Exterior Waterproofing

If simple remedies, such as grading surface soil or patching interior walls, fail to cure a wet basement, you must block moisture outside the basement wall. No amount of interior patching will stop penetration caused by the power of substantial subsurface water pressure, nor will it plug leaks through cracks opened when the roots of a tree penetrate.

To waterproof a basement wall from the outside, you must excavate at least part of the foundation of the house, a heavy job you may want to have done. You also may prefer hiring a professional if basement walls must be resurfaced with concrete. But the rest of the job is fairly simple to do yourself.

Some cracks are shallow enough to block by simply excavating the upper part of the basement wall to a depth of about 2 feet and waterproofing with asphalt foundation coating and polyethylene plastic sheeting. If the leak is lower down, there is no alternative to excavating the entire basement wall down to the footing. Once the digging is dine, you should waterproof the wall with concrete and also lay drain tiles, which collect subsurface water and carry it away from the house. The tiles - made like storm-sewer piping, but generally perforated - are available in several materials in various lengths with connectors and elbow fittings. Tiles that are asphalt impregnated and rigid plastic types are the easiest to use.

Weather-stripping Doors

The big leak in most houses are around doors. They lack the twofold edge enclosures of double-hung windows, so an open crack is inevitable. Any of various type of weather stripping can fill the crack, but it can't do so effectively unless the door fits properly. If weather stripping is attached to a binding door, it may make the door impossible to open or close. So the first step in weather-proofing a door is to adjust hinges, and sand or place edges until it opens and closes smoothly, leaving a narrow, uniform space between edge and jamb.

Generally, you can see how the door fits by looking at the edges all around. To find invisible binds, slide thin cardboard between the closed door and the jamb, or rub colored chalk on the door edge - it will rub off on the jamb at binds.

Most often a door sticks because loosened hinge screws made it sag. Tighten the screws. If the screws will not hold, replace them with longer ones or stuff the screw holes with toothpicks. If screw-tightening does not solve the problem, try shifting the door by spacing hinge leaves with thin material or plane off the door edge at the binds. If the entire latch side binds, remove the door and plane the hinge side - so you will have to move the lock - then reset the hinges.

Sealants

Most of the newer and more efficient sealants are usually applied with a caulking gun. The most popular type uses individual cartridges that are thrown away when empty. Getting a smooth flow of sealant - a proper bead - may require practice. So if you are doing the hob for the first time, make a few trial strokes.

While a caulking gun is best for most jobs, some small repairs are more conveniently done in other ways: caulks that are squeezed like toothpaste from a collapsible tube glazing compound that is pressed into cracks with your fingers, ropelike strands that are pushed into place and filler that must be tamped into openings. Whatever you use, thoroughly clean the area around a crack, removing old sealant and chipped paint with a wood chisel or puttyknife. Wipe the crack with turpentine, the use a stiff brush to get rid of remaining dirt. Do not try to caulk when temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit - the sealant will be too hard to handle easily and it will not stick to the cold surfaces.