Wednesday
September 18, 2024 
If you live in Bucks County and have a basement, subterranean or lower level, you’ve probably had water issues.
Basements are a popular home foundation type. Pair this staple with Pennsylvania’s above average rainfall, abundant underground springs and rich water resources and you’ve a recipe for basement water trouble.
Dennis Gehman, owner of Gehman Design Remodeling in Harleysville, Montgomery County, said there are many steps home and property owners can take to reduce and sometimes eliminate water in the basement.
“The first thing is to keep the water from getting into the basement. The second thing is to get the water out as quickly as possible,” he said.
Foundation grading is an important tool to preventing water from running down the exterior of the home’s foundation to wend its way through and into the interior walls.
Make sure landscaping and soil grading is sloped away from the home’s foundation. Adjust or install gutter downspouts so they do not empty and discharge next to the foundation, Gehman advises.
For those with newer construction – or homes built after the 1960s – a crushed stone layer beneath the basement flooring or concrete is usually a standard construction practice. This helps distribute and disburse any water that may stray into the basement.Crushed stone is typically spread before the concrete slab is poured, providing not only a level, permeable surface but a barrier between the soil and the concrete basement flooring.
“If you have stone (subflooring) one sump pump is probably enough. If the home is older, a second sump can be a big help,” Gehman said.
A plethora of products touting water sealing qualities are available – and many newer products are good, according to Gehman. Because water pressure can be intense – and relentless – it can still poke through basement foundation walls, or even seep in and run down sealed walls.
“All the major paint companies have sealants for the walls…but water pressure can still get through it,” Gehman said.
Epoxy finishes may also be used on basement floors, which set up and create a hard sealed surface. Once treated, an epoxy floor will repel any water that falls onto it, making clean up easy and efficient.
For best results sealants and floor epoxy products must be applied to clean, dry surfaces in order to have the best adhesion.
“If you are going to put up a coating of any kind you have to clean the wall well. Remove the dirt and any loose debris. If you attached the sealant to anything loose, the coating will fall off,” Gehman said.
Apply any sealant or epoxy products to clean dry walls or flooring for best results, he said.
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