Water precipitation in Northeast Ohio has been pretty heavy this year. According to the National Weather Service records, the amount of precipitation last year was a bit heavier than 2019, but we still have a pretty wet, pretty humid year. Last year’s precipitation was 8.43 Inches compared to the 7.42 Inches this year. Regardless of the precipitation amount, many homeowners feel the rain is never far off this year.
For homeowners with an old basement or a home where the foundation walls have lost their seal and are letting water seep into the basement of the home, any amount of rain is bad news.
After many years, the sealant applied to basements walls wears down and lets water into the foundation walls and basement of the home. Slowly, but surely, some homes suffer damage to the foundation of the home for many years without the homeowner realizing it.
Early Signs of Water Damage:
- Cracks in the walls
- Cracks along the seams where the walls meet the floor
- Water sitting along the basement walls
- Peeling paint
- Mold
- Musty odor
Those are the early signs that a homeowner can spot and identify easily. Fixing the problem on the other hand should be done by an expert. Homeowners that are handy at fixing things, believe they can patch a basement wall or the cracks that have appeared along the walls and the basement floor.
There is also an abundance of YouTube videos showing you how to fix the crack in the basement of your home, making the homeowner believe calling an expert to fix the water problems in their home is not needed.
Those videos, however, do not show you the work that was put into before they show you the end result or the end steps. Patching a crack in the basement wall might be doable for many homeowners, but the problem is not fixed.
Ask yourself:
Did I fix the water seepage that was happening before I “fixed” the crack?
Was the water coming from the outside or is it an inside leak?
Will the water find another spot to leak into the basement?
Is the sealant on the walls gone?
Is water sitting around the foundation and finding a way into the home?
Patching a basement crack in the wall by yourself is only temporary. The problem will most likely persist, perhaps damaging the foundation as well. An expert will show you know where the water is coming from, whether you have water inside the walls or if you have insects that can probably damage the wood frame of the home.
Patching a crack in the wall should be done by a professional company that will ensure the work is done well with no shortcuts, and with a price that won’t break your bank.
