A wet basement is wasted living or storage space and can harm the family if mold and mildew take hold. Basements can be damp and musty smelling or they can have standing water after rain events. Wet Basement Waterproofing in Baltimore can pay for itself. Crawl spaces are often ignored or forgotten until they cause problems with the structural integrity of the home. A homeowner should know if they have a basement, a cement slab or a crawl space under their main floor. Basements are obvious, but the other two may not be. It is important to know.
Crawl Space VS Cement Slab
When a family is shopping for new houses they should ask what the foundation of the house is. It should be listed on the disclosure forms from the owner or real estate company. Do not purchase a house without knowing what the foundation is and having a home inspector examine the foundation. If the foundation is a cement slab that makes up the subfloor of the house, it should be level and free of cracks.
If the foundation the house sits on is a crawl space and foundation walls, the crawlspace should be clean and free of standing water, insects, or pests. It should be dry and lined with waterproofing materials and there should be insulation on the crawlspace ceiling, house floor area. The home inspector can give a written report on the crawlspace and what work may be needed.
If the crawlspace is not up to standard, the homeowner or the buyer must plan on getting the problems corrected. Drainage and fill might be needed to prevent water from entering and pooling in the crawl space. Insulation may need to be replaced or added to the underside of the home’s floors that form the ceiling of the crawl space. The foundation walls may need to be repaired and waterproofed.
When the crawl space is repaired, there may need to be a ventilation system added to prevent moisture build-up and mold problems.
The Basement
When the home sits on a basement, there is potential living space to finish and use. The basement might already be finished. But, if the basement is not finished or finished but unusable because of dampness or water seepage, something must be done. Companies offering Wet Basement Waterproofing in Baltimore can be contacted to solve the problem. Armored Basement Waterproofing offers free inspections.
