4 Important Reasons to Have Your Basement Waterproofed

A basement is one area of the home that has great potential. A homeowner can refurbish it to create an entirely new living space, they can use it for storage of odds and ends, or they can use it as the place where all the systems of the house, from the plumbing to the HVAC, can be easily accessed. Whatever the ultimate use of the basement becomes, it’s a good idea to have it waterproofed. Here are four important reasons why.

1. Waterproofing Lowers Energy Bills

It may surprise some people to know that waterproofing a basement lowers their energy bills. This is because a wet basement raises not only its own humidity levels but also the humidity levels in the rest of the house. One of the jobs of the HVAC system is to keep humidity levels comfortable as well as to clean, heat, or cool the air. The system must work that much harder to take excess humidity out of a damp room, and that raises energy bills.

2. Waterproofing the Basement Supports Health

As a damp basement raises energy bills when the dampness seeps into the upper floors of the house, a damp basement is also an excellent environment for the growth of mold and mildew. Some types of mold, such as black mold, are dangerous to health. This is especially true for a member of the household who has an autoimmune disease or a respiratory condition such as asthma or COPD. Even if a person doesn’t have pre-existing health conditions, mold can lead to symptoms such as rashes, stinging eyes, and sore throat.

3. Waterproofing Conserves Water

Along with raising energy bills and encouraging the growth of pathogens, a damp basement can also make the home lose water. This happens because high humidity can actually damage pipes by causing them to expand and leak. Even a small leak can lead to hundreds of gallons of water being lost per year. This causes a rise in water bills on top of the increased cost of energy bills. Not only this, the leaking water can damage the basement itself, which is another expense. The problem may go beyond damp spots on the basement floor but can affect the basement wall and even the foundation of the house. These problems can be extremely costly to fix.

4. Waterproofing Prevents Bad Smells

Dampness in the basement leads to mold, mildew, and rot, and these items can produce unpleasant smells. While foul odors may not be as impactful as health threats, high water and energy bills, or structural damage, they make living and entertaining guests in the home unpleasant.

Other reasons to waterproof your basement include preventing pests, preventing flooding, keeping or even enhancing the home’s market value, and wanting to convert the basement into a living space. A professional waterproofs a basement by applying sealers to the inside wall and floor, installing inside and outside drains, including French drains, sealing up cracks in the foundation, and installing a sump pump. Sump pumps work by expelling water that comes into the basement during a storm to the outside and keeping the interior dry.