B-Dry^® Waterproofing Blog

There are numerous schools of thought on how to waterproof a foundation. When you narrow down your search criteria to certain desires like “dry,” “permanent,” “warranted,” “professional installation” and “reputable company” then there is only one school of thought. Many homeowners share the same feeling. You should know the solution is out there amongst the haystacks, but where do you begin looking? For homeowners that have found the “needle,” wet basements are but a distant memory.

Ask yourself these questions: Why spend money for this work at all? What’s the value to having a dry basement or crawlspace?

#1: Increased Living, Storage Space

You don’t want to remodel a wet basement. You can’t work in it. You can’t store anything in it. And you certainly can’t let your kids play in it unless you’re going for the indoor pool effect. Underutilized basements can turn into man-cave retreats, cozy play rooms for the kids, or livable space for a tenant. Forbidden crawlspaces can now be well conditioned storage spaces that you would feel more at ease about venturing into. An addition on the outside of the house could cost three times or more than the cost to waterproof the same square footage that is already inside the home. Once you have permanently stopped all five ways water can enter your lower level, you’ll be able to turn it into useable space.

The 5 Ways Water Enters Your Lower Level

#2: Peace of Mind

If you’ve got a wet basement, you know it’s there – rain or shine. While it might be dry weather right now, you know the leaks are still there waiting for the next good rain. No more middle of the night wet-vac experiences. No more worrying about what you might come home to after work or a vacation. Those worries don’t live in the back of the mind of someone who has the B-Dry^® patented system and a battery back-up unit.

#3: Stable Foundation

Water is one of the most powerful forces of nature. Its most intense actions can wipe out neighborhoods and towns in the form of tsunamis and floods. In its more stealthy and patient demeanor, it wipes out homes one foundation at a time. Hydrostatic pressure causes cinderblock walls to bow inward, concrete floors to buckle, and footers to be undermined. Your foundation is subject to more degrading elements than your roof, siding, or windows. An educated homeowner would take measures in relieving hydrostatic pressure and removing slack acid from within cinderblock walls to ensure that the foundation does not get compromised to the point of replacement.

#4: Home Investment Value

If you plan to be in your home for a while, it would be nice to get full use out of all the space that you are paying for. Waterproofing delivers the highest return on your home improvement dollar…up to 120%! Since B-Dry^®’s Full Life of the Structure Warranty is transferable from owner to owner, selling your home for top dollar is made even easier.

After weighing the benefits with the value of waterproofing your lower level, make sure that you get what you pay for. You don’t want to waterproof your basement or crawl space twice.