I have lived in my home for nearly ten years. During those ten years, I apparently had some unwelcome tenants eating the wood in my basement. I found out that there were termites destroying my home and that I was going to have to get some serious repair work done. The damage that those tiny insects caused to my home left me bewildered. I had thought about attempting the damage repairs myself, but quickly realized that it would be work better left to the professional damage contractors. If your home has been eaten by termites, take a few moments to visit my site to find out what all really needs to be done to ensure the damage is repaired and those pests don't return.
damage restoration after termite infestation
What Are The Signs That You Should Waterproof A Basement?
Christopher Mitchelle
Paying for waterproofing services is an investment in the survival of your house. You might wonder if you need to invest in a waterproofing project, though. Anyone who feels uncertain should check for these four signs that it's time to waterproof their home's basement.
Staining on the Basement Walls
An early sign of trouble with water getting into a house is staining along the basement walls. Water can soak up minerals from the soil or even the materials that make up the walls of the basement or the foundation. As the water permeates the brick or stone, it then deposits those minerals. You will usually see evidence of this at the maximum extent of the permeation as stains. Especially if the walls are white or light gray, there's a good chance the staining will be visible as a rusty residue on the wall.
The same kind of damage can occur in the flooring in extreme cases. You may notice it along the base of the walls if the water is running through the basement during rainy weather.
Insects
Like all living things, insects need water. They will follow it wherever it goes, and that may mean following the water right into your basement. A poorly waterproofed basement can encourage insects to set up shop. However, the barriers used by waterproofing services contractors will also serve as barriers against most insects.
Mold
Another organism that goes wherever there's water is mold. Notably, mold doesn't need a major crack in the wall to colonize a basement. Instead, even a slight increase in the basement's humidity level is more than enough to promote mold growth.
Mold sometimes is visible in growing colonies. Usually, these have almost bruised-looking colors, such as brown, black, green, or blue. However, you might not see the mold if the moisture is collecting in the basement ceiling. Instead, you may only notice a musty odor.
You should check for other problems first if there's no other evidence of a leak. For example, a failing HVAC system might not dry the basement out enough to prevent mold. If you've ruled out other possibilities, you should at least have a contractor check the condition of the basement's current waterproofing solutions.
Peeling Paint
Water on the opposite side of the basement wall can ruin the seal between the paint and the wall. If you have a painted basement, the net effect will be that the paint will separate from the wall and peel off.
Contact a company like Central Penn Waterproofing to learn more.
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