The basement waterproofing systems and their working.
Let’s take a look at the time and tested waterproofing of basement and how it works.
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.
The important point to note is the first one in the list above - that big hole in the ground.
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 used to fill in the gap. No matter how well the backfill is compacted, it is still backfill and water seeks the places of little 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. Water will work its way through even the smallest gaps, even though basement walls are waterproofed in some way.
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 huge problem is that often there isn’t access to these pipes. In an attempt to keep excess moisture out basement waterproofing also can be put onto the outer walls of the basement. Usually this is called 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. 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 a better system when they are installed internally and have easy access ports for removing the silt etc. It takes minimal disturbance to the original basement where traditional tanking or 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
You want to be sure to choose a reliable waterproofer for your home, keep in mind that it will greatly increase the value by far more than what you initally paid.
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.