If you want to save money while protecting your home, avoid DIY basement waterproofing kits, videos, and tutorials. While a damp basement and other problems associated with moisture infiltration can be upsetting, fixing the issues often requires professional help. Protecting your foundation requires specialized knowledge and resources that most homeowners don’t have. As one of the Pittsburgh area’s most trusted foundation specialists, we’re ready to help you avoid the dangers of biting off more than you can chew.
Fundamental Foundation Protection
At its best, DIY basement waterproofing may fail to provide the protection you think you’re paying for, leaving your foundation in danger. At its worst, it could damage your home directly. Comprehensive basement waterproofing works inside and outside your foundation to mitigate the risks it faces from the tons of wet soil that surround it.
- Outside the Foundation Walls – The land around your home needs to be properly prepared to direct water away from your foundation walls. This includes ensuring the proper soil composition, grading away from the home, and water-sequestering landscaping to capture moisture and prevent soil erosion.
- The Foundation Structure – The walls and floor of your foundation need to be properly sealed to reduce the risk of moisture infiltration and make it harder for pests like rodents and bugs to get in. In some cases, this may require the installation of wall anchors to help distribute the weight of the soil punching against the outer basement walls.
- Inside Your Basement – Floor or tile drain systems, often connected to a sump pump for powered water removal, help collect moisture that accumulates in the basement. Proper insulation helps seal windows and doors while blocking out temperature changes that can lead to condensation, and a dehumidifier may be installed to keep you from having damp basement air.
In most cases, it’s not a matter of addressing one of these areas or another. Rather your basement will need a balance of protection across all three to provide comprehensive waterproofing. In most cases, a DIY basement waterproofing kit won’t have the required materials, nor will most homeowners have the tools or experience.
Why You Should Avoid DIY Basement Waterproofing
When you choose DIY basement waterproofing, you open yourself up to three major risk factors. Taken together, they make it clear that working with a professional basement contractor is the better choice for you and your property.
Increased Cost
Professional contractors can buy supplies in bulk, lowering their costs without compromising on their quality. They also have the tools needed to do the job. DIY basement waterproofing packages often lack needed components, and buying any components yourself will come at higher cash prices through retail outlets. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of renting specialized tools or buying them outright, an exorbitant expense for a homeowner who won’t need many of them for follow-up work.
Finally, trying to fix basement problems yourself with unfamiliar tools and materials can lead to damage and mistakes that put your home in increased jeopardy. This can lead to throwing good money after bad as you try to redo or repair the issues DIY basement waterproofing caused in the first place. Ultimately, this usually results in a call where our basement specialist is forced to include not only the cost of professional waterproofing but also damage repair and mitigation.
Lower Quality
Experience counts for a lot when it comes to foundation repair services. It teaches you how to spot and avoid substandard materials, understand the services most needed for protection, and how to get the job done right the first time. We’ve worked with homes of every type in the greater Pittsburgh area and have left each one better protected for the families that call them home. We use American steel, source trustworthy materials, and stand behind our work for the lifetime of the home.
DIY basement waterproofing videos and instructionals can’t cover every detail of effective foundation protection, and they definitely can’t prepare you for the snags, issues, and problems that frequently crop up, especially in older homes or properties where previous owners also decided to do a “good enough” job on their own. You may get the wrong or insufficient materials to do the job properly. Finally, there are no guarantees or warranties protecting you when you confront a damp basement on your own.
More Dangerous
Doing unfamiliar work with tools you aren’t used to in a poorly lit, damp basement to fix problems you may not have correctly identified is a recipe for disaster. You can easily damage your foundation, any existing waterproofing or drainage systems, or the natural drainage from properly graded land and water-sequestering landscaping. One of the most common accidents in DIY basement waterproofing is forgetting to call 811 to verify utilities before digging, leading to damaged pipes, wires, or cables.
Beyond the potential damage to your home, you’re risking injury. This can be physical injuries from power tools, shock hazards from wiring, or chemical inhalation risks from sealants or adhesives. Home repair contractors undergo a lot of training and mentorship in their professional journeys, and a large portion of that education and experience is centered on safety for a reason.
Professional Basement Waterproofing is Safe & Cost-Effective
Schedule a no-obligation inspection with one of our foundation experts free of charge. They’ll set a time to visit your property, examine the basement for signs of damage and protection opportunities, and then tailor a written estimate to meet your foundation’s needs. They’ll answer any questions, and we’ll be available at every step of the journey to help you understand your options. Peace of mind is often more budget-friendly than homeowners realize.
When you’re ready to get started, we take care of everything, from pulling permits and calling 811 to coordinating with contracting specialists who may be needed for larger or more extensive basement problems. We work hard to get the job done right around your schedule so you can get back to enjoying your family home. Protect your property and loved ones. Call for a free quote from A.M. Wall Anchor & Waterproofing today.
