At first I though no big deal its just a few small leaks I can fix this all by myself. So I went to the hardware store and took the recommendations they gave me as to how to fix these leaky basement walls. So I decided to give it a try and fix this problem all on my own. After several days of hard work trying to repair these walls, things did not go so well. The next heavy rain fall the water came in, only this time much faster. This started to become a big problem.
So I asked around and a friend of mine told me that there was a guy he knew that works on problems just like this and he is very cheap. So I said what the heck I will give him a try.
About a week later the so called repair basement guy showed up at my house and began using his system he called crack injection. Once he was done it looked as though it was fixed. Aside from the terrible mess he made I thought okay now my worries are over. Boy was I wrong!
The first few rain falls things were fine, however because the house was new it started to settle and more basement wall cracks appeared. Soon again with every rain fall water was at first just seeping through the cracks in the wall. With every new rain fall and as the house continue to settle things got worse. Soon I literally had small rivers flowing through the cracks of my foundation walls. This so called Mr. Fix it came at least 8 times to try and fix the problem, he could not and eventually stop returning our phone calls for help!
It got so bad that literally my wife and I stayed up all night every time it rained with buckets shoveling water as fast as we could to the nearest drain. It soon became very apparent that we needed some professional help.
We contacted a contractor who suggested that he redo the landscape of my property to move the water in a different direction. He also recommended that he dig all around the foundation on the outside and seal any cracks he found.
At first I thought that sound like a good idea. However the more I thought about it there was no way he can guarantee that the home won't get new cracks, then what?
So my wife and I decided it was best to attack this waterproofing of our basement from the inside. We had many people who were experts in waterproofing give us ideas and quotes but we still were not happy.
Then we called a company that had a real good idea on how to permanent stop any water from coming in. Basically what they do is seal the perimeter of your basement from the inside so in the event that new cracks form in your walls this system will intercept the water with their awesome drainage system safety outdoors without ever getting a drop of water hitting your basement floor.
This story has a very happy ending. It's been four years and we are happy to say not a drop of water has been evident. My wife and I now plan to make our dry basement into a family entertainment center.
The waterproofed basement will prevent many of the common issues associated with failed pumps and removal systems. So the question for you is does your house posses a basement that is waterproofed. To answer that question you can do several tests.
The first thing to look for in a waterproofed basement is standing water along the edges of the basement wall and floor. Many times there will be a small spill way that removes the excess water to a sump pump or a drainage line.
If you are lucky and don't find standing water in you basement area you can perform a simple test to see if your basement waterproofing is up to standards. More than likely you will have a cement block wall that protects your basement area from the soil surrounding it. To see if you have a potential basement waterproofing problem through the wall you should tape a twelve by twelve section of clear cellophane wrap to the wall.
Simply check the cellophane wrap after the next heavy rain. If the wrap shows any signs of moisture you have a basement waterproofing problem. This moisture indicates that the waterproof containment system in your basement is not functioning properly.
This can be for several reasons. The basement waterproofing you have can be composed of one or several of the following items.
You may have a waterproof paint applied to the outside of your concrete block wall. This waterproof paint should have been applied to your wall at the time that your house was built. Many times the color of the basement waterproof substance will be black. This waterproofing is more than likely a petroleum based product. Over this substance you may find a plastic sheeting.
The plastic sheeting is a second barrier designed to keep the water away from the cement block walls. This basement waterproofing method however has only about a ten year lifespan as the material will become brittle and damaged as roots and soil movement attack it. Outside of this the house may posses a french drainage system.
The waterproofing allowed by a french drainage system is absolutely critical if you have a seepage problem through your as built basement waterproofing system. The french drain is typically a corrugated plastic tube with one inch holes drilled around it. This pipe is buried 4-6 foot in the ground in front of your foundation wall. The waterproofing of your basement by this method is more of a diversion of water rather than penetration prevention.
So what are your options if you don't have one of these systems waterproofing your basement. The market has created several different systems available to you now. You can paint the interior wall of your structure with a waterproofing substance or install a post build french drain. Either of these options are available to you.
Both Joe Palladino & Charles Cater are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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