Considering their importance and utility, basements rarely get their fair share of TLC from homeowners. Older basements in particular are often ticking time bombs that can impact the health of the rest of the home if they’re not looked after properly. To ensure your own basement remains sound, it’s worth your while to adhere to these prudent practices.
Reduce Humidity & Standing Water
Ultimately, moisture is what kills a foundation the fastest. It’s important to keep a basement as dry as possible for its longevity. Install an automated sump pump or two if you experience standing water or flooding every spring. While you’re at it, set up a dehumidifier to keep the air as dry as possible.
Landscape for Long-Term Success
Whether your foundation is a stone-walled number or a poured concrete model, there are in-ground ways to keep water away from the basement. Digging out a perimeter trench, filling it with loose rock, and adding a few drainage pipes away from the building works wonders in making sure it stays dry and safe. Be sure to have an expert contractor do this kind of work.
Keep the Pests from Doing Damage
Varmints are especially problematic if you own an older home with a stone foundation since it’s easier for them to get in and cause damage. Come up with a strategy to prevent them from getting in and wreaking havoc by using traps and sonic deterrence. Chem-Wise Ecological Pest Management Services might have other options that can help deter animals and bugs from getting inside in the first place that work better for your home or location. Contact a quality pest control company to advise you of the right solution.
Reinforce Every Element Possible
Keeping your foundation and basement walls in tip-top shape is a major priority regardless of the age of your home. Have concrete foundation cracks filled and strengthened when they appear, and make sure stone foundation mortar work is patched up regularly. Finally, use jack stands and beams to support floors and take stress off of basement walls.
Carefully Seal Up Each Surface
Your basement walls should be an impervious barrier between the ground and your home’s interior. If your basement walls consist of mortar, “parge” them by applying an even layer of mortar. If they’re concrete, thoroughly dry out the basement area with a dehumidifier and desiccant agents before applying a layer of waterproof sealer to the inside walls.
If you live in any area where humidity and high precipitation are normal, keeping an eye on basement walls is a must. Even after you’ve performed each of the preventative steps detailed above, it’s important to monitor the situation and enact fixes as needed to head off problems before they snowball into catastrophes.
