Repairing Your Home

« Back to Home

Tips to Help You Repair Your Home After a Basement Moisture-Intrusion Problem

Posted on

One of the worst nightmares as a homeowner is having a water or moisture problem in your basement or crawl space. Moisture leaks cause interior damage and can lead to mold and mildew growth, which is toxic to your health. Here are some recommendations to help you repair and restore your home after you find a moisture leak in your crawl space or basement.

Dry Out the Area

One of the first things to do when you realize you have a moisture leak is dry out the area that has become wet as soon as possible. The area has a high potential to grow mold, and there may already be some mold growth present if the moisture has been there for more than a few days. Be sure to properly remove any mold growth—you may consider hiring a mold remediation company.

Remove any standing water with an interior basement pump or with a shop vacuum, then use your home's furnace or heating system, or position some box fans throughout the space and in windows (if there are any built into your basement or crawl space walls). Air circulation is a big help when you are removing excessive moisture from your home's basement.

Determine the Cause of the Moisture

Another important step is determining where the moisture is coming from or how it is getting into your crawl space or basement. Some causes of moisture in your basement may be due to high water levels in the surrounding soil or a rising water table. This can often be caused by a nearby stream, river, or lake that has received a large amount of rainfall. Your basement or crawl space may also be receiving water intrusion because your home does not have the right type of exterior drainage installed and maintained.

Whatever the cause of water in your crawl space, a waterproofing specialist can investigate to determine the cause of your moisture problems. This can be helpful when you cannot determine where the moisture is coming from. Your waterproofing professional can complete some small tests to find out if water is seeping through the walls, from beneath the foundation, or from outside due to surface rainfall.

Hire a Waterproofing Professional

Once your waterproofing specialist has found out where the water is coming from, they can formulate a plan to correct the problem or condition causing the water intrusion. If your crawl space, for example, is getting wet due to excessive precipitation soaking the exterior of your landscaping soil, they can install a sump pump in the space or drain tiles on the exterior of your home to collect and block the water from entering into your crawl space. Once that is done, you should have the professional complete crawl space waterproofing so that you will not have the same problem in the future.


Share