Defining basement waterproofing systems.
How do waterproofing systems work in the basement and what exactly are they? To answer that question, let’s first look at historically conventional basement waterproofing and how it is supposed to work.
If you imagine how a basement is first built, when the house it is sited in was first conceived, then basically the following happens:
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.
That big hole in the ground, the first on the list above is important to note. 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. 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. The conventional basement waterproofing system 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. 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. So while the walls of the basement may be waterproofed in some way, water, as you probably already know, will usually find a way through the tiniest of gaps.
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. To keep water out of a basement, waterproofing is also applied to the external walls. This is also called a tanked system.
The drained cavity basement waterproofing system is a better system that works by getting rid of water pressure in the walls. To protect the property water is controlled, collected and then made to pass through hidden drainage channels which are either natural drainage or sump pumps.
The waterproofing systems for basement are better systems because 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:
- a permanent or long term fix
-stop water through the floor and walls
- 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.
Waterproofing your home is an investment in its value.
This will simplify the use of basement waterproofing systems. Teach yourself the important steps and get an environment lacking problems by visiting a basement waterproofing systems website As with most companies you can now get information on basement waterproofing systems via an online website.
