Whether it’s your roof, your basement or the floors of your house, you probably know that excess moisture can cause damage to your home. And of course you probably don’t want to wait around until the damage done by moisture becomes hard to repair. This is the reason why you as a homeowner should be acquainted with some basic waterproofing products.
The most common places to find water problems are on the roof and in underground rooms such as basements. Handling small moisture problems here, such as a leaky roof or water seepage in the basement can actually be done by average homeowner. All it takes is some sealant. The proper application of which should put an end to your moisture troubles, at least for a while.
Sealants are waterproofing products that usually come in two forms. The first kind is a polymer based sealant. These are chemicals you can spray onto foundation walls and can keep these walls free from water penetration for years. The second kind of sealant is the urethane sealant. These are thick synthetic substances that work well both as a tool for the prevention and repair of water problems. They are effective at sealing leaks on your roof and for cracks and crevices in your basement walls. These are also known as epoxies.
The most effective waterproofing products however aren’t sealants. And the best time to install these is when the house or building is still being built. I’m talking about waterproofing membranes. These are protective sheets that are meant to go around the exterior of the foundation in order to prevent pressure from forcing water into the tiny cracks and holes present in the walls of your foundation. There are many of them out there but there are basically two types of waterproofing membranes.
The first type of membrane is the asphalt membrane. These are rolled sheets that will be wrapped around your foundations in order to prevent water from reaching the cracks in your foundations should they ever develop.
The second common membrane type is the air-gap membrane. This type of waterproofing membrane makes use of a polyethylene sheet with dimples. When the basement is covered with the sheet the dimples are filled with air packets which counter the effects of water pressure coming from the outside making water penetration into your foundation much less likely.
These are just a few of the many waterproofing products you will come across. So should you ever come across moisture problems in your home, you will have an idea as to what you should do.
