One of the most vital parts of a basement conversion is to ensure that when basement finishing has occurred the basement will have a completely dry interior. Although many basements have sump pumps and drainage to remove any excess water from a basement conversion the optimum goal would be to possess a fully waterproofed basement.
If your basement conversion is fully waterproofed then you do not have to face any problems when a sump pump fails or breaks. In reality though how do you know your basement is fully waterproofed?
Basement Living has the top three things to look for if you suspect your basement waterproofing system has failed or your basement has inadequate basement waterproofing methods applied:
1) Is there any standing water present along the edges of the basement wall and floor?
In many projects which Basement Living has attended there has been standing water and this suggests that there is a problem and your basement waterproofing system is not functioning properly or maybe damp proof membranes previously applied have not been installed properly and thus are failing.
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2) Is there any rising damp on the walls or signs of mould patches which could suggest damp?
If there is rising damp present or any mould then this would suggest there is moisture on the basement walls and thus it has become perfect conditions for mould to settle down and make its home. If you can see mould then it is important that you get a professional to come and take a look at your basement waterproofing system. Mould and rising damp can actually cause harm to people who live in the property; it can cause breathing problems and problems with respiratory systems. It is best to get this checked out!
3) Is there any peeling plaster or are there any cracks to the walls, floors and ceilings?
Peeling plasterboard and cracking on the walls or even cracked floors could suggest that water is present and thus your basement is not properly waterproofed. Again with this one cracked floors and especially cracking to the walls and plasterboard could prove dangerous. Most recently a basement project we attended a large proportion of plaster had come clean off the wall. The homeowner had two small children and had they or anyone else been in the basement when this fell a serious accident could have occurred.
Basement waterproofing is no laughing matter; it needs to be taken seriously at all times. A basement conversion project we attended recently in London had all the symptoms of a failed basement waterproofing system yet the homeowner had not contacted anyone to help. Water was coming in through a crack in the roof which was extremely close to a light fixture; this could have proved fatal if the homeowner had not finally seen sense and brought in a professional.
When basement waterproofing systems fail it is important to note that the sooner you report them and get help the less damage is caused. Many people think that it will be expensive to fix a failed basement waterproofing system but if you have an insurance backed guarantee this is not the case. If you do not have an insurance backed guarantee then the key is to ensure you deal with it early; the longer you leave it the more your costs will spiral!
For more information and for advice concerning basement waterproofing then please contact Basement Living on 0845 4006666 or email: info@basement-living.co.uk.
