What can you do if your basement is often wet or damp? Ideally, you should try to eliminate or redirect the source of the water itself, rather than just combat the symptoms of the trouble. Whatever you do, you should not simply ignore a wet basement. Prolonged moist or wet conditions could result in mold growth and damage to both your home's content and structure. Following are a few options for dealing with the problem:

• Sump pumps and hidden drainage systems, the most common treatments for a wet basement, can help control a larger wetness crisis. However, bailing water out does not prevent its seeping in. Since pumping and drainage systems do not tackle the actual cause of the trouble, inflowing water could eventually erode and weaken the foundation of your home. Therefore, these types of systems are only short-term remedies for keeping the interior of your basement dry.
  
  
• Waterproofing your foundation offers a more genuine cure for water seepage ills. This option could be well worth the investment, particularly if you seal the entire exterior of the foundation — not just the upper parts — to create a true moisture barrier. Obviously,  sealing the full exterior of your home's foundation requires extensive digging and disruption. It's not an inexpensive or simple solution, but it can be very effective in concert with drainage around the outside walls. If you can't finance such a massive project, waterproofing only the upper parts of the foundation could still provide an answer to leaky masonry problems.
  
  
  • Be aware that some waterproofing options prevent only dampness and are not true water barriers. Make sure to do your homework and speak with an experienced licensed contractor before committing to a solution. Look for sealant systems that can stretch to accommodate cracks or fissures that might later appear.