If concrete basement walls are poorly maintained and a couple concrete sections are cracked, Residential Basement Leakage may become an issue during rainy weather and can compromise the strength of a foundation and possibly ruin contents stored in a basement. The Residential Basement Leakage project below outlines how to clean and patch walls so that a basement remains dry and damage-free.
Materials
* sponge mop
* portable heating units
* tarp
* cleaning cloth
* scrub brush
* detergent
* warm water
* foundation patch
* putty knife
* caulk gun cartridge
* caulk gun
* clear sealant
* wooden stick
* tape
* paintbrush
Dry Concrete And Flooring And Clean Interior Panels
If water has pooled on flooring, a sponge mop can be used to sop up moisture. If floors and walls have been damp for a long time, portable heating units can be used to dry affected surfaces. Windows should be opened to air out a basement and eliminate foul odors.
Stained concrete can be cleaned by dipping a soft cloth into soapy water and moving the cloth briskly across dirty spots.A scrub brush with stiff bristles can be used to loosen encrusted residue. A clean cloth can be moved across walls to dry clean concrete.
Repair Cracked Concrete And Apply A Clear Sealant
After inspecting walls and locating cracks in concrete, a putty knife or caulk gun can be used to apply foundation patch to damaged surfaces. Patch will need a full day to dry. A clear sealant can be applied to interior walls to provide them with a waterproof surface.
After opening a can of sealant, a long wooden stick should be used to stir sealant. Air bubbles need to be eliminated so that sealant will have a smooth uniform appearance after being applied to concrete. If there are portions of a wall that contain trim or electrical sockets, strips of tape can be used to cover details that are not being coated with sealant.
A paintbrush needs to be dipped into a can of sealant and bristles should be evenly coated before moving a brush along the surface of each wall. After each wall is covered, sealant needs to dry before removing strips of tape that are covering small details on each wall.