In speaking with thousands of homeowners over the course of a year, it’s clear that the majority have some sort of basement moisture problem ranging from dampness to flooding. The truth is that any type of moisture in the basement is a problem. And it’s not going to disappear merely by forgetting about it.

To protect the innocent, we’ve changed the names of the folks in our story:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s basement flooded once. They cleaned the gutters just like their cousin told them to. After all, he was a builder and he knew about these things. The couple didn’t see any more water in their basement for a good six months. They soon forgot about the incident and put all of their stuff back down in the basement on the floor. There were holiday decorations, tax records, a record album collection, personal effects - even Mrs. Smith’s preserved wedding dress - in a cardboard box like most of the other items. Beginning one otherwise peaceful evening, the sky opened up, as it does once every year or two, and two months worth of rain fell in two days. All of the Smith’s belongings were lost in the flood that resulted in the unprotected basement.

It doesn’t have to be a severe flood to experience the effects of water damage. Mold thrives on organic material so if you’ve got a high relative humidity or seepage, all of those personal items stored in boxes in the basement run the risk of being ruined. At the first sign of a problem it is important to begin the fixing process. Basement leaks do not get better, they worsen with time.

Fixing the gutters and downspouts is the first step, but not the permanent fix. For moisture, a quality dehumidifier will help alleviate mold and musty odors. SaniDry basement dehumidifier will do the trick, it’s like a dehumidifier on steroids! For foot and wall joint leaks or even floor seepage, a custom interior basement waterproofing system will solve the issue. WaterGuard, a patented system, is designed to accept wall, floor, and foot and wall joint leaks without getting clogged with dirt and debris. This is a much better solution than excavating the exterior and installing a new footing drain that will eventually clog up again. Paints or sealants are only a temporary solution and eventually the water will push through.

At the first sign of water in your basement, call a system design specialist so that you can avoid the mess the Smiths had to deal with.