Stopping water from entering your basement walls requires much more efforts and careful selection of waterproofing products. Making the foundation of your home waterproof will lay a strong base that cannot get infiltrated by water or moisture. The foundation is literally the part of your house that everything is built on, and its quality and health will effect every part of your living space.
The major cause of foundation troubles and basement flooding is the poor quality of the foundation, as the wet soil beneath the foundation can lose strength and swell up. This is not the first reason that should encourage you to make your foundation waterproof. There are many little problems that create wet damp basements and can make your home a breeding ground for mold. The major problem arises with the fact that the typical concrete is not waterproof on its own, and needs to be coated with additional elements to make it water-resistant.
To accomplish your goal of waterproofing your foundation will require draining off any water away and ensuring a dry space around the foundation. Make sure your drain pipes are clean and the water dumping system of your basement is situated at least 12 feet away from the foundation.
Here are some ways you can waterproof your house’s foundation:
1. Old Waterproofing Method with Tar
Using tar with waterproofing is an old and useful technique that many contractors and homeowners still prefer over the modern ones. When the applied tar dries out over time, it will eventually start to leak where it comes in contact with water. But, you can get dimple board (explained in the second point) that will help you protect the wall once it gets dried out. Depending on the wall’s area and type of backfill, the tar can get dried out in less than 20 years or could fail almost immediately.
2. Using Dimple Board Above Waterproofing
Dimple board is not something that can protect your home’s foundation from water damage on its own. This is a plastic sheet with raised bumps, which is designed to shield the waterproofing behind it from debris and sediment that touches the foundation. There are many companies that claim this alone is enough to safeguard your foundation from water but regardless of what they say, one should never completely rely on dimple board waterproofing.
3. Applying Rolled on Waterproofing
This is a superior product in comparison to tar and dimple board. Application of this product highly depends upon the technicians installing it, as the membrane has to be rolled on about 3ft in size from 50ft. The adhesive bonds to the foundation wall perfectly, which can easily be revealed by removing the protective layer. This membrane is installed from top to bottom and overlaps in every 3 inches of the floor. This creates an extremely tight water wall and may require additional adhesiveness, occasionally.
4. Professional Waterproofing Spray
This is by far the most superior way to protect your foundation from water damage. This rubberized membrane is installed over the foundation walls and sprayed on by professional waterproofing company. This comes with a lifetime warranty and usually lasts for more than 20 years. Then a dimple board is installed to ensure even more secure waterproofing. This process is a lot similar to pool liner and generally, comes with high price tag.
After waterproofing on the exterior foundation walls, you should install drainage to avoid the chances of water damage. You can lay a 4-inch drainage pipe around the foundation, which allows water to fall in and filter cloth to keep sediment out.
Helpful Hints for Waterproofing House Foundation
– Installing French drain is important to allow water flow naturally without using the pump. This case only works if your house has enough slopes to let the water rundown.
– Install a proper grading around the house that has sloping earth away from the house, to let water naturally drain away from the building.
– Keep your gutters clean and working properly.
– Plant more trees around to house to control the water flow and avoid any moisture to seep into the basement and foundation.
– If you live on a high ground, you should install another pump to run off any unusual high water from your surrounding areas.
– Ensure that all the window wells are connected with drainage pipe that further connects with drainage pipe at the footing.
– When in doubt, ask an expert to help take a look at your foundation and offer you advice. This is often free or very cheap, and you can always decide to do any needed work yourself if you prefer.
Waterproofing from the outside is the most important way to seal water from getting in, as outside is where the water is present. The water in the soil causes it to expand and the type of soil also makes a huge impact on the degree of water damage that your house can get. With these simple ideas and tips, you can easily waterproof your foundation and keep your surroundings safe and protected.