How to Water Seal a Basement

Finished basements add usable square footage to your home and can increase the resale value. Sealing out water in the basement will prevent mold and mildew from thriving. Once the water has been sealed out, it allows the basement area to be finished with carpet, drywall and furniture without the fear that these things will be damaged by moisture or water. Waterproofing a basement can be done in minimal time and very little experience is necessary. It simply requires patching any cracks and sealing the entire basement with a waterproofing type of paint.

Power washer
Concrete crack filler
Putty knife
Floor sander and sandpaper (be sure the sandpaper is recommended for concrete)
Facial dust mask
Shop vac
Dry-Lock or other water sealant-type paint
Paint tray and roller
Roller cage

Instructions

- 1
  Use the power washer to clean all the basement walls and the floor with hot water.
- 2
  Let the basement dry out completely for at least 48 hours to be sure most of the moisture has evaporated from the concrete.
- 3
  Patch any cracks in the basement floor by applying the concrete crack filler to the crack with the putty knife. Push the filler down deep into the crack until it is completely filled and smooth away any excess. Allow the concrete filler to set for about 24 hours before moving on to the next step.
- 4
  Put on the mask and use the floor sander to smooth and even out the surface of the floor after patching. After sanding the entire floor, sweep up all the dust with a shop vac.
- 5
  Pour the paint into the paint tray and put the paint roller onto the roller cage. Using a waterproofing and sealing type of paint, such as Dry-Lock, paint all the walls and the entire floor. When painting the floor, be sure to start at the furthest corner and work your way toward the exit to avoid painting yourself into a corner.
- 6
  Allow the waterproofing paint to dry for another 24 hours.

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