It doesn’t matter if you’re living in an older home or a new home. The fact is, if you have poor ventilation, high humidity, condensation, a cracked foundation or a leaky basement, mould could be present in your home.
Mould in a house demands attention because it can cause health problems, especially for those with allergies or asthma. Inhaling or touching the spores that mould releases into the air can cause an allergic reaction like sneezing, red eyes, skin rash or worse. Equally as important is the fact mould can cause significant damage to your home. The arrival of spring is a good time to check for signs of wetness in your home that could lead to mould formation.
“This time of year, especially this year with the unusually warm temperatures and rain, is a good time to check for wetness in your basement and areas where mould could form,” said Bonnie Dittrich, co-owner of Benji Dittrich Construction. “With the extra rain people can start to panic because they see wetness finding its way into the house.”
Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Benji Dittrich Construction is dedicated to solving wet basement issues. As specialists in basement waterproofing and foundation repair, Benji Dittrich Construction is the company to turn to for mitigation of problems related to basement wetness. That’s especially true if you’re thinking of selling your home and need to complete repairs before listing your property.
“Homeowners aren’t always necessarily aware of the problems,” said Dittrich. “A homeowner selling a property might not understand the severity of the problem. A person can then buy the home unaware that the house has a basement leak. They only find out after living in the house a few months when they can smell it, they can feel it and eventually they see it. They see water, staining and mould in some areas and realize they have bought a home with issues.”
According to Dittrich, there are several tell-tale signs to look for that can help homeowners or home buyers identify a potential problem with wetness in a home’s basement.
“Sensing a smell in the basement is the number one sign,” she said. “If it smells damp and musty there’s wetness seeping in somewhere. You need to immediately investigate and figure out how severe the issue is.”
Stains on the floors or baseboards, visible cracking or staining on the foundation wall, and the presence of efflorescence – a powdery substance that shows up on the surface of cement walls when water leaking through them evaporates – are also major signs that you have a problem with moisture.
Remedying a wet mouldy basement needs to start with fixing the source of the problem. You need to identify what is causing the moisture to enter the home. Simply identifying the presence of mould and removing drywall and insulation containing mould is only part of the solution. If the moisture is not dealt with at the source, the mould problem will return, and the basement destruction will continue.
Once the source of the leak or moisture is identified the problem can be fixed either through an interior waterproofing solution or an exterior waterproofing solution. Not all options are viable for all homes because each home has unique aspects that have contribute to the basement issue.
“When we do a site visit, we inform the homeowner about why the problem has persisted, what the best fix is and why a particular solution is the best solution for their wet basement problem,” said Dittrich.
Allowing a leak to persist can cause some very serious problems in a home. Your home is one of your biggest investments and maintaining its value is important. Benji Dittrich Construction is an experienced construction company that is licensed with the city of Sudbury, fully insured and WSIB compliant.
For a top-quality construction company experience, reliable results and honest work, connect with Benji Dittrich Construction. Visit them online here.