Basement Water Damage Prevention

Basement Water Damage

Unless you converted your basement into room you use regularly, like home gym or home office, there's a good chance that you can go for days or even weeks a time without checking for basement water damage. Dealing with water damage involves more than just removing water stains. Dampness that has seeped into wall cavities, for instance, can result in large growths of black mold in as little as 48 hours. Let's look at how to treat basement water damage.

Waterproofing basement

Waterproofing basement walls can get more complex, depending on how and where water collects, but the first thing to do is seal the walls with waterproof latex paint. Clear the basement of anything that will get in your way when you paint, since having to lean over items to reach the walls will become strenuous over a full day of painting.

basement cracks

Find any cracks and holes in the walls. You need to clear these gaps of any debris, dead bugs or salt deposits using a wire brush, following up with a long nosed shop vacuum. Apply a crack filler to seal the gaps. There are different types of crack filler products, but generally you'll want to go for the brand that's manufactured by the same company that makes the latex paint you'll be applying the following day.

On the second day, once the crack filler has dried, apply the first coat of paint using a 3-4 inch brush. Be warned that waterproof latex paint is thicker than normal paint, so mixing and applying it will be more of a workout than a regular paint job; so it would be ideal if you can get someone else to help you. Be sure to lay a tarp at the foot of the wall to catch any dripping paint.

Basement Water Damage Prevention Videos

On the third day, you can apply the second coat using a thick roller, which will be much easier than using the brush that was necessary for the first coat. Since the coats will be the same color, it's easy to miss spots when applying the second layer, so doublecheck that you've covered the whole surface before the second coat dries.

Article Source: Basement Water Damage