Basement Floor Waterproofing Methods
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
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. A basement can be so much more than just a convenient place for storing junk! 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. As the home stabilizes, wall fissures appeared, exterior paintings decayed and the drains filled with sand or silt. All of these problems can lead to leakage in the basement. Natural pressure from the soil against the foundation will cause flowing ground water to enter through any cracks or crevices in your foundation. The higher the level of water, the greater the pressure. As water pressure increases, water begins to seep into cracks in the concrete walls and floors. The result is a flooded crawlspace or basement.
A pressure relief system can eliminate water that leaks into your basement. Primary pumps cannot work if the electricity goes out during a rainstorm. Over time this pressure increases until the moisture is literally pushed through the floor or wall (usually called bleeding). Usually you’ll find seepage in corners or in joints where the wall meets the floor.
If you think that water is comming out of an isolated area, you can lower the water table and the underground hydrostatic pressure by using an easy-to-install sump pump below your floor table. However, concrete is porous and allows water vapor to pass through. 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.
– Use large fans and heaters as needed to make sure the basement floor is as dry as it can be.
– You must seal all joints between the walls and floor.
– 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 indoor waterproofing system claims to permanently seal you lower level floor at considerably less cost than other systems.
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