If you have been living in your home for many years and have been neglecting your basement, you have really been missing out on a very useful room in your home. Families can grow and hobbies can expand so converting your basement is a much more practical and cheaper alternative compared to moving to a new home. Whatever use you have n mind for your basement, whether it’s going to be a wine cellar, home gym or workshop, making sure that you have a really good basement waterproofing system in place is very much advisable.

A major concern with basements is always the moisture content as they are obviously built underground and so more prone to high humidity levels and damp. A good place to start is by contacting companies and contractors in your local area to find out how much a basement waterproofing system will cost and also to compare estimates. Some companies will charge various amounts depending on what they think they can get away with, so comparing quotes will allow you to prevent yourself from being scammed. If you eventually decide to water-proof your basement yourself, then at least you will have had the opportunity to pick these guy’s brains for info and tips.

If you are experiencing damp problems with your basement then you first of all need to check to see where the water is getting in. If it has been raining then you might have a leak somewhere, for instance a crack in the wall. Alternatively you could have problems with a leaking pipe. If your basement is constantly wet then the problem might be caused by condensation.

A very simple and inexpensive method of testing to see whether you have a leak or condensation is to tape 2″ x 12″ piece of plastic onto the wall of your basement. This plastic should be taped securely to a part of the wall where your damp is more prevalent. A few days later you should go and remove the plastic to have a look as to what side the water is one. If the side of the plastic which is facing the room is wet then this is because of condensation. If the dampness is on the wall side then this is likely to be because of a leak.

If you discover that the problem is because of condensation then this won’t cost you as much to fix and is much easier to deal with. By having a dehumidifier and/or ventilation installed you’ll be able to deal with this problem very quickly.

Leaks on the other hand can be caused by a variety of reasons. First of all land which is around your home should be sloping away otherwise water will drain towards it causing damp.

If you have concrete floors or concrete under your flooring you will find that this material can be very porous and is prone to cracking. This allows water to seep into your floors causing condensation, mold and mildew plus horrible smells. This mold can be very hazardous for you health so is something you should deal with.  Don’t leave this out from your basement decorating ideas.

If you’re going to be spending a lot of money and time decorating your basement, making sure that it’s sufficiently waterproof is essential otherwise you can end up having to deal with costly and inconvenient repairs. If you go ahead and have your walls papered and you have nice flooring laid, you could end up having to re-do everything because moisture which travels through the concrete can become trapped and cause all sorts of problems structurally plus it encourages mold.