Is There a Wrong Time of Year to Waterproof the Basement?

Homeowners are often advised to hold off on certain repairs until a certain time of year. For instance, many are told that you cannot or should not do any sort of basement waterproofing during the winter months. Why? Usually, it has to do with the way that the ground will freeze (in many areas) during that season. Technically, it might seem that basement waterproofing is impossible if the foundation cannot be excavated or accessed.

Yet, experts always warn that putting off waterproofing is often one of the costliest mistakes made because it can allow damage to occur. As one writer noted, “during the winter… sudden bouts of snow melts and above-freezing temperatures can come without warning. Without a protected basement, all that water could end up leaking through your home’s foundation and cause bigger problems when discovered in the spring.”

With the risk of freeze and thaw cycles present, the foundation beneath your home or other property could undergo expansion and contraction many times, and at different rates throughout the autumn, winter and spring season. This can worsen cracks and allow water to flow through, freezing again and making problems even worse. Let’s not forget that “waiting for the spring” can also mean problems with pipes, drainage and more.

What Can Be Done in the Winter?

You might be reading this and still shaking your head, thinking something along the lines of “No…you cannot possibly dig out the foundation and do the repairs in the middle of a solid, January freeze.” And you would be correct.

However, almost any year-round repairs can be done in the winter months, but from inside of the building. Cracks are able to be filled, pump systems can be installed in anticipation of spring’s warmer weather and risk for flooding, crawl spaces can be treated, and drain tiles installed. There are so many things that can be done before the digging begins that it just makes plain, old-fashioned good sense to have these steps taken as soon as leaking is suspected.

When the weather is better, or if a lengthy thaw occurs and excavating becomes a viable option, and the situation is critical, it can be undertaken in the winter, too.

If you just sit and wait, taking some so-called experts’ advice, you may find yourself with flooding, a wet basement or crawl space and damage that takes weeks or months to repair. Remember too, if you wait for spring, your provider may be so swamped (no pun intended) with work from others who waited, that they will be unable to reach you for days or even weeks. All that time, your foundation may be compromised by non-stop leaking and flooding.

There is no wrong time to book basement waterproofing, and whether it is autumn, the dead of winter, the glorious golden days of spring or the height of the summer, you’ll want to have experts provide help and support. The team at The Foundation Experts has years of experience in year-round foundation work and can help you right away.