WallSeal™ Vapor Barrier

When it comes to protecting your basement from unexpected water damage, you’ll want to make sure you have the appropriate tools on hand to see the job through. With that in mind, you’ll have to determine whether or not a WallSeal™ vapor barrier can help keep the moisture you’re contending with out of your home’s more sensitive areas. 

Luckily, the WallSeal™ vapor barrier proves to be an exceptionally effective home waterproofing measure. While no waterproofing measure can last forever, this seal is dense enough that it can keep not only moisture but gas, as well, from getting into your basement. The plastic-like material comes in various densities, with the options available to you varying based on the needs of your home. 

That said, in keeping moisture out of your home, a WallSeal™ doesn’t just effectively keep you from having to contend with unwanted flooding. This vapor barrier also improves the overall value of your home while protecting your family’s health. 

WallSeal™ and Your Home’s Value 

As moisture makes its way into your home, you can face damage that far exceeds flooding throughout your basement. If you let moisture sit unattended for too long, the integrity of your structural supports may be compromised. Most structural supports, whether they’re made out of wood or steel, can begin to show signs of wear when overexposed not only to standing water but to unusual amounts of humidity in your home. As those materials start to give way, you may begin to see your walls pull away from your floors. In turn, you may also spot: 

• Wall cracks 
• Rotting floor joists 
• Sagging floors 
• Exterior cracks 
• A damaged chimney 

This damage does more than make your home more dangerous to live in. It also actively decreases the value of your home. If, for example, you want to try and sell a home that’s suffered from evident basement damage, you will need to inform future buyers as to whether or not you’ve invested in any necessary repairs. If you forgo repairs in an attempt to save money, you risk losing up to 30 percent of your home’s overall market value. Similarly, homes that actively suffer from basement damage as a result of moisture levels have a more difficult time attracting buyers. With that in mind, it’s often better to invest in home protective measures like the WallSeal™ vapor barrier if you want to make selling your home simpler later down the line. 

WallSeal™ and Your Family’s Health 

That said, you’re not just looking out for your home’s health when you invest in a WallSeal™ vapor barrier, you’re also looking out for your family’s health. A moist basement presents an active danger to the health of your family, even those members without pre-existing conditions. Residents with allergies or respiratory problems can see their conditions worsening over time. Family members who have previously been in perfect health can also begin to exhibit signs of respiratory damage. 

This kind of threat appears even before mold has an opportunity to take root in your home. Most mold clusters present an active danger to your loved ones. Some of the most common types of mold you’re likely to run into if you fail to keep moisture out of your basement include: 

• Allergenic molds. Allergenic molds can exacerbate a person’s allergies or otherwise cause family members without allergies to develop allergies either to the mold itself or to products with similar chemical structures. 

• Pathogenic molds. Like allergenic molds, pathogenic molds tend to exacerbate a resident’s respiratory problems and other health conditions over time. Similarly, any family members who have previously been in perfect health may begin to have trouble breathing or taking in enough air if they are exposed to pathogenic molds for too long. 
• Toxigenic molds. Toxigenic molds, including black mold, threaten your family’s immune system within days of their initial exposure. Not only is it more difficult for your family members to fight off illnesses after they’ve been exposed to black mold and the like, but they can rapidly begin to show signs of respiratory decline. If you think you’re contending with black mold or a similar growth, you’ll want to get in touch with area mold removal professionals as soon as possible. 

It is not difficult to install a WallSeal™ vapor barrier in your basement. Most often, the process involves the following steps: 

Step 1: Repairing Any Damage Already Done to Your Home 

You never want to invest in a home waterproofing measure if you haven’t already tended to damage in your basement. Installing home waterproofing measures without first repairing your home can cost you significantly more money than those initial repairs might. After all, if you let moisture continue to make its way into your home, you run the risk of damaging your waterproofing measures— WallSeal™ included—far sooner than you might otherwise. 

Step 2: Improving Your Home’s Drainage 

Once you’ve repaired any damage around your home, you can discuss what means you might improve the drainage around your home. A WallSeal™ system helps keep water out of your basement, but it does not eliminate the hydrostatic pressure that your home may have to contend with. As such, you may want to work with area professionals to either regrade your landscaping or otherwise install waterproofing means that may drive water away from the perimeter of your home. Some of the most effective waterproofing measures of this sort that you may have available to you can include interior drainage systems and sump pumps. 

Step 3: Installing Your WallSeal™ System 

With your damage attended to and your home’s drainage improved, you can finally install your WallSeal™ system. The professionals in your area will first measure, then cut out the WallSeal™ material. With the square footage established, they will then go about overlapping material seams to provide you with comprehensive, gap-less vapor barrier coverage. 

Step 4: Covering Foundation Walls and Rim Joists 

While protecting your walls from unanticipated water damage, area professionals will also work to ensure that any protective measures you already have in place remain as dry as possible. As such, they can pair waterproof insulation or drainage mats with your WallSeal™ system. With these accessories in place, you can cushion your foundation walls and your rim joists to prevent the temperature changes that might otherwise cause them to expand, crack, and otherwise rot. 

Step 5: Capping Your Installation 

Last but not least, you can discuss whether or not your WallSeal™ may require galvanized plastic to keep water from spreading out from behind the seal and into the rest of your home. By capping off your WallSeal™ system, you ensure that not only water stays out of your basement but that any insects interested in making their way indoors have a much more difficult time doing so. 

You do have the option, after installing a WallSeal™ system in your basement, to continue using the space to store your belongings. A WallSeal™ vapor barrier does not take up a significant amount of your basement’s square footage. Instead, this barrier is confined to the walls of your basement. Comparatively, full basement encapsulations can make it more difficult for you to continue using the aforementioned spaces as entertainment areas. 

That said, if you are concerned about your ability to continue using your basement after an installation, you can discuss your worries with area professionals. Together, you can determine whether or not a WallSeal™ system meets your home’s needs and what alternatives or pairings of waterproofing measures may allow you to better use the space in question. 

When it comes to installing a WallSeal™ system in your basement, you may be tempted to try and take on the task without professional guidance. Unfortunately, while DIY projects can be exciting and even time-saving, it can be extremely difficult to install a WallSeal™ without professional guidance.

The Cost of WallSeal™ Installation 

Determining how much it may cost your family to install a WallSeal™ system in your home isn’t a straightforward task. Costs will fluctuate based on the size of your home and the extent of any damage that you may have already seen. However, attempting to DIY your WallSeal™ installation can often cost far more than working with a team of professionals. Not only will you have to go hunting for your own WallSeal™ without professional guidance, but you may have to invest in special tools to see your installation through to completion. 

Comparatively, professional contractors already have the tools they need on hand to ensure that your basement is appropriately fitted with a WallSeal™ system. Similarly, while you may be able to find a vapor barrier out on the commercial market, you won’t be able to find a system as specifically made for your home as WallSeal™.

Avoiding Mistakes 

There is always a chance, too, that you may make a mistake while attempting to install a vapor barrier or WallSeal™ system in your basement without help. These mistakes can not only cost you in materials, but they can also cause you to overlook signs of damage that might otherwise indicate some serious trouble for your home. If you happen to cover over signs of damage, then your basement and even your foundation may begin to suffer from severe structural destabilization within the next few months. When you do eventually have to reach out to an area professional, you’ll have to pay not only for more extensive repairs but for the removal of the DIY solution that you initially invested in. 

Working with Professionals in Your Area 

Want to try and get ahead of water damage in your basement or crawl space? Or do you want to research potential waterproofing solutions to install after you’ve repaired the damage done to your home? Either way, you can work with professionals in your area to assess the state of your home and, in turn, determine what protective measures or repairs may suit it best. A WallSeal™ vapor barrier can stand between your sensitive structural supports and the moisture that might otherwise make it more difficult for you to maintain your home’s overall value.