Unfortunately, weather damage is common in homes around the United States, particularly in basements and crawlspaces in the homes that have them. If you have a basement or a crawl space, it is important that you create a moisture barrier to prevent unwanted moisture from seeping in. A moisture barrier can help to create a waterproof basement as well as a waterproof crawl space and the right type of moisture barrier will keep your home from suffering significant damage.
Basement water damage is excessively common in the United States, with nearly one hundred percent of all homes with basements experiencing water damage at some point in their history. Some homes do not have full basements but instead have crawl spaces. Crawl spaces exist in as many as twenty seven million homes if not more than that, as the practice of building homes over an already existing crawl space is still common in United States construction practices. Basement waterproofing is essential to keeping your home dry, as a dry basement can help to prevent a number of problems from occurring.
Though one of our main concerns when water damage is sustained is to worry about the state of our possessions, it is also important that we consider the impact of flooding on our health. Studies have shown that mold growth can be attributed to damp conditions. Mold has been shown to be toxic in any quantity, according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and can be attributed to more than ninety percent of all chronic sinus infections. In fact, mold exposure has even been attributed to deaths in previous cases. In the event of flooding, it is important to dry the affected part of your home, either the basement or the crawl space, as quickly and efficiently as possible, preferrebly within no more than forty eight hours of the original flooding event. Though this is not a perfect solution, it can help considerably in preventing mold growth and the health problems likely to ensue from it.
However, there are ways to prevent flooding from even happening in the first place by creating an adequate moisture barrier. One easy step that any home owner can make is avoiding the planting of any plants or bushes within two feet of the foundation. If a plant is planted any closer, it becomes possible that the plant will direct water toward the foundation, preventing an adequate moisture barrier and increasing the chances of flooding. Incorporating additions such as a crawl space dehumidifier as well as crawl space insulation can also be effective in preventing the formation of moisture and forming a moisture barrier, which can help to protect your basement or crawl space area from the damages of any future flooding that would have occurred without the presence of a moisture barrier. A moisture barrier is key to preventing flooding for most basements and crawl spaces and its implementation can have a considerable positive impact on the health of the inhabitants of the household.
