What is Waterproofing A Basement All About?
The basement waterproofing systems and their working.
For answering that question it will help to first take a look at historically conventional basement waterproofing and the way it was supposed to work.
If you can see a home being built the contractor first surveys the lot using the blueprints for the home to be built; then he sights out the lot to find out the best place to start digging and grading the property, then he lays the footer or foundation and begins building the basement walls, lastly the balance of the home 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. Well compacted or not, introducing a huge pile of loose backfill is going to cause problems. Water will always flow in the path of least resistance.
Water will continuously seep into this area. The conventional way of waterproofing a basement provides some form of drainage pipe for this water to drain away, but the problem with this is that often these pipes get silted up. The water is naturally bringing all sorts of suspension with it. 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. If there are crevices in the walls, water will push through even if the basement walls are waterproofed.
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 lot of the time a huge mistake is made by not providing access to these pipes. Basement waterproofing is also applied to the external walls of the basement to try and keep the water out. This is also called a tanked system.
A better basement waterproofing system, such as the drained cavity basement waterproofing system, works by getting rid of the water pressure on the walls. To move water away from your property; it first must be collected and sent through drainage channels to a sump pump or a natural drainage field.
Waterproofing a basement is reputedly a better system when they are installed internally, have 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
Choose a reputable basement waterproofer when protecting your home, remember it is economically foolish not to waterproof, because the increased value from waterproofing will definitely exceed the cost of the waterproofing.
In conclusion, you want a basement waterproofing system that will deliver:
- a permanent or long term fix
- stop water through the floor and walls
- not disturb the exterior appearance of your home
- an approved method by home loan lenders
- more affordable than other methods
You should look at waterproofing not as an expense but as an investment in the value of your home.
Filed under: General Interest