The last thing every homeowner wants is to walk down to a leaking or flooded basement, but unfortunately, basement leakage is a common problem faced by many homeowners in Singapore. However, with the help of waterproofing professionals, basement leakages can be tackled and resolved.
Like any other part of the house, taking care of your basement is essential to ensuring a healthy home. If basement leaks are ignored, they will deteriorate over time and could ultimately affect your home and result in costly repairs that could have been avoided with active inspection and preventive maintenance efforts. As we all know, there are high humidity levels in basements, which promotes an ideal environment for mould and mildew to thrive. This can potentially present health risks to the occupants and cause severe water damage that can greatly reduce your property’s value.
Before delving into the commonly used basement leakage solution, it is critical to understand the various causes of basement leaks and their tell-tale signs so that you can identify them and take proactive steps to resolve them as soon as possible.
Causes of basement leakages
The basement is a part of the house that is commonly used as storage space. As such, it is an area that we do not visit as often as compared to other areas like the living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. As a result, there may be delays in detecting basement leakages until the conditions have deteriorated and caused significant damage, such as floods, a strong musty odour, damaged furniture, short circuits, and so on. There are also times when basements are converted into entertainment rooms, personal gyms, or children’s playrooms. In such cases, homeowners will place more emphasis on ensuring basement leakages are resolved as soon as possible to reduce occupants’ exposure to potential health risks.
1. Subsoil around the house’s foundation
Lateral hydrostatic pressure is defined as the force created by water moving in a horizontal direction. As the foundation of a house is often built at the sub-soil level, the soil surrounding the basement walls and below the floor slab can absorb water, expand, or shift over time, resulting in excess pressure on the foundation. The hydrostatic pressure is typically higher after an intense rainstorm, which could potentially lead to cracks, leaks, and seepages from the basement walls and floors.
2. Cracks in basement walls or floor
Building up from the hydrostatic pressure caused by water (as shared above), basement walls and floors are highly susceptible to cracks. Once cracks are formed, this would allow water to seep into the basement and cause damage to your prized belongings and furniture. The most vulnerable areas of walls are those with holes or joints in the retaining wall (e.g., windows, piping, etc.). Homeowners will need to engage professionals to assess the severity of the cracks, as the remedies will vary accordingly.
3. Overflowing gutters
We have encountered several homes where there is an external gutter corresponding to the basement leakage areas. And, more often than not, leaks are caused by overflowing gutters, where rainwater spills into the adjoining soil and increases the pressure on the basement walls. Over time, when waterproofing is worn out and cracks are present in the basement walls and floors, seepages and leakages will occur.
Tell-tale signs of basement leakages
Identifying leaks or seepages in your basement in a timely manner will be crucial in order to prevent further water damage. It is important for homeowners to do a preliminary walk-through to determine if the source is external (such as rain or gutters) or if the source is due to other potential reasons, such as plumbing issues or air-conditioning condensation. Here are some tell-tale signs of basement leaks to help you identify them:
1. Moisture or brown stains on the walls
If the basement walls feel or look damp, or if there are brown stains emerging on the walls, this indicates that water has successfully seeped through, either due to rainfall accumulation, defective plumbing, or overflowing gutters, etc.
2. Presence of mould and mildew
As mentioned earlier in this article, mould and mildew thrive in areas of high humidity or where water accumulates. They are the culprits behind that awful musty smell in your basement and have the power to rapidly spread. They release spores that can produce respiratory problems and allergies, exposing occupants to potential health risks.
3. Efflorescence and damaged finishes
If chalky white mineral deposits are visible on your basement walls, or if your walls are bubbling or peeling, it is highly possible that water has successfully seeped through the wall from the exterior into the interior of your basement.
4. Stained or warped wood
If you have any wooden feature walls or if you have installed parquet floor in your basement, stained or warped floorboards are clear signs of water damage in your basement.
Recommended Remedy
It is not possible to remove all the subsoil to gain access to the external surfaces of the basement walls or floors. Therefore, when it comes to tackling basement leakages, PU injection grouting is the most common way to seal cracks and gaps to prevent basement leakages.
PU injection grouting
Polyurethane injection grouting, also known as PU injection grouting, is a waterproofing technique that injects polyurethane, a fluid resin, to prevent water leakage through cracks or gaps. When in contact with water or moisture, this fluid resin will react and expand up to 10 times its original volume to fill up the existing gaps until there is no more space to stop water from flowing through structural joints and crack lines. This non-invasive and cost-effective technique is often implemented to repair cracks and stop water seepage in basements.
PU injection grouting offers significant advantages, as it is easy to apply and very durable. When carried out with quality workmanship, PU injection grouting can last from 3 to 5 years. Due to its low viscosity and various other properties, it is commonly used to fill cracks in defective basement walls and floors.
Identify and rectify
Turning a blind eye to basement leakages may result in serious consequences in the long term. To keep affected areas from deteriorating, basement leakages must be identified and repaired as soon as possible. The best approach is to hire a professional waterproofing contractor.
SWC Construction is a Building and Construction Authority (BCA)-certified and approved BCA waterproofing contractor with more than 20 years of experience in the waterproofing industry. We are a team of waterproofing specialists who are dedicated to providing quality workmanship to rectify all waterproofing problems and reduce inconvenience to you – our valued homeowners.
At SWC Construction, we prioritise conducting thorough inspections in order to recommend the appropriate repairs to help stop the basement leakages promptly. Contact us today for a non-obligatory on-site consultation to solve all your basement leakages.