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:
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.
From this list the most vital point is the top one – the vast crater dug in the earth
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.
This area is going to have water constantly seeping into it. Typical basement waterproofing systems utilize water drainage pipes that often become silted. It’s natural enough, the water is 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. 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.
The problem of this type is not easily rectified.The reason is that the pipes which are supposed to take away the excess water are gradually getting deteriorated and worsen over time.
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 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 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. 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.
Basement waterproofing systems are reputedly a better system in that they are installed internally, have easy access ports for removing any silt and can be applied to basements where traditional tanking or other methods have failed but with minimal disturbance to the original basement.
In conclusion, you want a basement waterproofing system that will deliver:
- 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
-an approved method by home loan lenders
- 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.
You should look at waterproofing not as an expense but as an investment in the value of your home.
This will simplify the use of basement waterproofing systems. Learn the essential steps and get a problem-free environment with minimal outlay by visiting a basement waterproofing systems website., a website describing the plus and minus points of a water proofing system.