2/04/2010

April Showers – Getting the jump on your wet basement.

This is the time of year to do something about the basement.

Water, mold, mildew, radon; whatever the issue is in your basement, getting the jump on spring will save you time, money, and a pained back.

Even if it is occasional water, “every now and then” – this proves that there is a way into your basement from the outside! Doesn’t that bug you? You know you have the chance to see water, and what’s been done about it? “Well it’s been dry all winter”…but that doesn’t mean that it will stay this way. Every Basement, regardless of age, has the potential to flood…that’s a fact.

I can’t tell you how many people on the phone, almost daily, have finally said, “This is the year I’m going to do something about it.”

Standing Water, Leaks, and Seepage
Excess moisture in the basement is bad for the home and it’s bad for your health. It jacks up the price you pay for AC/Heating and it can harbor bacteria and support mold growth. If these aren’t enough of a reason to fix the “occasional water in the basement” then here’s more:

  • Excess moisture/water/dampness in basements of buildings make it 75% more likely that the occupants of that building will become ill.  
  • Damp conditions down stairs can help support mold growth upstairs.
  • Air flows up from the basement, so if there are smells created by the conditions in the basement you can bet that they’ll emerge upstairs.

Pick your motivation! You want a place to watch football, a place for the kids, finally a place to store all your files and junk that it won’t get ruined – keep that picture in your mind and use that to motivate you into correcting the conditions of your basement before the rains in spring.

You CAN have a dry basement, but you have to choose to.

Related Reading and Links

Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!