Leaky basements can be a problem for any homeowner in Toronto. Therefore, waterproofing your home’s foundation is a crucial step in preventing damage and maintaining the value of your home. Here are a few tips to keep your basement dry.
Evaluate Outside -- Keep Water Away From Your Home’s Foundation
The first thing you need to do is evaluate the perimeter of your house. The ground next to your foundation should always slope away from the foundation. Backfilled dirt next to the foundation tends to settle and therefore sink over time. If you notice this happening (or it has already happened), add more dirt against the foundation of your home. This will help create a slope that will divert water in the right direction. Generally you should be adding roughly 2” of dirt per foot as you move away from your house.
Don’t Forget to Check Your Eaves Troughs and Downspouts
Ensuring that your eavestroughs are clear and that your downspouts are effectively moving water away from your home is an important aspect of preventative waterproofing. Therefore, ensure that your downspouts are diverting water at least 7 feet away from your foundation. Downspout extender pipes can be installed to prevent groundwater from seeping into your home’s foundation and leaving you with a leaky basement.
Waterproof Your Interior Walls
If you have minor leaks in the walls of your basement, consider sealing them with one of the various waterproofing compounds available at your local home improvement store. Whereas tar is the traditional remedy, new products on the market give you the options of plastic, synthetic rubber and bentonite to use when preventing a leaky basement. These new products may keep your basement dry longer than the traditional tar remedy.
Get Serious – Consider Installing an Interior Drainage System
If your leaky basement is a more serious problem than minor leaks and dampness, you may want to consider installing an interior drainage system. You have two options here: a sump pump, or a perimeter drain.
A sump is a hole in your basement which contains a pump that will remove the water from your basement once it fills to a certain level. Once the pump goes into action, water will be expelled or discharged into a sewer through a hose.
For the most serious leaky basements, a perimeter drain, although expensive, may be your best option. A perimeter drain involves breaking up the basement floor along the perimeter and installing drain tiles which will carry the water along the trench to a discharge point. The discharge point is always a sump pump which will effectively remove the collected water away from your home.
Unfortunately, leaky basements are all too often a reality for Toronto homeowners. Using the suggestions above can help to prevent costly damage in the future – better (and cheaper) to call a Toronto plumber to help you prevent problems than to call the plumber to have to fix them. Waterproof first and prevent the headache before it starts!