How to Deal With a Leaky Basement and When to Call a Waterproofing Contractor in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh is located in Allegheny County of Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of 302,971. If you live in an area facing constant water damage in the basement, you are putting your family’s health at risk.
Here are some helpful tips for dealing with a leaky basement in Pittsburgh.
Get Basement Waterproofing
Basement waterproofing refers to the techniques and materials that prevent water from entering the basement area of any house or building. If you observe that water is seeping into your basement, you need to call a basement waterproofing Pittsburgh for the job. The service provider will inspect the soil around the foundation of your property and remove all weeping tiles. They will clean the area and drill small holes in the bottom blocks to remove any moisture. The final step involves covering the wall and the footings with high-quality rubberized urethane.
Add Gutter Extensions
As per recent data, the total land area of Pittsburgh is around 55.37 square miles. And the population density in Pittsburgh per square mile is around 5521.4. The downspouts are closer to the house (less than five feet). It would be best to put metal or plastic gutter extensions to guide water away from your foundation in such a case. You can also lay an underground drain pipe permanently. This pipe will be not only invisible but also capable of carrying large quantities of debris and grime away from your house.
Plug Gaps
If you see water dripping through gaps around plumbing pipes, you should plug openings/gaps with polyurethane caulk or hydraulic cement. Plugs work when the problem is related to water oozing out of a hole. However, groundwater needs professional analysis and solutions to fix the basement leaks if the water comes out from the wall joints.
Install Footing Drain
Footing drain refers to underground pipes surrounding your house to carry water away from the foundation. If your home has footing drains and water leaks in the basement, it means that the water is being pushed out of pipes with the help of hydrostatic pressure. There can be several reasons for water being pushed out. You need to call professionals to clean the footing drains to resolve the basement leaking issue.
Install a Curtain Drain
Recent soil data suggests the Pittsburgh Plateau in Pennsylvania has soil formed by interbedded shales, sandstones, and acid clay shales. If your house does not have a footing drain, you should consider installing curtain drains to divert underground water from entering your foundation. A curtain drain involves digging a shallow trench and filling it with a perforated pipe and gravel that intercepts water uphill of your house, carrying it to the slope away from your home. If the curtain drain passes through trees or shrubs, switch to solid pipes to prevent roots from invading your curtain drain and clogging them.
Call an Experienced Contractor
As per data, Pittsburgh’s total number of households stands at 13805. Wet basements or basement leaks are an area of specialization. A leaky basement is neither an easy task nor possible by local people. Only a qualified basement waterproofing contractor in Pittsburgh can resolve your issue. The company leverages its collective experience in fixing basement leakage issues. The experts can do a superior quality job faster besides dealing with emergency issues when performing their job.
Conclusion
No matter what method you prefer to fix the basement leak, you should always call an expert to fix the basement leakage problem. A sturdy and well-maintained basement is crucial for the structure of your house.