When Is It Time to Waterproof Your Home?

Why should you invest in basement waterproofing in Roanoke, VA?

Roanoke has a long history and now plays host to some old but beautiful American homes. While the architecture in these places is a sight to behold, it is also severely out of date – at least, when it comes to its waterproofing. Most older homes in Roanoke don’t have foundational feet, meaning it’s all the easier for water to make its way into your home.

Even if you don’t have an older home, you’ll want to invest in waterproofing solutions to better retain your home’s value. What solutions are there, though, and when is it time to use them?

Signs Your Basement May Be Leaking

Your basement doesn’t have to be full of standing water for you to have a leak. Keep an eye out for some of the following signs. If you spot a single one of them, you may be in the clear. When they start to appear in tandem, though, it’s time to get in touch with a basement repair contractor:

• Sticking doors and windows
• Water damage
• Fogged up or bubbling windows
• Higher electric and heating bills
• More bugs in your home

How Can You Protect Your Home?

So you’ve looked for the signs yourself, or you’ve had a basement repair contractor come in and provide you with a free inspection. The jig is up: you have a leak in your basement. What can you do to fix it?

The solutions available to you are going to vary based on the age of your home. In general, though, you’ll be able to talk to your contractor about any of the following solutions:

• Interior French drains – These drains, upon coming into contact with water in your basement, will actively intercept water from your basement walls and floor.
• Sump pumps – The water collected from the interior perimeter drainage system needs somewhere to go, and it is directed to a sump pump system. The sump pump then pumps this water out of the basement and away from the home’s foundation to keep it from running straight back into your basement. 
• Vapor barriers – Vapor barriers tend to work best in your crawl space, but they also can be placed on your basement walls. Made of a thick, plastic-like material, vapor barriers are woven so densely that they keep water out of your space, be it in its liquid form or a vapor form.
• Dehumidifiers – Another temporary solution, dehumidifiers absorb the water that’s in your basement air and return it to its liquid state. You’ll need to empty a dehumidifier manually, but you’ll get a certain burst of satisfaction when you take water that otherwise would have damaged your home out into your lawn. Some contractors also can install self-draining units so you won’t have to worry about emptying any buckets or reservoirs.

Roanoke’s weather may stress you out, but the state of your basement doesn’t have to. If you think you have a leak on your hands, get in touch with one of the contractors in your area as soon as possible. They’ll be able to fill your leak and install the waterproofing options that you collaboratively determine will be the best for your home.