Foundation Waterproofing: What Happens When Water Collects in Your Foundation

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Foundation Waterproofing exists to protect your home from water damage. However, what happens when water starts collecting at the base of your home, on top of the foundation itself? 

This scenario has been a reality for many people in New York, where the weather is unpredictable, and there is no shortage of excessive water in and around people’s properties. Today, we will discuss what happens when water collects on your foundation and how to minimize the damage it can cause. 

Where Is the Water Coming From?

Before we delve into how you can minimize the damage and how water affects your foundation, let’s talk about where exactly the water that is collecting in your foundation is coming from. 

Water loves to flow from the land into rivers, down hills into streams, and from the sky into our sewage system. As a result, it gathers at your foundation when your structure is in the way, as it has nowhere else to go. These are some of the culprits:

  • From neighboring bedrock, as there is always a natural water flow
  • Water flowing toward your home from sloped landscaping
  • Water accumulated in looser backfilled soil 
  • Well-watered flower gardens adjacent to the foundation 
  • Old gutters that ineffectively reroute water
  • Gutters that are in need of a cleaning
  • Water lines underneath the home’s structure that need changing 

What Is the Water Doing to Your Foundation?

Constant Pressure 

As it rains or when the snow melts in the spring, pressure develops and strains your foundation. It evaporates during the dry season, releasing that pressure. This puts a greater strain on the foundation as your house shifts back and forth with the seasons. The best waterproofing foundation benefit is that it lowers this constant pressure from forming in your foundation. 

A Stressful Time 

Water that has seeped in and water that is generating hydrostatic pressure to the foundation is never distributed equally. There may be a pool of water on one side, but the other side might be dried out by a big tree. Certain locations are more strained as a result than others. Horizontal cracks can develop due to this stress.

Liquid Infiltration 

Despite the walls’ thickness, water manages to sneak into each cement pore and make its way into every crack and fissure. This intrusive water ultimately leaks into your crawl area as a result of repeated freezing and thawing cycles.

What Can It Do to Your Home?

It is not ideal if water gathers in your crawl area and pools at your foundation. It can cause structural and health problems for you, your home, and your family if ignored.

Your home could settle if the foundation is weakened. A structure that has settled too much will have sticky doors and creaky flooring.

Your home’s inside, and exterior can both be damaged by water. Your foundation could age early and become discolored. It may destroy hardwood, laminate, and tile if it seeps through to your flooring, without mention the harm to baseboards and walls. 

Due to their constant moisture, basements have a musty odor. Molds and allergies thrive in the damp, dark environments. Even worse, these are ideal circumstances for bugs! Without paying attention, you could be signing up for infestations of organisms you didn’t even know existed!  

Thus, A visual evaluation of your home is recommended for today. Examine your crawl space, then look at the outside of your foundation. Do not hesitate to call someone if you believe you have standing water. If you have any serious problems with foundation waterproofing, they can even schedule you for treatment right then and there. They may also give you an estimate on your foundation waterproofing cost

Depending on where the water comes from, your property might benefit from a variety of options. Your basement may be equipped with a sump pump to pump water back outdoors. You can construct water channeling systems or change the landscaping. If your foundation is in poor condition, it could be necessary to hire a foundation repair professional to address the problems before they worsen. 

Or perhaps it’s the most straightforward thing ever: have you cleaned up your gutters? Make sure your gutters are placed correctly and are draining. Sometimes, the best foundation and basement waterproofing products are good clean, and some ventilation. 

Conclusion 

Though foundation waterproofing can be quite a chore for the homeowner, it really doesn’t have to be. With the right contractors, your foundation waterproofing job can be made that much easy in a short amount of time. Contact Zavza Seal LLC today and have your cake and eat it too!