There is nothing more annoying than a leaky, wet basement and with the rising costs in homes and real estate there is no reason to let that valuable space go to waste. There are several reasons why a basement begins to take on water. Mother Nature is responsible for some of them, while poor construction and neglect can also cause leaks. If understood correctly, basement waterproofing is a simple and easy job.

One of the largest problems a basement can have is a lawn that slopes downward, toward the house. When it rains or when snow melts, the water simply follows the easiest course and runs down the yard and against the foundation of the house. It then seeps into the basement. A simple basement waterproofing technique for this situation is to slope the yard away from the house, dropping about one inch per foot. If this would require extensive reconstruction of your property, drainage ditches are your second-best bet.  Install some drainage pipes or ditches to divert the water away from the basement.

Another basement waterproofing tip is to make sure your gutters are working properly. Ideally, a good gutter system will remove all water from a roof and be capable of handling huge amounts of rain. If your gutters are clogged or, worse, if you don’t have them, your basement could be in jeopardy. You should install heavy-duty downspouts to divert the water away from the foundation. You can also purchase gutter screens to prevent the gutters from getting clogged in the first place. Regular gutter maintenance is also recommended.

Using good windows and widow accessories will also get you ahead in your basement waterproofing mission. Some older window styles can actually catch and hold water, which can cause lots of headaches. You should replace those old windows or install awnings above any windows that are below ground level.