How to Waterproofing basement walls?

If you are worried about wet basement problems or currently have problems, investing in a basement waterproofing system is not the only solution to this particular issue. It is worthwhile to turn your property into one that naturally prevents wet basement walls from happening.

So, in addition to getting a waterproofing system, you should also hire a professional landscaping company to work on the landscape of your home because improper landscaping is a common cause of wet basements.

Keep Shrubs Away from the Foundation

Ideally, you should avoid having shrubs that are directly next to your foundation. If you have shrubs in these areas, you might want to consider moving them completely. It is the safest option because this removes the possibility for shrubs to prevent sunlight from evaporating moisture underneath.

Avoid Tree and Shrub Overgrowth

If you decide that you want to plant shrubs by your foundation or keep the shrubs you already have, you need to be extremely persistent with the trimming of these shrubs. It is important for them not to get overgrown to the point where evaporation cannot occur, which is when problems start happening.

While shrubs can be a problem, trees can also create a lot of shade, which leads to the same issue. Getting these trees pruned as needed will keep your foundation from too much moisture build-up. However, you should also be ready to have the tree felled if it proves to be a continuous problem. It is not always easy to predict how a tree will grow when it is just being planted, so it can lead to unexpected issues.

Grade Your Landscape

When moisture on your property is being driven to your foundation, you have a problem on your hands. Regardless of what you do to the rest of your landscape, improper grading will continue to be an issue.

A professional landscaping company will be able to improve the grading to the point where water does not reach the foundation line and stay there, which is exactly what you want to avoid a wet basement.

Grass, Mulch, or Stone

Grading the property requires a topsoil layer to keep the dirt from eroding away. With this in mind, you have a few options to choose from, such as grass, mulch, or stone, depending on your preferences.

Provide Redirection or Absorption for Runoff

It is essential for your home to have working gutters and downspouts. However, you also need your landscape to provide proper absorption or redirection of the runoff to avoid moisture build-up.

If you cannot find proper redirection with your downspout, you can always create a swale on your landscape, which is a ditch that provides even further redirection of the runoff.

Create a Rain Garden

Another option to take care of the runoff is to create a rain garden. Not only do rain gardens drastically improve your home’s appearance due to the large collection of plants in a small area, but it absorbs runoff through the careful selection of plants, shrubs, and trees that can handle a lot of moisture.

Wet basements can lead to a slew of problems that only add to the expense of a damaged foundation, so you will find it financially beneficial to heavily invest into preventing moisture problems.

Finding a reliable and experienced landscaping company that has dealt with foundation issues before is key as they will be able to assess the situation properly and come up with a guaranteed solution.