How Can You Waterproof Your Foundation in Winter?

Winter weather, no matter where you are in the United States, brings about cooler temperatures and more dangerous work conditions for those parties working outdoors. As such, you and other homeowners in the Cleveland, OH, area may be inclined to leave your home repairs until the warmer months of the year. 

You don’t have to put home waterproofing ambitions aside, however, just because temperatures start to drop. 

The Dangers of Working in the Winter 

Unfortunately, trying to waterproof your foundation in the wintertime does come with its challenges. After all, the ground starts to harden as temperatures in Ohio cool, making it more difficult to excavate your foundation and reach those areas that may need additional support. Similarly, working outdoors in the wintertime can put contractors in more danger than they’d be in during the warmer months of the year. 

That said, any contractor who comes out to your home should have the experience backing them up to help them stay safe while at work, no matter what the conditions outdoors might look like. Similarly, many professionals will have special tools that can help them contend with tougher ground during a project that requires home excavation. 

How Should You Protect Your Foundation? 

When it comes to protecting your foundation in the wintertime, you’ll want to take into account not only the damage snow can do to your home but what rain and drought can do as well. When you choose to work with a professional, you can conduct a home investigation to determine which parts of your foundation may be most vulnerable to the types of damage these conditions can elicit. 

When searching your foundation, basement, or crawl space for signs of damage, you’ll want to keep a wary eye out for: 

• Water stains 
• Seepage 
• Sinkage and settlement 
• Cracks in your walls or chimney 
• Water damaged belongings 
• Dropping basement temperatures 
• High levels of humidity in your home 
• Mold growth 

Note that these conditions can be signs of damage done to your foundation. If you or a professional believe that you may be contending with a leak or crack, you’ll need to go about repairing that damage before investing in home waterproofing measures. 

Once you’ve finished your home inspection and repairs, you can go over those waterproofing solutions readily available to you. Some of the best to install for foundation protection include: 

• Interior and/or exterior drains 
• Sump pumps 
• Dehumidifiers 
• Vapor barriers 
• Waterproof insulation 

Do You Need to Work with Professionals to Protect Your Foundation? 

 Your foundation can be tricky to work with if you don’t have professional guidance. 

Consider this: Most waterproofing solutions that can help you protect your foundation from damage may require you to first excavate your foundation before you install them. If you try to excavate your foundation on your own, you may find yourself spending weeks trying to break ground, especially if you’re working in the winter. Even if you want to invest in specialty equipment, you may blow your repair budget before you’ve even brought your waterproofing measures of choice home. 

And that’s to say nothing of the availability of those solutions. If you choose not to work with a professional when waterproofing your foundation, it may be more difficult for you to get your hands on the waterproofing measures that will best protect your home. Even as you seek those measures out, you may find that their costs exceed what you might pay for a professional installation, given the different connections contractors can have with their industry peers. 

Finally, there is always a chance of making a mistake while installing waterproofing measures throughout your home. Should you improperly install such a solution, you may mask signs of water damage in the months and years to come. In doing so, your foundation can start to suffer from damage you may not be aware of until the worst of the consequences appear. At that point, you’ll need to get in touch with a professional and spend more money on repairs and waterproofing than had you worked with a professional in the first place. 

Conquering Winter Weather 

Ready to start waterproofing your foundation? You can get in touch with the professionals at Ohio Basement Systems serving the Cleveland, OH, area, for a free home inspection and repair quote. These experts will be able to assess your home and its foundation, and then recommend waterproofing measures that will best suit your repair needs.