A common question homeowners will ask is whether or not they can waterproof their own basement.
The answer: You may or may not be able to waterproof your own basement, as it depends on why your basement is leaking. This leads to the main issue - there is not just one fix for leaky basements.
The fix could be as simple as cleaning out your clogged up gutters to allow water to flow down through it rather than overflowing right down to the base of your home. Homeowners may be able to handle a task such as that.
The issue could also be water entering through cracks in your foundation, which could potentially require foundation repair work. Most homeowners cannot handle a task such as that.
It entirely depends on the situation, but most homeowners should not handle their own basement waterproofing.
Theses are questions you should ask yourself before attempting to waterproof your own basement:
If you answer no to any of those questions, the best solution is to hire a team of professionals who handle these types of jobs every single day.
Here is a list of pros and cons on waterproofing your own basement:
By waterproofing your own basement, you won’t have to pay to hire a crew to come in and take care of the work. You will need to pay for any material that is needed. Oftentimes waterproofing projects will need tools, machinery, and product in order to carry out the task.
Basement waterproofing may take weeks or even months to carry out on your own. Again, this is dependent on what you are actually doing. It may only take a week to install a DRY-up baseboard system in your basement, but installing a drain tile system could be entirely different.
Drain tile repairs and installation require excavation. Then the debris needs to be carried out. After that the system can be installed. And finally you’ll need fresh cement laid out. Oh, and don’t forget about hooking it up to the sump pump (simplified version of the process).
In the end, waterproofing projects can be a time-stealing matter, which not all homeowners will have the ability to put up with.
Basement waterproofing can be exhausting work. It is not for the weak-hearted. You can be on your feet lifting heavy equipment or rolling wheelbarrows out of the basement for hours (and days) on end.
It is not uncommon for your clothes to be covered in dirt at the end of the day, as you could find yourself digging in the trenches.
The biggest con of waterproofing your own basement is that you may not know exactly what needs to be done. This is a very serious issue!
If you believe the issue is a high water table under your home, but it turns out that there was actually a plumbing issue causing the water leakage, you could find yourself wasting a bunch of time and money carrying out the wrong work.
Now imagine a professional who has been in the industry for over 50 years. With that kind of experience, you can be confident knowing that he’s going to find the correct solution to your basement issues.
Making a mistake while trying to waterproof your basement could cost you thousands in damages and put your home (and family!) at risk. Any waterproofing comes with risks, however, the risks are much lower if you have a team of quality pros on your side.
Basement repair equipment can be expensive. Not to mention exterior work can require big machinery to move dirt and heavy pieces.
Without the correct equipment, most repair and installation jobs would be unsuccessful and not possible.
