Why is your basement or crawl space wet in the first place? Wasn't the house supposed to be built with drains around the outside of the foundation to take the water away? These are good questions, that many homeowners are asking. Exterior footing drains do exist in many homes. But, over time they have a propensity to clog. Ground water is flowing into these drains, each time it rains and with it comes mud and sediment. That sediment hardens, inside the pipe, much like an artery in your body does. Eventually, that drain becomes less and less effective, until it is no longer functional. Instead of your home suffering a heart attack, you start to get water in your basement.
Is there anything you can do about it, or are you now relegated to living with a damp, moldy basement forever? The answer is yes! There are a few simple things you can do yourself, to limit the amount of water accessing your basement or crawl space. First, keep your gutters clean. Second, extend your downspouts, 7' to 10' away from the house. And third, check the grading around your house. Add soil where needed, so the grading is away, not towards the foundation. These three easy steps will help to remove much of the rain water that is running down from the roof of your home. Where these steps will not solve a water problem, they will help to reduce the volume of water around the foundation.
In the event that your particular water problem is more chronic, and these steps help, but are just not enough, there are other solutions available that do not involve digging up your yard. Larry Janesky's Basement Systems that are much less disruptive. A waterproofing system can be installed in as little as one day, from the inside, and offer a fully transferable written warranty, for the life of the home. One of the most popular methods is a combination of the WaterGuard System, with a TripleSafe Sump Pump System. Any water accessing the floor from under the floor or from the wall/floor joint, or seeping down the walls, is contained in the system and drained out of the house with one or more of the three pumps in the TripleSafe. The thought of an indoor swimming pool is a nice one...but not if it is your basement!
If you are thinking about finishing your basement, mold is a major concern. It's what causes that musty smell in basements, and causes discoloration and ultimately rot of building materials. Sheetrock is particularly vulnerable, as is any wood product. This is why basements that are finished with conventional methods will have to be re-done at some point when the owner can't stand the smell and deterioration anymore. Besides concerns over a surprise groundwater leak, plumbing leaks will happen - it's not a matter of if you will have water in your basement one day - it's when
The Total Basement Finishing System uses only mold resistant materials - ones with no vulnerable organic material. TBF wall panels, flooring, trim and ceilings are not prone to damage like drywall, wood moldings, fabrics, wood based flooring and wood framing. In fact, a TBF basement can temporarily flood from a plumbing leak, inches deep, and it is highly unlikely that any of the flooring, walls, trim or ceiling will need to be replaced!
The TBF system has many advantages over soft, insulation wall systems. The solid construction allows mounting of large pictures, heavy shelves or flat screen TV. They are a healthy "green" option, since they are inorganic, and moisture, water and mold resistant. Finishing your basement will not only increase the usable space in your home but will increase your home's value, protecting your biggest investment.
For more information on fixing your basement's seepage, moisture or mold problems visit www.basementsystems.com, or if you are considering finishing your basement visit www.totalbasementfinishing.com.

Dan Fitzgerald is director of marketing for Basement Systems, International Headquarters, Conn.