There is absolutely no need what so ever to tolerate a leaky and wet basement when one has the option to Do It Yourself and attend to the damp treatment immediately without delay. The general conception seem to be that damp proofing and damp repair should be left to professionals only as it’s an extremely difficult and labour intensive task, but in actual fact, it is relatively simple and all one needs is a few items and valuable tips, such as:
Before one attempts to Do It Yourself Basement Waterproofing regardless if it’s purely to treat damp walls only or major damp treatment, one should purchase a few items/tools first:
- Durable workers gloves
- Commercial compound or waterproofing powder
- Latex Paint remover and industrial strength hand soap/wash
- Wired Brush
- Water bucket/s
- Paint Brushes
- A Trowel
- Boat epoxy, epoxy sealers and/or hydraulic cement
- A hammer
- A Chisel
- Portable torch/light
As soon as all of the before mentioned items have been purchased, and you are ready to attempt to Do It Yourself Basement Waterproofing , dress in the oldest clothes, tie long hair back and cover and protect the head with a work hardhat. It is also advisable to wear an apron as it will come in extremely handy to carry any small items/tools around that might be needed such as one’s mobile phone, tissues and the most important tool being a portable light to add additional illumination to the work surface to be able to fill even the tiniest cracks and holes. However, the best method to ensure that all holes and cracks are found and repaired is to physically feel along the span of the basement while under additional illumination. If one feels or sees any moisture, no matter how minimal, trace the damp all the way to the source. The source will not necessarily be moist, but there will undoubtedly be traces of old holes and cracks where the initial leakage occurred by dirt on the actual basement walls and/or strips of dust.
Once all of the cracks have been located, oil based paints or latex paints should be removed.