Foundation Professionals of Colorado

Basement waterproofing is an essential consideration for anyone who is building a basement that they intend to use for storage or habitable housing.

Too often, basement waterproofing is not prioritized enough and, as a result, a cheap and inadequate basement waterproofing option is used to try to get an unrealistic budget. This often leads to failure and the resulting consequential losses can be disastrous for the owner of the building or property.

Newly constructed basements are often designed and constructed from well-placed concrete blocks or concrete blocks and even "waterproof concrete" with concrete fill. A well-designed and constructed structure will generally form the primary resistance to water ingress since the concrete is too dense for water to pass through. However, we must always bear in mind that where there are construction joints there is a risk of failure, even if the water bars, the hydrophilic/hydrophobic strips are well installed.

Bearing this in mind, it is always a recommendation that, like the structure itself, a secondary form of basement repair be adopted, even if the structure is new or constructed with "impermeable concrete".

When considering that the concrete construction itself is integral to water, this is described as a type B form of basement waterproofing.

When the structure foundation inspection considered as an integral waterproofing, we have 2 options to treat the water ingress potential. One is to deposit it in a tank and the other is to waterproof it with a cavity drainage membrane.

A basement tank means that a product is applied internally or externally and is designed to physically stop and retain water. This is known as type A basement waterproofing.

Most new basement waterproofing designs that incorporate an external tank system also include a ground drain whose purpose is to help drain the surrounding land areas and reduce the level of water that is delivered against the structure. Often there are many problems associated with the drains of land used in basement waterproofing. The drainage of the earth should be placed on the outside of the structure, below the level of the internal slab, so that it helps to release the volume of water to the entire depth of the soil retained. Many times, the position of the earth drain is shown in a plane or installed on the internal level of the slab and, therefore, it could only be partially effective.

A wet basement is a problem for all homeowners. Whether it's a wet-finished basement or an unfinished basement with damp walls, water is an enemy to your home. Continuous exposure to water can ruin your belongings and damage the stability of foundations and weaken the structure.

If you are concerned about leaking cracks and damp walls in the basement, you need the help of a basement waterproofing contractor.

A basement waterproofing contractor will inspect the basement as well as other areas of your home that require waterproofing. He/she will identify the problem and provide you with a couple of effective methods to solve it. In addition, he/she will suggest the appropriate basement waterproofing method for your home.