If you have water coming into your home, then you may want to hire an exterior waterproofing service to come work on your home. But what services do these companies offer, exactly? How do they take your home and make it a waterproof structure? To some degree, it depends on the home. Based on what they find, your waterproofing service may perform one or more of the following updates.

Gutter Updates

Gutters are your home's key protection against water infiltration. They are designed to ferry water away from the home so it does not seep in through the foundation. However, gutters are not always installed properly, and sometimes they break or move away from the home, which leaves the home prone to water damage. So, one of the first things an exterior waterproofing contractor will do is examine your gutters, see what damage or issues they may have, and then repair that damage. If there are holes in the gutters, they'll repair them. If the gutters are detached, they'll reattach them. Or, they might find that you need to replace your gutters with new ones that do a better job.

Foundation Repair

Your exterior waterproofing contractor will look over any parts of the foundation that are exposed to readily accessible. If they see any cracks in the foundation, they can repair them. Smaller cracks may be filled with a caulk or putty. If there are any larger cracks, then the contractor may mix up some concrete to fix them. This should help prevent moisture from infiltrating the foundation, which should keep your home dryer.

Plastic Barrier

If your foundation has a lot of cracks and is in poor condition overall, then your exterior waterproofing contractor may recommend having a plastic barrier installed around it. The contractor will dig down to remove some soil from around the foundation. Then, they will slide a piece of plastic sheeting down along the foundation. It will serve as a barrier, preventing water from infiltrating. This approach works well if the soil in your area is often saturated and moist. It takes a while and can come with a significant cost, but it's generally worth it.

If your home and basement are getting too wet, then you should contact an exterior waterproofing service. They will look over the situation and let you know which if the above services should be performed. Feel free to ask questions along the way.

For more information, contact a home exterior waterproofing contractor near you.

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