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Basement waterproofing sounds simple enough but requires extensive knowledge and skill to execute properly. Each home is unique, and as such, requires customized exterior basement waterproofing solutions. What works for one basement might not work for every basement!
Exterior basement waterproofing methods focus on preventing water from entering the basement by applying waterproofing materials and implementing drainage systems on the outside of the foundation walls.
Modern basements are not equipped to handle moisture. When water gets into your basement, it can snowball into a much larger issue. A wet basement attracts nasty pests, such as termites, ants, and cockroaches, which will further damage your property.
A damp basement is also the perfect environment for mold and mildew. Not only will this mold cause odors and compromise the structural integrity of your home, but it will also affect the air you breathe.
Excess moisture around the outside foundation of your home will cause the soil to settle, creating uneven floors and foundation cracks in your home. These cracks will upset the foundation of your home and allow even more water into your basement, creating a cycle of damage and deterioration.
There are several things to look for that may signal you’d benefit from waterproofing the exterior of your basement. These include a musty smell, wet carpet or drywall, water stains on the floor or walls, moisture in your basement, and even bowing walls and foundation cracks.
The soil surrounding your home should be designed to guide water away. If your lawn is not properly graded, moisture from the rain and snowmelt will pool in the soil outside and seep into your basement. Often, we see downspouts that drain right at the foundation of a home instead of utilizing downspout extensions and catch basins.
Foundation cracks appear due to several reasons, including hydrostatic pressure, settling, tree roots, and freeze-thaw cycles, to name a few. However they happen, they need to be fixed as soon as possible because these foundation cracks let water into your basement, which leads to even more problems.
Once you have identified the signs and causes of a wet basement, waterproofing the exterior can take anywhere from a day to a few days, depending on the project’s size and severity. Typically, the process is broken down into these seven steps:
Our team begins by carefully removing the soil from around the perimeter of your foundation walls. It’s necessary to expose the walls in order to assess and fix the damage.
It’s important to prepare the foundation walls by removing debris because this aids in the adhesion of waterproofing materials in step four. Once your walls are cleaned, our team fills in any foundation cracks with a waterproofing cementitious material.
Once the foundation cracks are filled, we apply a rubberized membrane. This step is important because concrete is porous, so if we put your soil back now, water would still seep into your basement. Our team will decide if you need a liquid membrane, a sheet membrane, a dimple board, or a combination of the three.
A common cause of wet basements is poorly installed window wells. When we perform external basement waterproofing, we take care to properly install your window wells to prevent leakage.
Now that we’ve built up your foundation against water, we need to prevent moisture from pooling against your walls. We extract the water around the foundation of the house by installing a drainage system. This helps eliminate additional pressures caused by the soil around your home, which could otherwise cause cracking and shearing.
Once we install the proper drainage system, our work is almost done. After a final inspection, our team will replace and compact the soil around your foundation.
As a final precaution against flooded basements, we recommend Virginia and Maryland homeowners bury their downspouts and extend them out from the house. Typically, downspouts dispel water right at the foundation of the home. By burying downspouts, we deposit water farther away from your foundation to prevent pooling.
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