You don’t have to wait until summer to protect your home from damage. When in doubt, you can always work with area contractors to determine what kind of waterproofing measures might serve your crawl space and foundation best this winter.
Waterproofing Your Crawl Space This Winter
Waterproofing your crawl space in the wintertime can be a dangerous endeavor. After all, the colder temperatures and precipitation can put either you or the professionals you bring on at higher risk for injuries. Likewise, opening up your crawl space or foundation during the coldest months of the year can seem like a bad decision when considering your family’s overall comfort in your home. What’s more, the ground around your home may be frozen, making it difficult for you and for experts to perform any excavations, if necessary, to install the waterproofing measures of your choice.
Luckily, the downsides of waterproofing your crawl space in the winter don’t outweigh the upsides. When you waterproof your crawl space in the year’s coldest months, you can eliminate your chance for an accidental infestation almost entirely. Additionally, the professionals in the St. Cloud, MN, area know how to work in all kinds of weather. When you bring them on, you can install waterproofing measures before winter and spring runoffs can make your life more difficult. These professionals will also have access to specialty tools that can make breaking ground around your home a simpler process.
How Can You Waterproof Your Crawl Space?
Before you start the crawl space waterproofing process this winter, you’ll want to walk through your home with help from a professional. This way, you can determine early on whether or not you’re contending with untreated damage. If it turns out that hydrostatic pressure has already done your home dirty, you’ll want to make sure you seal the cracks or leaks that might lower your property value later down the line.
Some of the signs of damage you’ll want to keep an eye out for include:
- Sticking doors and windows
- Visible water damage
- Destroyed or rotting belongings
- Mold growth
- Difficult to control temperatures
- Higher levels of humidity
If it turns out you have existing water damage in your home, you can work with area professionals to tend to that damage before installing the waterproofing measures of your choice.
That said, what kinds of waterproofing solutions might be available to you? Some of the most common crawl space waterproofing measures you can take advantage of include:
- Interior drainage systems
- Sump pumps
- Full space encapsulation with a vapor barrier
- Dehumidifiers
- Waterproof insulation
Note that it is important to properly maintain these solutions by working with the contractors in St. Cloud, MN, to check on the state of your crawl space every year. Home inspections can help you replace damaged waterproofing measures before seepage or other symptoms of damage make their way into your home.
Can You Waterproof Older Homes in The Winter?
If you live in an older home, be sure to discuss what kind of foundation you have with the contractors in your area. Older homes often lack the structural supports you need to install modern home waterproofing measures. You will, of course, still be able to invest in home protective measures, but the process may take a little longer than you initially anticipated.
That said, you can still waterproof an older home in the winter. Again, you’ll want to make sure you’ve taken the risks of colder weather into account, but if you’re working with a professional, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Should You DIY Your Crawl Space Waterproofing?
You do have the option, if you want to waterproof your home, to try and install your preferred solutions without professional guidance. Doing so, however, can have some serious risks.
Many homeowners, for example, want to install their own crawl space waterproofing measures because they believe doing so will save them money. This is not often the case.
There’s always the chance that, while installing the waterproofing measure of your choice, you may make a substantial mistake. In doing so, you may mask signs of water damage that can plague your home for years to come. When you do finally notice those signs, your home may have already suffered significant structural damage. In turn, you’ll have to pay a professional not only for future waterproofing measures but also for the removal of the measures you installed and the cost of home repairs.
In short, yes, you can DIY your crawl space waterproofing in the wintertime. Go into the process, however, knowing there is a chance you may make a mistake and end up costing yourself more money in the long run.
Ready to start exploring your crawl space waterproofing methods? You can reach out to the crawl space professionals at Innovative Basement Authority for a home inspection and a free quote on the services you need either to repair your crawl space or install crawl space-based waterproofing measures.
