Because of the weather we get in Pennsylvania a lot of moisture collects in the ground. Houses can often suffer from cracks or buckling of walls that results from moist and therefore expanded soil. Where cracks appear, you can be sure that water will make its way inside your property. Mold and other nasty side effects of this will soon start to occur and your health can even suffer. It’s never good to have damp in your basement. Waterproofing is a fundamental part of home or building ownership and should not be an afterthought.

Basement waterproofing, especially in areas like York, PA will nearly always require interior and exterior methods to ensure that your home is properly protected. Thinking longer term, opting for more robust defences is an investment in your home and your health.

One of the best ways to keep your basement dry is to call us right away for a consultation – we can give you solutions for basement waterproofing, as we have done for lots of York, PA’s residents. There are things you can do yourself that will help, though. One of the most important of these is to keep your gutters clean, because they make sure water travels away from the building. You should regularly attend to your gutters and downspouts. You should also not leave cracks that you notice for a long time without getting a specialist in.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the foundation of your home is absolutely crucial to keep everything else structurally sound. Foundations are made from strong masonry like cinder block, concrete or stone, because the rest of the house relies on it.

The three main purposes of a foundation are:

To keep the house supported

To keep the house securely fastened to the ground (although high winds aren’t as big a problem here in Pennsylvania as in other parts of the country).

To protect the home from moisture

Many, if not most, dwellings have a basement, which makes the foundation that much more complicated (as there is greater surface area). This might be beneficial in many ways, but it does mean that there is more to maintain and sometimes that means more repairs. 

The types of issues that we often get called out to repair nearly always relate to the weather. Foundation repair is necessary when rain or snow cause the soil in the grounds around a building to grow or shrink. The subsequent pressure exerted on the building can move or sometimes even break part of the foundation. When something like this happens, water will nearly always make its way inside.

Although very strong, foundations are not without their weak points. These vulnerabilities mean that sometimes foundation repair is essential. 

These are some of the more common problems we see.

Sinking foundations: owners of new buildings should expect some settling in the first couple of years, but if you own an older home and notice significant sinking, then it can mean that there are really big problems. 

Cracks or buckled walls: when you notice a crack in the wall, or the wall seems to have buckled, even slightly, it means that moisture has managed to impact the structure in some way. Over time this can lead to some serious problems like mold and water seepage. It can be expensive to repair, so it’s best not to delay and let the problem worsen.

Upheaval: changes in the soil can sometimes force the foundation to move upwards, in the opposite problem to sinking. This is still just as serious an issue and can cause many problems if not dealt with as soon as possible. 

If you have a problem with your foundation you can tell – at least most of the time. When a foundation has been significantly compromised, or even only slightly impacted, it has a knock-on effect on the rest of the house. Look out for the following and make sure to give us a call if you notice anything that doesn’t seem right.

Moisture like standing water or condensation. Have your crawl spaces become moldy or damp?

Cracks on basement walls

Gaps around windows or doors that don’t close like they used to

Separation of kitchen counters or cabinets from the wall

Chimney damage.