How Does Water Get Into Your Basement?
Most modern basements are built out of very sturdy materials. Concrete is poured out to act as both a subterranean floor for your home, with potential to finish and furnish, but it also acts as the foundation, supporting the weight of the entire home. Because of this, you’d think that your basement would be resistant to all types of damage, but surprisingly, this isn’t the case.
Water, can and does frequently find its way into your basement if you don’t take the right precautions. How Does Water Get Into Your Basement? But how does this happen? There are actually many different avenues for water to exploit.
Honeycomb Concrete
“Honeycomb” concrete simply means that there was a problem that occurred when the concrete itself was poured. Concrete is a porous substance, meaning it naturally allows some water through, because it has tiny spaces inside. However, with honeycomb concrete, larger than normal spaces have formed within the concrete itself, which resemble the honeycombs of a beehive, hence the name. This can allow large amounts of water into your basement.
Mortar Joints
Some basements do not have solid concrete walls, but instead use blocks to form their basement. The mortar that is used to hold these blocks in place can decay over time. This is an especially relevant concern for much older homes that are more likely to use blocks rather than poured concrete. Many of these homes are decades old, which will have an impact on the mortar. Once mortar joints start to decay, water can get in very easily.
Cracks
Sometimes, the cause for water coming in is very plain to see, and this usually means that the scale of the problem is serious. Cracks in your wall or basement floor are a perfect example of this. This is usually a symptom of a much bigger problem with the foundation itself.
If you have any of these problems, you should call an expert to come in and assess your basement’s condition. AA Action Waterproofing have the experience, tools and skill to find the cause of your basement’s problem and offer solutions.