Waterproofing Basement Walls

The importance of waterproofing basement walls.

Oddly enough the majority of  homeowners have never considered the interior of their basement walls and floors.  What they fail to understand is that the walls and floors of their basement are the foundation of their house and that waterproofing is a vital task  to complete so that your home is safe and sound. Unfortunately, without successful basement waterproofing,  the basement walls and foundation of the home can become damaged, leaving the structure of your house in peril.

The purpose of this article is to help guide you through the process of waterproofing basement walls.

  • It’s important to walk around outside and look over the perimeter of your house before you start the waterproofing process.
  • Be certain that the ground next to your foundation slopes away from the foundation, not toward it. You may have to add dirt up against the foundation to make a minimum of a 2” per foot slope against the foundation.
  • Then, you want to evaluate your gutters and spouts to make sure that they’re not full of debris.
  • Check to ensure that your downspouts are pouring water at least 5 feet away from the foundation.
  • Finally, check to see if there are plants or bushes located too close to the foundation because their roots may rot or make a pathway for surface water to leak into your basement.

Now that you have checked the location around your foundation, it’s time to begin waterproofing in your basement.

  • Look for a product such as Drylok or Xypex if you have minor leaks that aren’t dripping continually. Drylok is a water proofer not a water sealer. While it dries it expands and becomes part of the wall. Xypex is more like applying a waterproof concrete on the surface that will bond with it.
  • Then repair defects such as cracks in poured concrete walls and the places where pipes and tie rods go all the way through the concrete.
  • For cracks that will not experience any thermal or structural movement, Drylok Fast Plug is quite good at sealing cracks in the masonry.
  • Construction-grade epoxy is another reliable way to repair a wall crack  as it penetrates the crack completely from inside to outside.
  • For serious water concerns, you might have to think about using a French drain. A French drain is a continuous system of piping that runs under the floor of the basement and along the entire outside of the basement.

If all of this DIY stuff seems like a huge undertaking for you, it may be time to call a specialist for assistance. Someone who is experienced with waterproofing a basement can inject hydroclay around the outside of your foundation. Hydroclay is a waterproofing version of bentonite clay. It absorbs large amounts of water. The specialist will pump the clay in from the outside. The clay then fills in openings and follows the pathways that water takes to get inside your foundation, permanently sealing the basement.

So you see, waterproofing your basement is a detailed process.  If your basement needs waterproofing, please follow the steps so that your basement is waterproofed properly.

For more intensive self-help with waterproofing basement walls you should consider “The Home Waterproofer’s Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z” easy to follow guides which show you exactly where the water comes from, where it should go and how to make it go there, without spending a lot of money.