Risking your fixtures and furniture from getting damaged. Creating an unhygienic environment for you and your loved ones. These are just some of the consequences of failing to waterproof your basement — a part of your home that’s highly prone to water damage and mold growth. Whether what you need is an emergency waterproofing, Atlanta, Georgia, or a preventive one, you have to be aware of these common mistakes for you to be able to avoid them.
Waiting too long before doing the waterproofing. Did you know that mold can grow within a day once there has been excessive moisture in your basement? And if you fail to address this issue in its early phase, it will only lead to more costly consequences as stated. It can even decrease the resale value of your home by 25%. However, if you’re waterproofing after a flood, make sure to completely get rid of the water before starting the process.
Simply plugging water leaks. When what you have is simple water leaks (or a situation that doesn’t call for an emergency waterproofing, Atlanta, Georgia yet), you may be tempted to opt for cheap, band-aid solutions like simply plugging something into the leak source. However, this will not be a smart move if you think about what will benefit you in the long run.
Relying only on waterproof paint. Another common short-term solution that homeowners do for their basement is painting the walls with waterproof paint. Though this can be effective on a temporal basis, it will be more costly for you in the long run — the paint can cause bubbles on your walls and can flake away in time.
Failing to deal with the water runoff. If you’re waterproofing your basement, you shouldn’t just focus on the basement itself. Check your gutters and downspouts and deal with the root cause of the water leaking into your basement. Waterproofing your basement without doing so will not be fully effective, obliging you to shell out money for a more comprehensive waterproofing service some time in the future.
Not sloping the soil away from your foundation. When performing an emergency waterproofing, Atlanta, Georgia, professionals see to it that they slope away the soil surrounding your home away from your foundation. This soil is generally less dense than the soil in other parts of your garden, hence they will be more prone to gathering more water that can deep into your basement.
Taking the DIY route. All previous four bullets can be avoided if you won’t attempt to do the waterproofing all by yourself. Though there are home improvement projects that can be done DIY-style, basement waterproofing is definitely not one of them. It’s a task that needs thorough assessment and requires certain skills and equipment…which brings us to our last bullet.
Choosing the wrong contractor. Granted that you need to hire a pro to do basement waterproofing, you still need to be careful about who you choose to take on this important job. Not all contractors are the same so don’t just settle for one — research, ask for quotes and look for references and reviews so you can properly decide which one best suits your needs.
D.O.N.E ATL is the go-to team when it comes to emergency waterproofing, Atlanta, Georgia. We’ve seen everything from flooded basements, multilevel floods, sewage backups, and we have a long list of satisfied customers.
