How Does One Find Out How to Waterproof a Basement?
Monday, February 23rd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
What are basement waterproofing systems and how do they work? Let’s take a look at the time and tested waterproofing of basement and how it works.
If you imagine how a basement is first built, when the house it is sited in was first conceived, then basically the following happens. A big hole in the ground is dug, the footer or foundations are laid, the walls of the basement are built and then the rest of the house follows.
From this list the most vital point is the top one - the vast crater dug in the earth
When basement walls are constructed there is an area outside the walls that must be filled. Loose backfill is used to fill in the gap. The problem here is that water looks for the path of least resistance, and you’ve just given it just that with a huge pile of loose backfill, no matter how well it’s been compacted.
Water will continuously seep into this area. Sometimes, creating a problem is the drainpipe that gets full of silt contained in many systems when waterproofing a basement. As the water comes it brings all sorts of suspension with it and that is to be expected as it is natural. The system can overload if the pipes get over-filled and then the pressure of the built up water would be concentrated on the outer basement walls. Water will work its way through even the smallest gaps, even though basement walls are waterproofed in some way.
This type of problem doesn’t usually go away because the pipes that are supposed to take away the excess water gradually worsen over time.
A huge problem is that often there isn’t access to these pipes. In an attempt to keep excess moisture out basement waterproofing also can be put onto the outer walls of the basement. Usually this is called a tanked system.
If you want to find out if you have water inside the concrete block of your walls simply tap a hole into the concrete block, near the floor, and see if you have water coming out of this block then you may want to consider a drained cavity waterproofing system this system drains the water from your walls, much the same way you just did, by adding drain holes in the bottom blocks that allows those areas to drain into a type of interior french drain system. Water is controlled, collected and allowed to flow through hidden drainage channels either to natural drainage or to a sump pump where the water is removed away from the property.
To Waterproof a basement is reputedly a better system when installed internally, having easy access ports for removing any silt and can be applied to basements where traditional tanking or other methods have failed but with minimal disturbance to the original basement.
So to summarise, a good basement waterproofing system will:
- usually be a permanent or long-term solution
- stop both ways by which water can enter through the walls and up from the floor
- not disturb landscaping, decks, patios, driveways, etc
- usually be an approved waterproofing method for home loans
- often be substantially cheaper than other waterproofing methods
You want to be sure to choose a reliable waterproofer for your home, keep in mind that it will greatly increase the value by far more than what you initally paid.
In conclusion, you want a basement waterproofing system that will deliver:
- not disturb the exterior appearance of your home
- an approved method by home loan lenders
- more affordable than other methods
- stop water through the floor and walls
- a permanent or long term fix
Waterproofing your home is an investment in its value.
Technorati Tags: No Tags
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
Waterproofing Systems To Improve Your BasementPreventing Water Damage in Your BasementStarting Interior Design for Basements
