Basement Waterproofing

Do you have water getting into your basement?

Whether you’re a new homeowner or an experienced homeowner who’s never had a basement before, water intrusion is an issue you don’t think about until you experience it.

Do you know how to manage it, get rid of it, and solve your problem? Maybe you realize you’re evaluating basement waterproofing and you need to know as much as possible before you make a decision.  If you find yourself in one of these situations, that’s all right - you’re in good company.

What is Waterpoofing?

Let’s start by clearing up a common misconception. To contractors, waterproofing is not the complete elimination of water.  People generally think of it like waterproofing a pair of leather boots, applying a coating that sheds water.  This is a good method for footwear, but your foundation is not as simple to treat as your boots.

Concrete, either in poured or block form, is a porous material.  Water can - and will - seep from the soil into your foundation. If water is allowed to penetrate into your basement in a controlled fashion, a waterproofing system will contain and remove it from the basement.

However, if you have paint over the inside of your basement walls, or apply another type of water stopping material… your foundation will be forced to hold onto the water that seeps into it.  This is not what you want. Water left sitting in the walls for long periods of time can cause them to crack, decay, crumble, deteriorate and mold.

By the time your waterproofing paint or sealant has been compromised enough for you to see this problem, it has become a big problem. If the concrete is saturated enough that paint is flaking off, your foundation is most likely starting to deteriorate.

Waterproofing is the control and management of water that enters your home.

Waterproofing is the art of water management. It involves installing drainage channels along the inside perimeter of your basement walls (drainage channels are somewhat like pipes that go under the concrete floor). 

This method moves the water away from a point where it is pressing against your foundation and contributing to its decay.  When homeowners first investigate waterproofing, they may view it simply as the method for removing the water from their basement.  But through research, you will realize that alleviating the pressure that water generates against your foundation is also a critical part of this process.  This pressure is called hydrostatic pressure.