How To Combat Foundation Problems and Bad Basement Odors

Often when I speak to home owners, they blow off the idea that they could possibly have problems in their foundations or basement walls. "It's just a small crack!" "The smell isn't that bad!" "Oh, you guys just try to scare home owners to sell your products!" All three are dangerous ways to think. In fact, having even a small crack in the basement wall is a danger sign of very bad things to come. And, this info doesn't just come from contractors. In fact, Bob Vila, of "This Old House" fame has written,  "The laws of physics do not allow you to hold back hydrostatic pressure amounting to hundreds of pounds per square inch!" He's referring to the fact that the soil around your home puts a tremendous amount of stress on the foundation and basement walls when it rains or snows and the ground expands with the water. You need to face the facts, if you have a musty smell in your basement or you see cracks or moisture, you have foundation problems! Many older homes are built on concrete block which isn't strong enough to withstand the pressure. Plus, they are fairly porous, allowing water to squeeze into the basement, causing structural damages and mold and mildew growth. Mold and mildew are what cause the bad smell in the basement...and they also wreck your health. And, worse yet, the joints are made of mortar which is a lime based material that is prone to leaking. To fix these problems you need to get better drainage and tamp the soil around your home's foundation. If any air pockets are allowed to develop in the ground around the home, they will fill with water from rain, snow or under ground streams. This causes the soil to expand and contract, putting a lot of pressure on the basement walls literally and on the basement floor, vertically. This is what causes the initial cracks. From there water gets in and causes mold growth. When you improve the drainage, carrying water away from the home, you relieve the stress. Then, by compacting the soil around the home, you remove air pockets. After this, a basement waterproofing coat is applied to the inside and outside walls to keep them dry and repel any water that manages to get through. This will fix the cracks and kill mold, making your basement smell better and keep mold out for good.