All About Basement Floor Paint, Water Damage Prevention And Restoration

One of the simplest and most cost effective methods of water damage prevention and restoration is to use a high quality basement floor paint. This can usually be done by the homeowner, and can be an efficient way to seal your house from water.
There are numerous types of floor paint available. One popular type is an epoxy kit that costs around $50 a gallon. While this is rather expensive for a gallon of paint, the results can be well worth the investment.
Concrete stain is also popular and can be sprayed on. This is a water based stain and can be applied in patterns to decorate your floor. This is a good alternative to expensive flooring, such as hardwood, tile, ceramic tile, or vinyl.
Some homeowners prefer to use boat deck paint in their basement. This adds texture and a non-slip surface at the same time as waterproofing the floor.
There are a few very important items to take care of before starting a project such as using a basement waterproofing product, such as paint. If you neglect these, your endeavor will fail.
First and foremost, the floor must be absolutely dry. This means that it is dry and stays dry. You will need to ensure that any water entering the house is taken care of. Often this becomes a rather involved project, but it must be done.
Sometimes the grading outside needs to be redone, so that the water drains away from the house, not toward it.
Another common problem is water seeping through a cracked foundation wall. There is usually a reason there is pressure on the concrete, causing it to crack, and this must be addressed first. You must find the source of the problem and fix it before moving to the next step.
French drains are a good way to eliminate the drainage that can seep into the walls in the basement. This is not a complicated solution, but it is rather labor intensive. This technique is also not very expensive, and works quite well.
An often overlooked cause of water in the basement is clogged eaves troughs, gutters and downspouts. The rain water that runs off the roof needs someplace to go, and if the gutters are plugged, it will take the path of least resistance, right into your house.
An easy way to determine whether or not your basement floor is seeping moisture is to take a piece of plastic sheeting, about 8 inches square, and lay it on the floor. Check back in 24 hours. If there is moisture on the bottom of the plastic, it means your floor is seeping moisture. If there is moisture on the top, it is from condensation.
You may find that a humidifier helps greatly to get the floor completely dry before applying any basement floor paint. It is really important that you do the process correctly and not take any shortcuts, as you will have a big mess on your hands, or rather your floor, if you do.