Why is Crawlspace waterproofing important?

Crawl spaces are often scary, dark, and wet. They can be a natural breeding ground for contaminants such as mold, rodents, and insects. That can cause serious air quality issues in your home. Therefore, you should consider crawlspace waterproofing. Crawl space waterproofing can protect your home from these problems.

Waterproofing the foundation of your home is vital to ensuring the stability of the structure and protecting the contents that are kept inside. To properly waterproof a foundation, it is necessary to not only seal the interior and exterior walls, but also any crawl spaces that may allow for water to find its way in.

Before waterproofing your crawl space, you should address any issues that may be causing any damage. You should begin looking for drainage or mold problems. Improper drainage around your foundation is a problem. It can indicate unsatisfactory grading or an unmaintained drainage system. Such conditions can allow water into your basement or crawl space. If you see standing puddles in your basement or crawl space, you’ll need to hire a waterproofing expert to help fix the problem.

You also need to watch out for mold growing in floor joists or your HVAC equipment. You cannot encapsulate your basement or crawl space before mold mitigation. Encapsulation can trap mold – for instance – in your basement or crawl space.

Don’t encapsulate your crawl space or basement before attending to any pests or rodents. Have a pest company come out and look for any holes they can be getting in or if have any termite issues. You want to deal with these problems before your waterproofing experts start the encapsulation process.

Now, you know there is no mold, and you don’t have to worry about any pests getting into your house. Once the waterproofing expert verifies that your basement or crawl space is clear of all threats, they can begin the encapsulation project.

Encapsulation isn’t the end of caring for your basement or crawl space. You must completely seal the floor, walls, and vents. The goal here is to create an envelope that protects your home from the outdoors. A plastic vapor barrier is attached to the foundation and walls. The vapor barrier BAM basements and Masons use will prevent humid outdoor air from entering your basement or crawl space. It is also watertight, airtight, and antimicrobial. Also installing an in-ground sump pump and dehumidifier will do the job to keep moisture out.

Choosing a company to waterproof your Crawl Space

As you can see, waterproofing your basement or crawl space goes beyond a weekend do-it-yourself project. It’s a wise choice to hire a Waterproofing expert to do the job right the first time. Deciding to hire an expert is a big decision, but so is choosing to waterproof your basement or crawl space.

To find the right contractor you want to do your homework and check out their reviews. Look for references, also look for a company who offers limited warranties. If your waterproofing expert has been servicing local homes for a while, that’s a good indicator that they’ll still be there if you need them in the future. Get some estimates, have a few companies come out and talk with you and provide quotes.

Here at BAM basements and Masons of Des Moines we pride ourselves on delivering every consideration to total customer satisfaction with the highest quality workmanship, limited lifetime warranties, having over 100 years combined of expertise on waterproofing, we are locally founded, owned, and operated. Call us for all your waterproofing needs and we will find a customized solution to fit your home’s needs.