Jazzy Brick

Basement waterproofing services are everywhere these days. It seems like every week there is a new company fighting to get your business. This sector has become VERY competitive over the past few years. Here are some more tips to help get you started.

What is basement waterproofing and how does it work?

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.

That big hole in the ground, the first on the list above is important to note.

The construction of basement walls invariably leaves a void on the exterior which requires backfilling. This void gets filled with loose backfill. 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 constantly ooze into this area. Typical ways of waterproofing a basement utilize water drainage pipes that often become silted. As the water comes it brings all sorts of suspension with it and that is to be expected as it is natural. When these pipes get filled the system overloads and a lot of water pressure gets applied to the outside walls of the basement. If there are crevices in the walls, water will push through even if the basement walls are waterproofed.

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.

Many times there is simply no access to these pipes which is a huge oversight. In an attempt to keep excess moisture out basement waterproofing also can be put onto the outer walls of the basement. This is also 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 drained cavity basement waterproofing. 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, good basement waterproofing will:

• not disturb landscaping, decks, patios, driveways, etc
• usually be an approved waterproofing method for home loans
• often be substantially cheaper than other waterproofing methods
• usually be a permanent or long-term solution
• stop both ways by which water can enter through the walls and up from the floor

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:

• an approved method by home loan lenders
• not disturb the exterior appearance of your home
• more affordable than other methods
• stop water through the floor and walls
• a permanent or long term fix

You should look at waterproofing not as an expense but as an investment in the value of your home.

Use these tips to make dealing with basement waterproofing a lot easier. If you follow the basics you will eliminate your problem for a long time.