Winter will be here before you know it. When it gets here, you'll need to know that your home has been waterproofed. If you haven't waterproofed your home in a while, now's the time to get started. With the right exterior waterproofing, your home is protected against seasonal water damage. Here are four ways to ensure effective exterior waterproofing. 

Protect From the Inside

If you're going to waterproof your home, you need to start on the inside. Your waterproofing won't be as effective if you haven't considered the basement. Begin by repairing any cracks you find in the basement walls and floor. Next, apply a generous coating of waterproof sealant to all the concrete surfaces. Finally, make sure your sump pump is up and running. Once you've taken care of those tasks, you'll be ready to move outdoors. 

Don't Cut Corners on the Slope

If you're going to waterproof the exterior of your home, don't take chances with the slope. If the soil around your home is sloping towards the foundation, you're going to deal with flooding all winter long. That's because the water is flowing towards your home. Before you're left to repair flood damage and soil erosion, have a contractor come out and fix the slope. With proper soil slope, water will flow away from your home instead of into it. 

Include Crawl Spaces in the Project

If you have a crawl space under your home, make sure you include it in your waterproofing project. Many people overlook the crawlspace when waterproofing their homes. Unfortunately, that puts them at risk for flood damage and moisture damage. While you're waterproofing the exterior of your home, take steps to waterproof your crawl space, as well. One way to do that is through encapsulation. This is a process that seals your crawl space in a layer of polyethylene sheeting. Once the encapsulation is in place, your crawl space will be waterproof. 

Install the Right Basement Wall Protection

If you have a basement, you need to make sure that you have the right wall protection in place. This is especially important for the exterior walls. You might not realize this, but the soil around your home constantly absorbs moisture. This moisture absorption causes the soil levels to rise around your home. The rising soil levels increase the risk of moisture damage. If you haven't had a moisture barrier installed on your exterior basement walls, you need to do that as soon as possible. The moisture barrier puts a protective shield between your basement walls and the soil around your home.

To learn more, contact an exterior waterproofing contractor.