Defining Waterproofing a Basement.
How do waterproofing systems work in the basement and what exactly are they?
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 the walls of the basement are built, there is always a gap left outside the walls which needs to be filled. Loose backfill is what is used to fill this void. 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. As the water comes it brings all sorts of suspension with it and that is to be expected as it is natural. Allowing these pipes to fill up, can result in an overload of the system, which can be catastrophic to the basement’s outside walls. Water will work its way through even the smallest gaps, even though basement walls are waterproofed in some way.
The problem of this type is not easily rectified. The reason is that the pipes which are supposed to take away the excess water are gradually getting deteriorated and 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. Usually this is 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. 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.
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
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.
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