Parents, did you have to waterproof your basement for extra play space?

Question

I know waterproofing basements isn't a "parent" question, but since I'm a parent, and I'm doing it for play space for my son... I hope you'll accept the link.

Have you waterproofed your basement? How much did it cost? Did it work? Has it ever leaked again?

We just bought a house and there is some damp water problems... we want to fix it up. Just looking for some advice or experience from other parents. Thanks!

PS - Do you use a humidifier, and what kind? How much did that cost?

THANKS!

Answer 1

My husband did. Our cost 200. Our basement use to flood,etc. And yeah it works good. Before you pay make sure you look around so you dont end up paying tons for it.

Answer 2

Yes.  Our basement used to flood annually.

I honestly don't know how much it all cost.  My husband and his dad did all the work themselves, which I'm sure saved us thousands of dollars.  He had to pull out the wood paneled walls and destroyed tile, get rid of the mold, rebuild the walls and install a new floor.  We have three sump pumps, a french drain, and all the walls and floors are coated with some sort of waterproof paint.  We went from literally inches of water on the floor every spring to no dampness whatsoever.  But what we don't have but should is a generator, because if the power ever goes out at the same time there's a lot of water, the sump pumps will fail and we'll be underwater.

Make sure you don't have mold issues before you worry about the rest ... that's something that can wind up making everybody sick.