When your basement is wet and flooding, or just leaking water, don’t run out and buy some paint!

Finding water leaking or even just slowly seeping into your basement can be disconcerting.  You may be tempted to run out to the local hardware store in search of a quick-fix.  Among the many basement waterproofing fixes that you can find at the big box stores is the “waterproofing sealant”.

Basement waterproofing sealant is marketed as a “miracle” product that will stop your basement from flooding or leaking water.  These waterproofing products can be anything from latex based paints to epoxy fillers.  In the short term, your leaks and water issues may stop.  In the long term, these products are not a safe or appropriate long-term solution.  They are just surface sealers and they will leak in the future.

Before you make a purchase of any of these products to DIY your basement water issues, the most important thing to know is that none of these quick-fixes actually work in the long term.  Basement waterproof seal coats and sealants could harm your home and even compromise your home’s structural integrity.

The most important thing to do is to determine the cause of your basement water and leak problem.  Until you get to the root of the problem, you will never be able to fix it properly.

We never recommend applying any type of waterproof paint or sealer to your basement walls; it simply won’t work to keep your basement dry and healthy.

In our next installment, you’ll learn more about why waterproof seal coats and basement water sealants don’t work. We’ll discuss the harm that these “fixes” can cause and explain the science behind it too.

 

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