Our basements can often be overlooked if they aren’t finished. These spaces become a spot for storage, a spare bathroom, possibly even where you have to go for your laundry- but that’s about it. Unfortunately, this disuse can result in damage to your home’s value and your belongings that you keep down there.
You must paint and seal your basement walls, and these facts are why.
Water’s Getting In Through Soil Moisture Content
There’s a quick test for this to ensure what your next step is. If you tape a piece of tin foil to a basement wall and leave it overnight, you can figure out if the moisture from your basement is from the soil outside of the walls, or if you need a humidifier and paint. Leave the tinfoil taped to your basement wall until the next morning, and when you check it, there may be condensation on it. If the condensation is on the side touching your wall, that condensation is coming from the soil surrounding your home. If instead, the condensation is on the side away from your wall, then that means the interior of your home is trapping all of the moisture.
If the moisture is coming from the air, you’ll need a humidifier. If not, it’s a good idea to paint it.
Keep Out Moisture
Too much moisture in our homes can lead to horrible things like rot, mold, and damage to our belongings. Instead of dealing with these issues, you must stop the moisture from getting in. Painting and sealing your basement walls will help block out this moisture. Prime your walls, ensure there’s not already mold that you’re painting over, and paint whatever color you like. Be sure to seal your walls to keep the water out.
Improve Property Value
Even something as simple as finishing the walls of your basement can improve property value. It puts the house at a lower risk of mold and moisture damage and improves the aesthetics of an area that could be gross to look at otherwise. There’s no set number on how much money this will add to your property value, but of Vancouver homes for sale, many sold faster with a finished basement.
Damage to Stored Goods
The moisture in the air doesn’t just stop at molding walls and curtains, and it can also damage furniture and anything you’re storing in your basement for later. Because of how little we check on our belongings once we’ve put them in storage, the damage is usually long over before we realize what’s happened. If you keep your extra belongings in your basement, check them often, and seal and paint the walls of your basement to help protect them.
Our homes are a haven that should be taken care of to ensure they’ll last us as long as possible. Care for your basement, paint, and finish those walls, and you’ll help keep the house in excellent condition for the next owners to live in it as well.