If you live in a flood-prone or low-lying area, it can be hard to make peace with your basement. You may struggle to get comfortable with using your basement because you never know when the next water issue is just around the corner. By being smart about finishing your basement, you may be able to avoid the need for major remediation or reconstruction when moisture issues strike in the future. Take a look at five need-to-know tips for refinishing your basement in a flood-prone area.
1. Use Concrete Sealing for Your Basement Floor
Not adding flooring to your basement can help to make detecting moisture issues easier. You also won't have to worry about water getting trapped under floor planks or tiles if flooding does happen. Don't get caught up on the idea that a basement will look "unfinished" just because you're keeping your concrete floors visible. Concrete floors can look clean and attractive. If you're planning to keep your basement's concrete floors, there's an extra step you can take that will actually help to reduce risks for moisture infiltration. Waterproof sealer can be applied to concrete flooring to offer protection against moisture. This easy, affordable option makes your floors more durable. High-quality sealants can also protect your flooring against staining and dust.
2. Use Area Rugs for Warmth
If your basement has had moisture issues in the past, don't add carpeting when you finish the space. Many homeowners opt for carpeting in finished basements because it's an inexpensive option. Carpeting is also inviting because it can add warmth to cold basement flooring. However, carpeting is a magnet for moisture, mold, and bacteria. If you want to keep your feet warm while relaxing in your basement, opt for area rugs that are easy to remove. In addition to letting you peek at your floors to check for signs of mold, removable rugs can be washed and aired out with ease.
3. Use Special Paints
Your local hardware store sells waterproof and mold-resistant primers and paints. Waterproof paint can help to resist water vapor to reduce mold and mildew buildup in more humid environments. However, it doesn't offer actual protection against water damage caused by flooding or prolonged water exposure.
Mold-resistant paints contain special antimicrobial additives that inhibit mold growth. Just be aware that these products are not intended to undo water damage and mold formation after the fact. In fact, applying paint to try to cover up mold or water damage will actually make the issue much worse. These paints should instead be thought of as proactive steps to reduce your risks for damage caused by everyday humidity in basement environments.
4. Control Temperature and Humidity Levels
When finishing a basement, adding temperature control is essential. In hot and humid climates, air conditioning can help to cool the indoor temperature and reduce humidity levels. The amount of moisture the air can hold is greatly impacted by a room's temperature. Colder air has a harder time hanging on to humidity. In addition, having a dehumidifier in a basement is important in rainy or muggy climates. Consider adding an in-wall or mountable dehumidifier to ensure that you're not tripping over a portable unit in your newly finished basement.
5. Use Waterproof Drywall
We often don't realize how vulnerable common building materials are to moisture until our house gets wet. Unfortunately, flooding or pooling water in your basement can turn your drywall into a soggy mess. Ordinary drywall is made of a blend of gypsum, paper, and additives. While these materials retain their rigidity in dry conditions, the will begin to crumple like wet paper when they get soaked. This is mostly owed to the way the organic properties of gypsum cause it to soak up and retain moisture. That's why homeowners are typically forced to remove drywall starting at the flood line after flooding and storm damage. That means removing soaked drywall, airing out the area, and finishing the job with new drywall installation.
As you may already know from previous experience with flooding in your home, the process can require a lot of your time and money. In fact, EnduraFlood has spoken to customers who have spent several years and thousands of dollars restoring drywall after being hit with back-to-back flooding events at their Florida homes during Helene and Idalia. Those homeowners eventually discovered EnduraFlood's promise that they'll never need to replace drywall again.
EnduraFlood offers waterproof drywall that is an ideal match for finished basements. Simply use our stylish, durable wall panels to finish your basement. If you have a flooding event, you can pull open your walls to let your panels breathe. This also gives you an opportunity to open your walls to see if your insulation is wet without any need for demolition or reconstruction. At EnduraFlood, we've engineered waterproof drywall using inorganic materials that don't soak up water like a sponge the way traditional gypsum drywall does. Our walls are so resistant to water that they can endure a power wash. What's more, our removable panels make it possible to take a peek behind your basement walls to check for signs of moisture or mold whenever you have concerns about humidity levels in your home. That's crucial in a finished basement!
Finishing a basement in a flood-prone or humid environment takes extra planning. With EnduraFlood, you never have to plan to remove soggy, heavy drywall from your basement again. Learn about why so many homeowners in Florida, the Southeast, and other parts of the country are saying "never again" to devastating flood rehabilitation by switching to EnduraFlood.