You Wait

Waiting until spring or summer to have your drainage problems fixed may sound less stressful than handling them during the holidays. But have you considered how much more it will cost you, to wait to fix the issues? In fact, the longer you wait, the more you will likely have to pay for repairs, improved drainage and waterproofing.

The drainage problems you see, smell and otherwise sense around your home are actually subtle signs of bigger issues underground. Poor drainage can seriously affect your home’s foundation, particularly in the freeze-thaw cycle of winter. Water seeps into the foundation concrete, expanding cracks with each wintry weather storm.

Instead of regretting your decision to wait, call the Drainage and Waterproofing Solutions professionals to fix the problems now. We provide a multitude of drainage solutions to suit your specific needs. We also provide waterproofing services to stop water erosion and prevent future problems. Call Drainage & Waterproofing Solutions at (919) 508-7503 for scheduling.