Top 5 Reasons To Waterproof Your Basement

Most homeowners only see the basement as an area that they can keep all the odds and ends they don’t need in the main home anymore, but it can be so much more than just a storage area. Your basement is one of the most valuable areas of your home and if converted into usable space, not only will you have another area to use during crowded events like holidays, you can increase the value of your home! Ready to see our top 5 benefits of waterproofing your basement? Well, you can find them down below, let’s get started!

Water is and always will be one of the biggest threats to any basement and if you don’t deal with leaks sooner rather than later, you could actually damage the foundation of your home. Moisture can become trapped in the small pores of the concrete, it can begin to expand and contract as the temperatures rise and fall. This will lead to major cracks in the foundation of your basement and eventually lead to loss of structural integrity of your home. With basement waterproofing, you won’t have to worry about water getting trapped in the pores of your concrete at all!

What most homeowners think is that the basement is always cold. While that may be true, did you know your basement can make cooling and heating your home year round a much more expensive task when it’s not waterproofed? Well during the summertime, the moisture that is trapped in your basement turns into humidity and will leave into your home above, resulting in your HVAC unit having to work double-time just to keep your home cool. Likewise in the winter, if you have cracks in your basement walls or flooring, cold air can come through those cracks and again leak into your home, causing increased gas or electric bills for your heater.

As we all know, basements are the scourge of many flooring systems like hardwood, tile, and carpet. But if you waterproof your basement, you can have the freedom to use whatever flooring system you choose! However, homeowners across the nation have been flocking towards a new basement flooring system, epoxy flooring. Epoxy flooring is an all in one combo when it comes to basements as it serves as the basement waterproofing agent and the main flooring system. The best part about epoxy basement flooring is that it can be made attractive with options like epoxy flake flooring and the dazzling metallic epoxy flooring system.

Where there’s water there is sure to be the growth of harmful bacteria like mold, mildew, and fungi. Even if your basement isn’t flooding, over 76% of basements have problems with water leaks and if left unattended, water can become stagnant, resulting in a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that will eventually make it into the main parts of your home. With basement waterproofing, you can seal off your basement from the outside and reduce the chance of your basement flooding or leaking at all. When paired with an epoxy basement flooring system and its seamless and nonporous finish will resist the growth of all bacteria stated above.

Studies have shown that people looking to become homeowners admit to not wanting a home that has a wet basement. While a wet basement can make your home lose value and market interest, waterproofing your basement can do wonders for the value of your home. Many homeowners across the nation have reported that waterproofing their basement warranted a 400% return of investment.

Now that you know what basement waterproofing has to offer, it comes down to how you want to do it! We always recommend the use of a professional contractor to get the job done as they have the knowledge, materials and the tools to get the job done right the first time around. Not to mention if you choose the right contractor, you may be offered a strong warranty in the case something goes wrong. But no matter how you approach basement waterproofing, we wish you the best of luck on all of your home renovation projects to come!