While we don't have anywhere safe (besides our downstairs bathroom) to go in the event of a tornado, at least we don't have to worry about water in the basement. Some of the people in our neighborhood have some serious puddles in their yards when it rains, so I can just imagine what a basement might look like.
If you have a basement, you may find the following information useful.
If you walk downstairs and notice standing water in the basement, then you know that you have a problem. There are a few reasons as to why you would have water in the basement. If it's rained recently, then water could seep into the room under a door that doesn't meet the floor all the way. There could be a leak from the ceiling. You need to find the source of how the water is entering the basement as soon as possible and repair it before waterproofing the room. If there is any mold or mildew or any structural damage, you need to get these issues fixed before you begin waterproofing.
A basement waterproofing Erie PA company has the tools and supplies needed to keep water out of your basement if you don't want to worry about the work. There are a few things that you can do on your own if you want to tackle the job with the assistance of a waterproofing company. The first thing that you need to do is look around the basement to find any holes or cracks. These need to be filled in with cement so that there isn't a way for water to get into the basement.
Once the source of how water is getting inside is fixed, you need to apply a thin coat of masonry cement to the walls. Make sure it's waterproof cement so that it helps to keep water from getting inside the room. Examine the outside of the home. Attach gutters or extensions at the basement so that water has somewhere to go away from the home instead of settling around the base or getting inside the house. Another option would be to dig a trench around the basement. Put a plastic pipe that's about four inches round in the trench. This will also help to direct water away from the basement and other areas of the home so that there isn't as much of a risk for flooding. Examine the ceiling of the basement, applying a layer of masonry cement to this area as well. Fix any leaks that are present in the ceiling before the cement is applied.
We never had issues with water in our basement in Wisconsin, except for the occasional wet spot on one wall after a rain. We had our contractor come and do some kind of waterproofing, and we never had a problem after that. Oh, and there was the time they were removing the old siding from the house after the tornado and pulled the outside faucet loose - causing water to pour into the basement. Yeah, that was fun. Thankfully it was all clean water, and after some shop vacs, fans, and dehumidifiers, everything was as good as new.
