Masonry Work and Waterproofing Can Safeguard the Foundation of Your Home
For many homeowners, the basement area of their home serves a much greater purpose than just storage space. Aside from areas reserved for the furnace and laundry facilities, families will often convert their unfinished basements into such amenities as:
- Office space
- Home theatres
- Hobby workshops
- Additional bedrooms
- Games/entertainment rooms
- Secondary kitchens or rental units
These conveniences provide a number of benefits for the homeowner and/or their family members, including more living space, recreational/leisure pursuits, and even additional income in some cases. But this can all be tarnished/extensively damaged should there be the unfortunate circumstance of basement flooding.
Water penetration into a basement can be particularly destructive with respect to:
- Personal belongings
- Furniture and carpeting
- Appliances and electronics
- Foundational/structural integrity
- Development/spread of mold/mildew
Therefore, it would be quite advantageous, not to mention extremely important from the perspective of preventing financial loss, for homeowners to ensure that the foundation of their home is fully and professionally waterproofed – and this would be regardless of the primary purpose/use of the basement. Furthermore, in cases of a resale, the new home owners would be wise to consider refreshing the waterproofing of their foundation before or soon after taking possession.
When waterproofing a foundation, the coating must extend beyond the visible part of the masonry; in other words, this waterproofing work must include the entire surface area of the foundation in order to inhibit penetration by water that seeps into the ground next to the home. As a result, the full process might include:
- Sealing any existing cracks or holes in the masonry
- Applying a waterproof coating to the complete surface
- Installing liner systems to block moisture along the walls
- Installing new footer drains or repairs to the existing drains
As an aside, it may be helpful to distinguish between waterproofing and damp-proofing a home. Damp-proofing is an action that is specifically intended to block out soil moisture only, while the process of waterproofing offers a more comprehensive effect of keeping out soil moisture and water in its liquid form as well.
Homeowners wanting to protect the integrity of their foundation as well as the contents of their basement are well-advised to ensure that the masonry is properly waterproofed. This can be achieved by calling on the expertise of the building envelope specialists from Avenue Road Roofing in Toronto.
Professional Masonry Work and Repair Services for Toronto and Area Properties
The exterior masonry of any structure can lose its structural integrity due to one or more of the following reasons:
- Aging
- Water/moisture
- Weather conditions
- Sub-standard materials
- Poor/shoddy construction
Avenue Road Roofing provides expert masonry work and repair services for residential and commercial properties throughout Toronto and the GTA. The masonry division of Avenue Road Roofing offers the skills and experience to build, rebuild, or restore multiple aspects of the building envelope such as:
- Chimneys
- Foundations
- Parapet walls
- Retaining walls
- Brick/stone window sills
- Porches, stairs, walkways
See our Masonry Page for additional information on the range of masonry work and repair services, including foundation waterproofing, available from the masonry division of Avenue Road Roofing.
Protect your personal property and the structural integrity of your home by ensuring that your foundation is properly and professionally waterproofed. Call the masonry experts at Avenue Road Roofing in Toronto today at 416-785-5129 or contact us to request a complimentary consultation at your convenience.
