Wet Basement Causes

Dealing with a Wet Basement or you feel moisture is building up in your home foundation? Well! It is bad news. Basement moisture is not an uncommon issue. It can cause damage to your home as well as health. To overcome this, it is recommended to contact a certified contractor in your locality and get an expert solution before it turns into a big problem. But before this, how do you know you have moisture building up in your space? How to Identify You Have Moisture In Your Basement?

Before investing your money in a reputable company and hiring professional contractors for basement waterproofing and inspection, check on these key signs that work as a warning for your structure damage or mold growth in the house:

• Water Trickling Out of the Walls
• Peeling Paint
• Damp Spots on Walls
• Rust on Appliances due to excessive dampness and humidity
• Fungus growth on walls (mostly wooden surfaces
• Cracks in Walls and Floors)
• The odor of Mold or Mildew
• Stained or Blistering Walls
• Rotting Columns, Headers, and Joists

Moisture generally builds due to accumulated rain or groundwater in your area. Unaware, we neglect the fact that the water accumulated in one place can cause major damage in the long run. Water might find its way into your basement without proper grading, downspouts, and gutters which can lead to an issue. Also, we let humid, outside air into our cool basements during summers to ventilate the space, which in turn can condense on the walls and floors. Here are some of the major causes:

• Interior Water Leak – Some basement are built of hollow concrete blocks which can damage our structure in times of heavy rains. Your walls can start leaking. Also, check where your inner spaces. Locate the place where you moisture is visible and find if something in that area is leaking. It can be due to a sink, a toilet, a washing machine, a dishwasher, or a bad pipe leak. If your basement is close to any of the areas, an internal leak can be a reason for the moisture buildup.
• Improper Grading – Check your building structure if the ground around your foundation is not properly maintained and draining flow is in the wrong direction get a fix to it. Dirt fills into our space and when it settles it can change the direction of your slope which can cause water flow towards your house rather than away from it.
• Defective Gutters and Downspouts – If Gutters or Downspouts are missing or not properly maintained rainwater can get directed towards your foundation. Get a check for your space.
• Cracks in your space – If floor joists are not properly connected to the walls, it can allow water to get into your structure and damage your foundation.