The water that penetrates your basement can be driven away and kept out with the help of different interior waterproofing techniques you may choose according to your needs and budget.

1. Interior Basement Waterproofing and Water Drainage

The first thing to do before making a choice of such a technique is to identify the problem that has recently occurred. Then, you can think about utilizing coatings or sealants to prevent excess moisture and condensation in your living area.

First of all, think about the french drain. You need to install the drain tile alongside the footing. The tile can be round or square, sealed and be supplemented with a vapor barrier. It has to be installed under the slab floor that is usually made of concrete. Its function is to block excess water and vapor, and by redirecting it under the slab, help it out to the sump pump. This way is used to drive the water outside the house and keep the lower layers of your house free from soil gases, mold, and mildew that can be rather harmful to the health of the people in your family. 

To install the effective inside waterproofing, you will have to dig a trench alongside the basement’s perimeter and it can turn out rather costly and time-consuming. However, it is the best way to fight the excess moisture within your home. The trench is meant for an easier installation of the French drain. you can opt for the ‘top of footing’ installations, of course, but they will not be so effective.

Read also: The Benefits of Basement Waterproofing for Your Toronto Home

The systems installed below the level of footing work sturdily and reliably because they are sloped in accordance with the conditions. Sloping helps to block the moisture and regulate the movement of any excess water properly. So, soil gases are also not allowed into the living space. The next step of this installation process is placing clean rock around the system. It will help ensure the free flow of the water and stop any sediments from interfering with the drainage. Such an installation works especially well when the concrete slabs of the foundation have suffered from cracks and distortion. The best way to make such a system still more efficient is to connect it directly to the sump pump basin. The system is effective enough when it has the access ports used for cleaning out clogs if any or utilizing dehumidifiers for additional waterproofing.

There is one more method to deprive your house of the excess moisture. It is waterproofing that uses pipes and stone. This system is a DIY variation of the manufactured French drain. Instead of ready-made square tiles, it utilizes the perforated drain pipes that redirect the water to the sump pump to carry it away from the foundation. You need to be especially careful to arrange an appropriate slope to relieve more moisture from the slab and keep your basement completely dry.

2. Exterior Basement Waterproofing

You can also use the external waterproofing to avoid water reaching the foundation and penetrating inside. You can either install a special drainage system outside or create the barrier by coating the foundation walls from the outside, or both.

The exterior methods can provide either damp proofing or waterproofing depending on how intensively the excess moisture threatens your house’s foundation. Damp proofing provides a bit lighter protection. You just apply a special spray to the asphaltic layer of your new foundation. It cannot block the water completely but decrease its permeation if compared to the foundation’s concrete surface that is left completely bare. You can also opt for the complete waterproofing installation that is equally applicable to new and repaired foundations. It is more labor consuming and usually takes more time since the extensive excavation is needed. The spray of the polymer sealer is applied on the exterior surface of the foundation. Then, a dimpled membrane is installed. It redirects the excess water to the drain tile which has a 4-6 inch perforation and is covered with silt. This membrane is installed either immediately on the footing’s surface or alongside it. All the installation is covered then with a clean stone and pressed soil. The soil should have sloping directed away from the footing.

The slope should be measured and arranged in the most proper way to help the drain tile redirect all the moisture to the sump pump basin that is sealed and covered to stop any debris or sediments. Such a method is very effective because the excess water is fully blocked and it cannot leak through walls.

Your basement will never get wet or leaky if all the system is properly installed and maintained by a professional and experienced waterproofing contractor such as the Tornado plumbing & Drains company.