If basement floor waterproofing wasn’t overlooked on such a regular basis, then there wouldn’t be as many problems with seepage and flooding when it was finished. Many people think basements are just concrete storage spaces for things you don’t use very often. These days, many individuals recognize that such an area can be used for other things besides more bedrooms, living rooms and dens.
Many homeowners go years without a water problem and then develop one due to the existing sub-floor and sub-surface drains clogging with mud.
The soil will become too wet and saturated if water from the roof isn’t directed far away enough from the foundation. In the process of the house settling, the walls will often crack, protective coatings which are on the outside biodegrades and drainage systems will be filled in with silt. All of these problems can lead to leakage in the basement. Flowing ground water enters through cracks or other openings in the foundation; moisture in saturated soil enters through solid masonry as well as through cracks and other openings because of the natural pressure the soil exerts against the foundation. A high water level can create a great amount of pressure. In turn this water, under increased pressure, seeks entry through cracks and crevices in the walls and floors, and concrete is no match for water pressure. The result is a flooded crawlspace or basement.
Pressure relief systems are a good way to prevent hydrostatic water from entering your home. Whenever there happens to be a power outage due to a rainstorm, it is very likely that the primary pumps will not work, and that may cause somewhat of an inconvenience. Over time this pressure increases until the moisture is literally pushed through the floor or wall (often called bleeding). Usually you’ll find seepage in corners or in joints where the wall meets the floor.
If water seems to be coming in from an isolated area, installing a sump pump below floor level can lower the water table and underground hydrostatic pressure in that area. Water vapor passes through porous concrete. This moisture makes it feel even colder, causes carpet or other floor covering to rot, allows mold to grow, and causes the basement to smell musty.
Using high quality sealants easily found in the marketplace is a good remedy. Frequently, they can be applied with a brush, roller or spray can.
A typical basement floor waterproofing project might involve:
- getting the floor ready by taking up any materials that are broken up or loose.
- Care has to be taken to see that the floor of the basement is absolutely dry,and for this one may need to hire large fans or heaters.
- Assuring that the wall/floor junctions are sealed off.
- filling any particularly noticeable cracks or joints.
- priming the floor if the product requires use of a primer.
- top-coating floor with the final product, using 2 or 3 coats as appropriate.
A high quality product will result in basement floor waterproofing that can last for years and years. There are sealants on the market such as PermaFlex which offer complete, permanent basement floor waterproofing. This is arguably the only waterproofing system that is suitable for indoor use that will result in the complete sealing of a basement floor, no matter what sort of state it might be in. And it is considerably cheaper than other type of work as it does not involve pipes or pumps!