Foundation waterproofing falls into two categories, interior and exterior.
Most waterproofing work is done on the interior of the home because of the labor and expense involved.
Interior waterproofing usually involves the installation of interior footer drain tiles, a sump pump crock and pump which is done by breaking the concrete around the perimeter of the home about a foot from the wall and digging a trench about 14 inches deep to the footer level where the drain tile is installed.
This is a big job and usually expensive.
Exterior waterproofing also installs footer drain tiles which are usually connected through the wall to the sump pump on the inside of the home.
This however, must be done at the footer level which requires digging a trench about 4 feet wide and 8 feet deep all around the home.
This is often complicated by plants, patios, sidewalks, etc.
which must be removed first.
This requires a great deal of labor and is very expensive and is usually only done as a last resort.
Surface waterproofing is much less expensive and can be done to prevent the water from reaching the walls, but will not deal with hydrostatic pressure if it is present.
Hydrostatic pressure, which comes from a high or fluctuating water table, is released by the installation of footer drain tiles which discharge into a sump crock where a sump pump in turn pumps it outside into the downspout discharge line.
Installation of interior drain tiles is the most common form of basement water proofing.
In some cases if the water is located mainly on one side or near a corner, a sump pump alone is sufficient to release the hydrostatic pressure.
This solution does not waterproof the foundation, which can only be done by opening the outside walls down to the footer level and applying a waterproof barrier, however it gives the water pressure a release and often keeps it from reaching the above walls, thus providing for a dry basement.
Most waterproofing work is done on the interior of the home because of the labor and expense involved.
Interior waterproofing usually involves the installation of interior footer drain tiles, a sump pump crock and pump which is done by breaking the concrete around the perimeter of the home about a foot from the wall and digging a trench about 14 inches deep to the footer level where the drain tile is installed.
This is a big job and usually expensive.
Exterior waterproofing also installs footer drain tiles which are usually connected through the wall to the sump pump on the inside of the home.
This however, must be done at the footer level which requires digging a trench about 4 feet wide and 8 feet deep all around the home.
This is often complicated by plants, patios, sidewalks, etc.
which must be removed first.
This requires a great deal of labor and is very expensive and is usually only done as a last resort.
Surface waterproofing is much less expensive and can be done to prevent the water from reaching the walls, but will not deal with hydrostatic pressure if it is present.
Hydrostatic pressure, which comes from a high or fluctuating water table, is released by the installation of footer drain tiles which discharge into a sump crock where a sump pump in turn pumps it outside into the downspout discharge line.
Installation of interior drain tiles is the most common form of basement water proofing.
In some cases if the water is located mainly on one side or near a corner, a sump pump alone is sufficient to release the hydrostatic pressure.
This solution does not waterproof the foundation, which can only be done by opening the outside walls down to the footer level and applying a waterproof barrier, however it gives the water pressure a release and often keeps it from reaching the above walls, thus providing for a dry basement.
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