A large percentage of homeowners who have basements also experience water leaks, so it’s no surprise that there is a huge demand for DIY basement waterproofing information and products.

The first thing to examine is the reason why basements are affected so much by water seepage and flooding. Serious basement problems due to excess moisture many times cause numerous problems to the basement structurally, as well as limit space, and ruin and or destroy furniture and furnishings.

A large hole is dug in the ground to install a basement. After the floor and walls of the basement are finished, loose soil is used to fill in the rest of the hole. The loose soil around the basement provides the least resistance to water and it will use this path to seep into that area. Though it might take a few years, it is eminent that there will be a build-up of water around and under your basement.

This causes water to weigh down, and to exert pressure upon the floor, and upon the basement walls. This often attacks the outside membrane or protective coating, and/or water finds its way through tiny cracks or larger structural cracks. No system is foolproof, because even those that remove water from the building, can’t always prevent silt and heavy rainfalls from blocking pipes and causing system overload.

This is when most people decide to turn their project into a do it yourself basement waterproofing project rather than have someone excavate and re-do it professionally and, usually, at great financial cost. Frequently used method is to handle the interior rather than the exterior, by utilizing materials like sealants on the inner walls and ground.

A typical project might involve:

removing loose material to prepare walls
Previous repair or foreign material must be removed.
- make sure the basement is as dry as possible, hire heaters or large fans if necessary.
Use a primer coat on the floors and walls if the product requires this to be done.
- patch any particularly noticeable flaws, gaps, seams or joints.
The requirement at the floor/wall is 1″bead of sealant.
- using 2 or 3 coats to top-coat all surfaces

There’s nothing more to it. If the product is a good one you will have a sealed basement that should last for a number of years. PermaFlex is a top sealant, and along with other complete sealants, they offer a permanent indoor basement waterproofing system. This indoor waterproofing system claims to permanently stop basement leaks and can be applied by brush, roller, or spray system.

A full solution would cost homeowners a fraction of the cost and is perfect for do-it-yourself basement waterproofing. It’s also a wonderful solution for those with budget concerns with common and often expensive problems.

Tags: General by Tom
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There can be some big differences in the basement waterproofing materials and the way they’re used. Some will be available to the public and some may only be available to the trade. Let’s assess the situation and see how we can apply it to your home.

Basically, you need to keep in mind whre you reside and the amount of water that is present. Think about that since it will have an impact on what materials you will be able to use.

Simple sealants are the first basement waterproofing materials that people are looking for. In other words, they have a basement that has already had some form of waterproofing applied to it and are looking to patch small damp areas up. There are top-end sealants such as RadonSeal which will treat poured concrete, mortar in block walls or stone foundations and concrete or cinder blocks.

You have to coat all of the basement walls and the floor with sealant or else the water will still seep in around the edges of the treated area. This product comes with a limited 20-year guarantee so looks like a viable option. There is only one issue here and that is that the sealant, (all sealants, not just this particular one)basement waterproofing sealants only protect the inside of the basement. In other words, there could be lots of water pressing against and through whatever materials your cellar walls are made of.

You may have to think of other alternatives if you have breaks in the wall. If your walls are plaster, then you can simply replace the plaster coating. Chip away any loose material from around the crack and simply refill with the plaster.

Another option may be to use stitching materials. These metal staples are stapled across the cracks to prevent or limit further movement. Cement that doesn’t shrink is used to fill in the cracks.

Gunite (a form of concrete) can be sprayed on bigger cracks in basement walls or floors. You’ll need special spraying equipment to do this which you can hire. The spray that results fills cracks, giving a smooth finish, provided the correct mixture is obtained. However it does stick to most surfaces so it’s a good option.

Finally, it needs to be said that basement waterproofing materials are not the ultimate solution. You should also be looking at making sure there is as little water getting into the ground around the basement as possible.

Also think about:

- keeping rain gutters in perfect repair.
- sloping the ground away from the foundation of the house
- when it is time for grass seeding, clear trees, foliage and flower beds from your home’s foundation
- filling up driveway cracks
- there can be arrangement for surface water to be taken away from the house by installing curtain drains
- putting in dry wells for the rain water spouting at a minimum of ten feet from the interior of the property
- placing a sump pump or pumps into service.
- water can be routed to a floor drain through the use of interior gutters in the basement walls

Tags: General by Tom
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What are basement waterproofing systems and how do they work? Let’s take a look at the time and tested waterproofing of basement and how it works.

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 basement walls are constructed there is an area outside the walls that must be filled. Loose backfill is what is used to fill this void. 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. Sometimes, creating a problem is the drainpipe that gets full of silt contained in many systems when waterproofing a basement. The water is naturally bringing all sorts of suspension with it. 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 kind of situation is persistent because the tubes that should drain the excess water eventually deteriorate.

A lot of the time a huge mistake is made by not providing access to these pipes. Basement waterproofing is also applied to the external walls of the basement to try and keep the water out. This is often referred to as 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.

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, 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.

Tags: General by Tom
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If you in desperate need of waterproofing a basement, but don’t want to spend big dollars or hours to get the job done, here’s a few pointers to help get you going.

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.

If you imagine how a basement is first built, when the house it is sited in was first conceived, then basically the following happens. A big hole in the ground is dug, the footer or foundations are laid, the walls of the basement are built and then the rest of the house follows.

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 what is used to fill this void. No matter how well the backfill is compacted, it is still backfill and water seeks the places of little resistance.

This area is going to have water constantly seeping into it. 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. Allowing these pipes to fill up, can result in an overload of the system, which can be catastrophic to the basement’s outside 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 lot of the time a huge mistake is made by not providing 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. This is often referred to as a tanked system.

A better basement waterproofing system, such as the drained cavity basement waterproofing, works by getting rid of the water pressure on the walls. 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:

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

Waterproofing your home is an investment in its value.

As you can see, the problem of basement waterproofing is not uncommon and there are steps that can be taken to make your life a lost easier when dealing with it.

Tags: General by Tom
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