If you live in Allegheny or Washington County, PA, you are most likely familiar with the following situation: you wake up to the sound of rain dripping off the trees, sunlight starting to stream through the thick layer of clouds from the night before. Heading down to your basement to grab a can of fruit from your pantry, you notice that your floor has been replaced with a veritable lake, an inch of water covering the concrete: welcome to Structural Engineering in western Pennsylvania. Fortunately, Waterproofing Washington PA can be a breeze with the right knowledge and tools.
To start to solve the problem of a wet basement, you need to first look up -; way up -; at the roof. Ensure that your gutters are draining properly and you may just save yourself from the risks of a leaky basement such as toxic mold or structural damage. Make sure that your gutters have at least one downspout for about every 600 square feet of roof surface, and see that they are drained at least four to six feet away from your home. Also, clean them regularly so that water can collect in the gutter and not flow over dead leaves and collect near the foundation. To keep things like sticks and debris out of your gutter, attach a metal straining grate to the top.
Could the land angle around your basement have something to do with collecting water? Absolutely. The soil should slope away from the house to encourage rain water to flow in the direction you want it to go to help with Waterproofing Washington PA. After about four feet (and a six inch decline), you may level out, but make sure that the angle never directs water back to your house. Also, take a look at your landscaping -; shrubbery or thick bushes near the outside walls of your basement can prevent good ventilation. Sure, they look pretty, but a dry basement is definitely more attractive to a potential buyer!
By correcting the soil slope and ensuring that your gutters and landscaping are in prime condition, you could save yourself 99% of the headaches a wet basement can bring.
