Why You Should Waterproof Your Basement this Winter
Waterproofing your home is absolutely crucial, especially now. Winter is here, and with this cold season, we can expect the snow, sleet, and icicles to make themselves comfortable around our homes. Waterproofing your home will not only protect the structure of your home but your family's health too. The damage in the basement itself is obvious but you may not know about the other negative effects of a damp basement.
Here are some reasons why you should waterproof your basement:
1. Stack Effect. You breathe your basement air! Stack effect creates an airflow in your home from the bottom to the top. Air from the basement is drawn up into the top floors. It dilutes with other air in your home but building scientists say that up to 50% of the air you breathe on the first floor is air that came from the basement.
2. Mold. Mold starts to grow in untreated, damp, humid environments about 24 to 48 hours after water intrusion. It is a pesky fungi that can be present even if there are no visual signs. Besides irritating people with asthma and mold allergies, studies show that prolonged exposure to mold can actually cause asthma.
3. Increased heating bills. Damp air takes more energy to heat and cool so if you have a damp basement, you will waste money and see an increase on your electric bill.
4. Dust Mites. Dust Mites are parasites that live in your carpeting, bedding, and furniture. They are the number 1 indoor allergen. They are so tiny and you can't see them. Their droppings are even smaller and float in the air. Dust mites don't drink water, but they instead absorb water out of the air. When the relative humidity is more than 50% dust mites thrive. The best way to combat dust mites is to dry up your wet basement and then keep the relative humidity below 50%.
5. Smelly odors and damp carpets. If you can smell a damp, musty “basement” odor coming up from your basement, it’s not a good thing. What you are smelling is the out-gassing of fungi such as mold and mildew as they are actively growing. Surfaces like wood, cloth, cardboard, sheet rock, even plastic are all food sources for fungi and if these surfaces have become wet, the table is set for mold and mildew to feast upon!
6. Your home's structure. Moisture in your basement can cause cracks and walls to bow. Moist soil can mean that your home’s foundation is prone to water seepage, and this seepage usually affects the joints and edges where the floor meets the wall. Sometimes this damage isn't noticed until it is too late and there is already extensive damage to your home.
Don’t let water get in the way of a warm, dry, and healthy home! Consider the various basement waterproofing solutions available to discover what will work best for you and your home.
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