What are basement waterproofing systems and how do they work? To answer that question, let’s first look at historically conventional basement waterproofing and how it is supposed to work.
In case you are curious to know how the basement is built, you will see that the idea was first conceived in the design and then the next steps follow. It starts with the digging of a big hole, then the footer or foundations are laid. After the base is done, the walls of the basement are built and then only the rest of the house is constructed.
That big hole in the ground, the first on the list above is important to note.
When the walls of the basement are built, there is always a gap left outside the walls which needs to be filled. This void gets filled with loose backfill. No matter how well the backfill is compacted, it is still backfill and water seeks the places of little resistance.
This area is going to have water constantly seeping into it. Sometimes, creating a problem is the drainpipe that gets full of silt contained in many systems when waterproofing a basement. The water is naturally bringing all sorts of suspension with it. When these pipes get filled the system overloads and a lot of water pressure gets applied to the outside walls of the basement. Water will work its way through even the smallest gaps, even though basement walls are waterproofed in some way.
This kind of situation is persistent because the tubes that should drain the excess water eventually deteriorate.
A huge problem is that often there isn’t 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 often referred to as 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. 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 when they are installed internally, have easy access ports for removing silt, and can be installed in basements where other methods have failed.
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,
While you are getting the house made you need to realize that waterproofing is more of an investment in the value of your house rather then an expense.
