If you have basement water leaks you may be considering waterproofing the basement. A wet basement can lead serious problems such as foundation rot, items in the basement rusting such as your furnace, wood and stored items rotting and health issues related to basement mold.
Before waterproofing the basement it is important to take a look at what type of basement water leaks you are experiencing. If the water is coming from the walls high to mid wall, you have surface water issues. You should start by taking a look outside. Check to be sure all roof gutters are working properly and not overflowing. Also be sure your downspouts are leading the water away from the foundation.
Building the dirt up around the foundation may not help, and in many cases can aggravate your problems. Damp basement walls are often due to landscaping and or the dirt being built up too high along the foundation. If you do not first waterproof the foundation before raising the dirt or mulch level, the foundation will act like a sponge and absorb moisture from the soil or mulch causing bubbling paint, wet basement walls and worse.
If you have actual basement water leaks coming from down low / where the wall meets the floor, and your walls are dry, you have a ground water problem. This means water is building up around the foundation under heavier conditions and has no where to go other than into your basement.
For info on different basement systems such as exterior basement waterproofing and interior basement waterproofing to help guide your decision regarding waterproofing the basement, visit: basement solutions
