When you are a homeowner, you will likely find that there are a lot of things that you need to do over time. One of the more preventative tasks that you should do is that of exterior waterproofing along your foundation walls. With proper waterproofing along the exterior of your foundation, you should not have to worry about water making its way into your basement and causing a lot of problems for you, such as mold growth. To help you do the best you can at waterproofing your foundation from the outside, you will want to make use of the following tips.
Dig Down And Coat With A Waterproofing Sealant
One thing you can do is dig down along the side of the foundation, exposing all of the exterior wall. Then, paint a coat of a waterproof sealant on the outside of the foundation wall. You may want to apply a second coat once the first one has dried. This will help ensure that any water that makes it through the soil will not be able to penetrate the foundation wall.
Install A French Drain Along The Foundation
When you go to fill the spot in where you dug out for the application of the sealant, you will want to install a French drain. If this is not something that you have experience with, you will want to hire a contractor to assist you. The French drain will capture water more towards the surface of your yard surrounding your home and then carry it away from the foundation.
Keep The Soil At A Slight Slope
When putting the remaining soil back in place after all of that, you will want to build it up so there is a slight slope away from your home. This way, most of the water will roll away from your home. What doesn't should then be captured by the French drain and any water that gets under the drain will not be able to get through the foundation because of the sealant you put on the exterior of the foundation wall.
As you can see, there are some good things that you can do in order to successfully complete exterior waterproofing on your property. All of these steps are things that you can do on your own with the right experience and enough time. However, if you do not have a lot of free time, experience with this type of work, or you have some physical limitations, you will want to contact a contractor to do this for you.
