Foundation:
To prevent water from collecting around the foundation, and seeping up through the walls, make sure the ground slopes away from the foundation.
Here are some additional tips in preventing water seepage through the foundation:
- Ensure the floor is well ventilated and walls are properly sealed against moisture entry. Polythene put over damp ground can help prevent dampness rising into the house.
- Insulate your home properly. In the winter, insulated ceilings, walls and floors have temperatures similar to those of the warmer air inside the home, therefore condensation is less likely to form.
- Prevent rising damp from entering a foundation wall by improving your home¡¯s perimeter drainage. Direct all surface rainwater away from the home through drainpipes, culverts, French drains, etc.
- If no other methods are feasible, a last resort would be to install either a physical or chemical horizontal damp-proof course.