How to Water Seal a Basement in Washington

A water-sealed basement is an asset to your house; preventing water from entering keeps mold and mildew from growing. It is necessary to take the time to water-seal your unfinished basement to ensure your house's stability and improve its overall value. In Washington, where the rain is almost always pouring down, a water-sealed basement is especially necessary. Although this may sound like a difficult task, water-sealing a basement can be done in a relatively small amount of time and requires little experience to accomplish.

Power washer
Putty knife
Concrete crack filler
Water seal paint
Paint roller
Paint tray
Roller extension arm

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the interior of the basement using a power washer. Use hot water for best results and clean on a warm, dry day.
- 2
  Open all windows. Allow the basement to dry for 48 hours or until all of the moisture is gone.
- 3
  Patch cracks in the basement floor. Apply concrete crack filler into each crack, using a putty knife. When you are applying the crack filler, make sure you push the filler as deep into the crack as you can. Use the flat edge of the putty knife to scrape away any excess filler and smooth out the patches so that they are flush with the floor.
- 4
  Allow the crack filler to dry for 24 hours.
- 5
  Pour the water sealant paint into a tray. Paint all of the walls of the basement using water seal paint. To avoid unsightly drips, don't put an excessive amount of paint onto the roller. Paint all of the walls with an even, thorough coat of paint. If necessary, use a roller extension arm to reach the highest corners of the walls.
- 6
  Paint the floor, starting at the corner of the basement farthest away from the stairs. Paint the floor with an even coat of water seal paint, painting your way toward the stairs.
- 7
  Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours before walking into the basement.

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