Why You Need Waterproofing Services When You Have A Slab Foundation
More often than not, waterproofing services and waterproofing contractors are needed for basements and crawl spaces under porches. Most people with slab foundations like yours rarely think of, or think that they need, waterproofing services. However, the complete opposite is true. Having a slab foundation under your home only means that you need waterproofing services more, not less than homes with basements. Here is why.
There Is Nowhere for Precipitation to Go
Homes with basements allow for some seepage of precipitation into the basement, but most of the water cannot enter the foundation because of the height of the foundation. In homes with a slab foundation, the water has nowhere else to go but into the house. This becomes quite apparent when you begin to see water damage along the baseboards of your home, or experience water seepage in these areas. In most cases with slab foundations, an embankment has to create a perfectly downhill slope all the way around your home, or the water finds its way inside.
Your Furnace and Water Heater Closet Fall Victim to Water Invasions
In every home with a slab foundation, you have a closeted space where the floor is the top layer of the concrete slab and the water heater and furnace are kept. Leaks in these appliances goes right to the concrete slab underneath them, and then trickles off in other directions. With no waterproofing on this floor in this area, you end up with a lot of wetness every time it rains. This space is similar to a crawl space, even though it has no dirt and more concrete. Still, if the water escapes the space, it heads right for your finished floors and creates quite a mess.
You Cannot Install a Sump Pump to Alleviate Water Problems
Unlike a basement where you can install a sump pump to alleviate water accumulation, a slab foundation cannot use a sump pump. The sump pump has to be below foundation level in order for it to work effectively. A slab foundation is at ground level, with no sub-levels below it. The mechanical operations of a sump pump just would not work with your home. Ergo, you need some other waterproofing solutions that will work with your home's "above ground" foundation.
Talk to a Waterproofing Contractor
Waterproofing contractors have lots of methods of keeping slab foundation homes dry and free of water. They can seal and protect all possible entry points for water in your home. They can also recommend some simple alterations to your property that will help keep your home dry.
For more information, contact companies like Stan Young Drainage.