DIY vs Professional Help – What To Choose Depending On The Basement Repair Situation You Have

Many times a basement is the perfect solution to an undersized house.

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From a home theatre and office, to a gym or an in-law apartment – you can turn your basement into any of these. While a basement might offer you the ideal retreat from the daily hustle-bustle of life, it is equally susceptible to damages of all kinds – from water leaks to cracks in concrete or foundation.

While repairing your basement might sound exciting and inexpensive, there’s a high possibility of mistakes that you might commit if you do it yourself. If you want to get your basement repaired, but are unsure about whether you should hire a professional or do it yourself, this article might help you decide.

Potential Pitfalls of DIY Basement Repair

1. It’s Time-Consuming

While professionals have the tools for basement repair, you might end up investing a lot of energy, money, and time into a project that may or may not deliver the expected results. You may be able to save some money by undertaking the repair work in the short run, but the truth is that a job gone wrong may result in huge damages and expenses later. So, it would be worth hiring a professional to carry out the basement repair work so as to save your energy and precious time.

2. Experts Know the Latest Techniques

Regardless of how well trained you are in carrying out the repair work, you are highly unlikely to either have the knowledge or the expertise that the professionals possess. Techniques used by professionals are not just safe, but are also intended to make the changes or repair work long-lasting. Strategies used by professionals can guarantee many years of safe and dry basements.

3. Mistakes Could be More Costly

Jobs like fixing a crack in the foundation are often tricky, and getting these wrong might result in spending more money than if you had hired a professional to do it. Moreover, mistakes done while repairing your basement may spell doom later, as the issues caused by those errors may take some time to develop and you might not be able to identify them initially. On the other hand, hiring a professional will let you breathe a sigh of relief, since you will have someone who will do their job in an error-free way.

4. Safety

Basement repair accompanies a range of intrinsic safety concerns. For example, exterior waterproofing would need you to burrow a huge trench around the whole perimeter of the building’s foundation. The trench should be dug just as deep as the basement walls, and sufficiently wide to fit the installation, including a sump pit, drain tile system, and a sump pump. With so much to be done, a person with little experience is bound to make mistakes, which makes it worthwhile to hire professionals. Since professional contractors are insured and licensed, they would even pay  if your property were to suffer some damage amid the work.

5. Warranty

Regardless of how amazing you are with the basement repair work, there would be no assurances regarding how long it would last. The only warranty about the longevity of the work would be your own craftsmanship and skill set. On the other hand, professionals would give you a written warranty before they take up the assignment, which would also help you make the right pick. The warranty on the provided services acts as evidence of the quality of offered workmanship. 

Wrapping Up

If you believe you can repair your basement yourself, you must first investigate your home’s foundation. In most cases, you can figure out what’s causing the cracks in the basement yourself. You can repair thin hairline cracks with a vinyl concrete patching compound. For cracks wider than a hairline, clear out any loose material, such as broken or cracked bits of concrete, dust, and debris with a screwdriver. Try to fill these cracks with polyurethane, silicone, or latex concrete caulk.

But while a DIY basement repair may seem cost-effective and exciting, it requires a lot of planning and hard work. And in case things do not go according to your plan, there’s a high chance that you may have to spend much more than you had initially planned to get it all fixed. Therefore, having professional help is definitely better than trying your hands at it. Consider your basement repair as a long-term investment instead of an expense. Rest assured, a professional will execute the job with the right skillset and tools that are required to complete the job with perfection.