Many basement flooding and seeping problems could have been avoided by waterproofing the basement when constructed. A basement can be so much more than just a convenient place for storing junk! These days, many individuals recognize that such an area can be used for other things besides more bedrooms, living rooms and dens.
Many homeowners go years without a water problem and then develop one due to the existing sub-floor and sub-surface drains clogging with mud.
The soil will become too wet and saturated if water from the roof isn’t directed far away enough from the foundation. As the home stabilizes, wall fissures appeared, exterior paintings decayed and the drains filled with sand or silt. Leakage in the basement can be caused by all of these problems. Natural pressure from the soil against the foundation will cause flowing ground water to enter through any cracks or crevices in your foundation. A high water level can create a great amount of pressure. As water pressure increases, water begins to seep into cracks in the concrete walls and floors. The end results are a water filled crawlspace or basement.
If you want to keep hydrostatic water from getting into your home, pressure relief systems will do the job for you. However when the electricity goes out, most likely during a rainstorm, primary pumps cannot work. Pressure builds up over time and moisture is pushed through the wall or floor. (usually called bleeding). Usually you’ll find seepage in corners or in joints where the wall meets the floor.
If water come from an isolated area and is installed a pump below the floor level will lower the water and the underground pressure However, concrete is porous and allows water vapor to pass through. This moisture makes it feel even colder, causes carpet or other floor covering to rot, allows mold to grow, and causes the basement to smell musty.
One fix for this problem is to use some of the quality sealants now available to the average home owner. These can often be painted, rollered or sprayed on.
Here are some examples of what a regular basement floor waterproofing project might entail:
- getting the floor ready by taking up any materials that are broken up or loose.
- making sure the basement floor is as dry as possible, hiring large fans or heaters if necessary.
- making sure wall/floor junctions are sealed.
- Any cracks or joints noticed will need to be filled.
- priming the floor if the product requires use of a primer.
- Use 2 to 3 coats as needed to top coat the floor with the final product.
If you waterproof your basement floor with a good product the results should last for a number of years. There exist sealants in the market like PermaFlex which has lasting and durable basement floor waterproofing. Quoted as being the only indoor waterproofing system that completely seals any basement floor permanently, no matter how wet or deteriorated, seems a good easy system that costs a few hundred dollars as opposed to thousands for considerable manual work, pumps and pipes.













