While older homes capture the heritage of Fargo, ND, the weather doesn’t respect that. Such homes are mostly uninsulated, have loose shingles or rotted wood, which makes them extremely porous or prone to water damage. This coupled with the fact that they have basements or crawl spaces means they are prone to flooding and high humidity levels during the wet seasons. Over time, these issues may affect your home’s structural integrity, leaving it weak and uninhabitable.
You don’t have to agonize over the coming weather changes and what it can do to your home. Innovative Basement Authority can help mitigate these issues through four comprehensive steps. This way, your home stays intact and safe even during harsh weather conditions.
Step 1: Get to the Root of the Problem
When it comes to wet basements or crawl spaces, the root of the problem is usually located outside the home. The surest way to protect your below-ground areas from water infiltration is by taking on outdoor waterproofing measures. This step involves finding the source of the water in your basement or crawl space and fixing it.
The gutter and downspout systems
This system is specially designed to protect your home from rain. However, if not properly maintained, it can compound drainage problems by concentrating roof runoff close to your foundation. Clogged gutters, for instance, overflow, causing water to pool around your foundation. As such, the gutter and downspout systems must be cleaned and properly maintained to keep water off your foundation.
Grade your landscape
The slope around your home could be directing water toward your foundation. In such a case, your landscape will need to be regraded to ward rain away from it.
Step 2: Tackle Groundwater in the Crawl Space
Although the first phase has taken care of the root cause of water in your basement or crawl space, chances are that these areas could still be damp — although considerably less — from underground water. Having a proper drainage system is crucial to keeping groundwater out of your home.
We start by digging a trench around the inner perimeter of your foundation. After that, we will install a specially designed drainage system, called CrawlDrain™ that collects the water. A sump pump is another crucial component, as the CrawlDrain™ directs collected water to the sump pump system so it can be safely removed. If need be, our technicians will install it at the lowest point of your crawl space so it can eject floodwaters.
Once the crawl space waterproofing measures are in place, the area will be encapsulated with a thick and durable 20-mil CrawlSeal™ vapor barrier. This material is placed on the crawl space floor and walls to completely seal the area from outside air, water, and pests. We also can place rigid ExTremeBloc™ panels on the walls for effective insulation.
Step 3: Waterproof Your Foundation and Basement from The Inside
Interior waterproofing measures are the most effective ones to implement. Once cracks have been sealed, an interior drainage system similar to the one installed in the crawl space is placed in the basement. We will make room around the basement perimeter to install our BasementGutter™ system in the sub-floor. This system collects water from the walls, floor, and wall-floor joint. The water is then drained into a sump pump system and pumped out of and away from the home through drainage pipes.
Step 4: Weatherproof Your Home
As well as implementing the above measures, consider doing the following to protect your home from rough weather.
- Trim branches and cut down old trees that stand close to your home, as they can damage your house when strong winds sweep across the neighborhood.
- Seal leaks around your doors and windows by re-caulking them so they won’t let in water and cold air.
- Stormproof your home by replacing old wooden windows with proper storm windows, which can withstand strong gusts of wind.
- Install draught excluders around the windows and a keyhole cover to lock out the wind.
- Replace or reinsert any loose or missing shingles and tiles, then firm them up properly.
- Tie the roof to your house using ultra-strong fasteners, and firm up by screwing in the polymer shingles.
- Ensure your home is raised at least three feet above the base elevation
Want to waterproof your old home but don’t know where to start? Schedule a free inspection with the waterproofing technicians at Innovative Basement Authority. We’ll take the time to find the underlying issues that can hurt your old home and apply lasting fixes.
