Category Archives: Waterproofing

Congratulations! Moving into a new home is an exciting chapter in someone’s life, and also a stressful one. There is a long list of things to do before the move: pack your belongings, get rid of anything you’re not taking with you, change your address, transfer insurance policies… it goes on! Basement waterproofing is likely at the bottom of the to-do list when preparing to move into a new home. In fact, we’d bet it’s not on the list at all. Many people don’t realize that the best time to waterproof your basement is before the move!

In the last ten years, the city of Windsor has been met with some challenging weather events, making us a city now prone to flooding. Our blog Which Residential Areas in Windsor are Commonly Hit by Flooding dives deeper into the areas of Windsor most at risk from increasingly frequent and severe weather events. In a pursuit to protect Windsor homeowners, in 2011 the City of Windsor developed the Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program. You could be eligible to receive up to $2,800 to cover basement flooding prevention costs. We’ve put together the key information below as plainly as possible to help get you started. All necessary links will be at the bottom of the blog.

“This is the summer of rain!” This seems to be the statement each year in Windsor-Essex County as record rainfalls and/or flood warnings have been consecutively set in the area for the last nine years. Seriously. Type in “Windsor flood” and a year and you’ll see an article about it. If you live in the following areas Windsor-Essex County, the time is now to take proactive action against basement flooding.

There have been lots of improvements in the way moisture problems are managed. This includes waterproofing a basement. The basement area of a home is either partly or completely below ground level. So if you live in an area that has rain then it is certain at some point your basement will need to combat ground water seepage. This creates an increased moisture situation as it seeks to penetrate the basement walls and floor. The American Society has reported that about 60% of basements will suffer from ground water seepage within 10 to15 years of being built.

So, while it’s clear that basement waterproofing seeks to combat moisture problems, is it worth the effort? If you’ve had doubts about the need for basement waterproofing, you’ll want to read this article to the end.

#1. An Interior Plumbing Leak

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you should always check for inside leaks first when trying to identify the cause of moisture in your basement. A water leak can come from numerous places: a shower, a sink, a toilet, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a bad pipe, just to name a few. Sometimes, if the moisture in your basement is located on the ceiling or walls beneath a bathroom or kitchen, an interior water leak is to blame. Find where the moisture is located and determine if something in that area is leaking.