Basement Moisture in Warren MI
Your home is the best investment you will ever make in life. It gives you the freedom to live in a personalized space. However, as your home ages, you have to contend with regular maintenance. Basement moisture is one of the top problems you have to deal with. In fact, the National Association of Realtors (NAR®) says over 60% of homes over 5 years suffer from the problem. According to a Home Inspection Census, 98% of all basements eventually leak due to different factors.
The Risk of a Leaking Basement
While it is out of sight, your basement should never be out of mind. The risk of water leaks in this living space is colossal. Take a look:
- Structural damage: Your foundation is at risk because wood joists and other fasteners will lose their strength due to rot and corrosion.
- Health risk: 60% of the air you breathe indoors comes from the basement and if there is mold growth due to moisture, your family is at risk of respiratory diseases.
- Loss of home value: Home inspectors reckon a leaking basement is the greatest risk to your home’s value.
- Loss of valuable space: A leaking space is gradually neglected yet this space can be renovated and utilized.
Dealing with Basement Moisture
Here are 5 easy tips to permanently deal with the menace:
- Proper grading: Your landscaping should be graded to slope away from the foundation walls. This ensures no standing water pushes or seeps through the walls.
- Proper drainage: Make sure your gutters are cleaned and repaired. The downspout’s discharge pipe should also be extended away from the walls to avoid draining water next to the house. If you have footing drains on the property, make sure they are unclogged.
- Clear bushes: If you have trees and bushes next to the house, make sure they are cleared. Not only do roots cause cracks but they retain water that will eventually seep into the basement.
- Waterproofing: A professional contractor comes in handy to inspect and propose the ideal waterproofing technique. Some techniques include installing a French tile or an interior drainage system around the walls. These systems are optimized to ensure surface and ground water is driven away from the basement.
- Sump pump: This is the ultimate solution to basement moisture. It works best with an interior drainage system to ensure surface and ground water is collected and pumped away from the walls.
If you suspect a water leak in your basement, make sure you call in a professional contractor.
Jeff’s passion for basement waterproofing can be traced back to his early days at Everdry Waterproofing. He spent significant time working in every department not only to learn and improve but to help those who worked with him advance both personally and professionally.
Jeff has worked in the Waterproofing industry for 35 years, gaining experience in marketing, sales, service, and installations. As a seasoned basement waterproofing professional, he is passionate about advancing his knowledge in waterproofing and developing his team. In addition to basement waterproofing, he is also a board member for a non profit that educates and protects consumers against unethical business practices. Outside of the office, Jeff enjoys travel, music, and time with his wife of 36 years and his two sons.
Curious about the brains behind the great content here? It’s me, Jeff Schleuning, with 35+ years of expertise in the basement waterproofing industry and a rich history of owning a Basement Waterproofing franchise in Michigan.
My journey has equipped my team and I with invaluable insights, enabling to craft content that resonates with the audience using industry-leading online tools. Incorporating tools like SEMRush, Google Keyword Planner, AI technologies like ChatGPT, Claude-2, Google Bard, and Grammarly, we ensure the content is not just engaging but also strategically aligned with market trends.