A flooded basement can be a costly nightmare, which can take many thousands of dollars to drain and repair. Some home insurance policies do not even cover it, so it's important to check in advance before buying a policy. In this short guide we will look at some of the basement waterproofing methods available and how effective they are.

Basement flooding can be caused by lots of festering problems which can be easy to repair, such as faulty French drains and window well drains. However the most common cause of a flooded basement is water seeping through the joint where the floor and the wall meet, this tends to occur during or after a heavy down pour or snow melt. The most common misconception is that basement flooding is caused by water coming up through the floor; this is not the case and rarely happens.

You can fix a lot of the problems yourself before something drastic like a flooded basement happens. In the majority of cases, these types of preventative maintenance do not require professional or basement waterproofing services. Check the outside of your house for defective or leaky gutters that may drip water on the outside walls - a simple and easy solution to stop problems before they start is to just replace the gutters.

Excessive condensation on the walls of a basement can be caused by water pipes, so it's important to insulate them where ever possible. Condensation and too much water vapor leading to wet basements can be caused by shrubbery and other plants in the garden by the outside wall and windows, which leads to poor ventilation. These should be trimmed at regular intervals.

Some detective work may be required while waterproofing the basements because the most of the times the problem is not immediately obvious. Taping a strip of aluminum to the wet wall and leaving it there for a few days is the best method to determine the source of flooding

When you come back if outside of the foil is wet then the problem is clearly condensation. If the inside of the foil is wet then the problem is water seeping in from outside. This is a trick that is used by professionals and basement waterproofing companies all the time.

Basement flooding is a devastating problem for a home. Many times, it can be caused by a problem that is easily repaired, such as a faulty drain. You do not always need a basement waterproofing company to correct flooding problems in your basement. They are many things you can do yourself. Check your gutters for cracking. If they are cracked you will need to replace them. Several factors can cause wet basements, many of which are easily fixable. When you are looking into issues regarding waterproofing basements, the source may not be apparent to the naked eye.