Preparing Your Basement For Liveing Space
If you have a basement in your house, it could be a handy area when it is in good shape. There is not anything that prevents making the best of the usable space a basement can provide more than moisture or water seeping in constantly. The most common uses for a basement, which is for storing things and doing laundry, can be aggravated consistently because of a water dilemma.
The act of converting your basement into a living area is unimaginable when you have a water or moisture problem. If you experience large flooding problems, then calling a water damage business to have the problem solved is likely going to be the most logical answer. Some water problems might not be repaired well by an inexperienced home repair job. You should get a few estimates if you decide to use someone skilled for the solution. They should always be licensed and have a good reputation.
Your insurance policy will probably cover the cost of fixing the water damage if it was not a problem before your home was insured. Insurance coverage varies and especially if water is involved. If your basement water issue is not too terrible, then you could be able to repair it yourself.
If you have moisture creating damp walls in the basement, a dehumidifier should help to resolve the problem, but if you want to finish the basement, you want to take further action. If there are obvious wet spots inside or outside that are visible, then it may very well be the cause of the wetness. This could be easy to fix. Wetness or flooding water can get in when there is a split or loose mortar in the concrete blocks.
To correct the situation you must open the damaged section up by taking out any loose mortar and brushing the area clean of debris. You can do this using a hammer, a chisel, and a steel or hard bristled brush. Dampen the spot to be repaired with a spray bottle containing water.
You will use hydraulic cement to fill in the damaged place. You must follow the mixing directions completely. The mixture should have just enough consistency to get a fairly firm ball. Then, start getting the mixture into the open area until it becomes entirely filled. Use a trowel to get rid of any extra mortar before the cement begins to harden. When it is totally dried, use the brush to clean the place off.
If a damaged area somewhere on the blocks or mortar does not seem to be the problem, the moisture and water seepage could be caused by your gutters or the landscaping around the home foundation. Placing an extension on the bottom of a gutter will help keep the water away from a foundation. If this does not work either, this will be when you need that professional water damage business to better identify the problem.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
http://www.miami-waterremoval.com
http://www.miami-moldremediation.com
Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
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