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When damp gets into your basement, it can make the room unusable, and can eventually cause issues that affect your whole home, such as mold, or damage to the foundations. It is a good idea to look out for signs of basement leaks, so that you can identify and solve problems as soon as possible.
One sign of a damp basement, is when your foundation wall sealant or paint is flaking. This can reveal to you that there is damp in the foundation walls, and is an early sign that water could be coming through into your home.
Take a close look at your foundation walls, paying close attention from the inside of your basement. If your walls are painted, or have a sealant applied, have a look for areas in which the surface layer is flaking away. This can be sign that there is too much damp in your basement, especially in your walls.
If you notice that your foundation wall sealant flaking, the next step is to have a look for more signs of a leaky basement. See if you can see any damp patches on the walls, or possible leaks around the area where the flaking has occurred. Take a look after a heavy rainfall.
If your sealant is flaking, the most common cause is that there is moisture in your foundation walls. This can happen because of pressure from soil, pools of water against your home, leaks in certain places, and from inadequate waterproofing.
Wall sealant does offer a layer of protection against damp, but it is not a waterproofing solution, and really should be used in conjunction with other treatments that can better protect your home, and stop water from finding its way into your walls.
Many people just reapply wall sealant when they notice that it is flaking. This is not really a solution. The damp is the problem that is causing the flaking, and therefore the sealant will simply get wet again and start to come off.
The real issue is that your home is not properly waterproofed. If it was, moisture would not get trapped in your interior foundation walls at all, and could not cause the flaking. There are many solutions available that can ensure your basement remains dry and free from damp.
Interior waterproofing solutions focus on diverting water away from the inside of your basement. Water can still get into the brickwork, but is drained safely away.
Exterior waterproofing is the ultimate solution to prevent your foundations from getting damp. Water is diverted away from the outside of your property, and the walls are covered with a membrane that actually prevents water from breaching them.
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