If you're having trouble with a wet basement, it's time to look for a waterproofing solution. The first step is to figure out why and how water is getting in your basement. Your problem might be easy to fix if there is a leak around an egress window or if your gutters are dropping rain right next to the foundation.
If the solution isn't a simple and easy one, call a basement waterproofing contractor for help. They might recommend putting a membrane on the exterior wall. Here's a look at how that can keep your basement dry.
Water Seeps In Due To Hydrostatic Pressure
When water pools around your foundation, or when the soil is saturated with water, the pressure of the water can cause damage to your foundation. The pressure can lead to cracks that allow water to leak in easily. The pressure can also drive water through the porous concrete, especially if you have an older home built with low-quality concrete.
The pressure may eventually cause the wall to bow and cause damage to your foundation and house. Solving the problem of a wet basement due to hydrostatic pressure often involves putting a membrane on the exterior wall to keep water out and improving drainage to relieve pressure against the wall.
A Wall Membrane Keeps Water Out
One of the main benefits of putting on a wall membrane is that the waterproof membrane blocks water from getting through your basement wall. This keeps your basement dry since water never has a chance to get in. Putting a membrane on an exterior foundation wall is a lot of work, but it's worth it to keep your basement dry.
The contractor has to excavate the area so the entire wall is exposed. This might involve ruining plants along your foundation. When the soil is dug away from your house, the wall is ready to be cleaned and have cracks filled in. The contractor may also apply a waterproof coating to the wall before applying the membrane.
A membrane for basement waterproofing is tough. It should last for many years without ripping or deteriorating. It's able to move along with your house as your house shifts, so it won't have problems with leaking or peeling.
The contractor applies the membrane so it covers the entire wall all the way down to the footing. When the soil is backfilled, the membrane is buried along with the wall it's adhered to, so it is out of sight.
A Drain May Be Added Too
Since the membrane blocks water, water that hits the membrane rolls down it and into the soil. For that reason, your contractor might put a drain in the soil to catch rain and route it away. This also relieves pressure on the wall that might slowly lead to foundation damage.
The drain is buried under the ground while the area around the foundation is excavated to put on the membrane. The drain has slots in the top to allow water to get inside so the water can be moved to the street by gravity.
By improving drainage this way in combination with a waterproof membrane, your wet basement woes should be over. A basement waterproofing contractor can let you know if a drain and membrane system is the right way to dry out your basement and keep it dry.
Reach out to a company like J.A. Kilby Enterprises Inc for more information.
When you've experienced problems with a destructive pest infestation, there's a good chance that you're left with some structural damage following the pest control treatments. You might wonder about the best way to repair this damage. While you may be able to patch some of it yourself, we've learned the hard way that it's best to work with a construction contractor instead. That's why we created this site. We wanted to help others understand the importance of professional construction work to repair pest infestation damage. Hopefully, the information here will help you to see why you should talk with a construction contractor to repair your home's structural damage.