Basement waterproofing is one of the most important elements of building required for buried rooms. The food stored there can be spoiled by ground, planting, and flood waters. Waterproofing will help to cope with this issue. Modern materials make it easy to solve all the problems, the main thing is to work with them thoughtfully. In this article, we will tell you about basement waterproofing, what materials you need to use, and the process of work.
Reasons and Types
Water can enter the basement in the form of groundwater, spring floods, snow melting and heavy or prolonged rains. The main task of waterproofing is to prevent the penetration of moisture into the underground room, i.e. to keep your basement dry. Another purpose is to protect against the appearance of mold and fungi. Besides, waterproofing is necessary not only to protect stored products, but also the structural elements themselves from any future destruction.
When building a basement, it’s very significant to find out the depth of groundwater. Based on this data, two types of groundwater impact on structural elements can be distinguished – pressure and non-pressure. The first one is possible when ground water is at a higher level than your basement floor, i.e. water has continuous static and dynamic pressure on your basement floor and walls. With a non-pressurized version of it, groundwater lies lower than the basement bottom is located, so it only seeps through the soil. As a result, waterproofing can be of pressure and non-pressure type.
Basement waterproofing can be done from the inside or outside. The use of protective layers of cellar insulation from the outside helps to prevent the contact of structural elements of the basement with water, to save them from any damage. However, such an option can only be used at the stage of basement construction. Completing waterproofing the cellar from the inside, you might protect the products stored in it. Besides, it’s possible at any time.
Stages of Work
Before starting your basement waterproofing, it’s better to find a special company close to you. Based on my experience, basement waterproofing experts near me were a lot of help and did the work fast and professionally. We even saved enough money because of their advice. So, after choosing, you’d better get ready for the preparation stage.
Having decided to perform the work on waterproofing the cellar, you will first need to do the following:
- Pump out the water. The water from the basement must be pumped out after the flood stabilizes, and preferably – it will decrease. Otherwise, waterproofing won’t be effective, the water will continue to arrive.
- Update the ventilation. The consequences of a flood aren’t only the appearance of dirt in the basement. Water affects the microclimate and promotes the appearance of mold. After removing the water from the basement, you will need to ventilate the room. You may also need to install a new ventilation system.
- Treat the walls and floor with some antifungal fluid. If you need to protect only the cellar floor, use slaked lime water. This emulsion is also suitable for painting any walls and shelves.
Note: if there is no ventilation system in the basement, then the vapors, not finding a way out, will inevitably settle on the walls and ceiling. As a result, before the work on waterproofing the room, it’s vital to properly arrange a ventilation system. Even with a simple ventilation, it’s possible to effectively remove condensate from the cellar due to the temperature difference inside and outside the room.
Moreover, for protecting the cellar from any water ingress, special drainage communications are used; they are equipped in the courtyard. A drainage system, which can be external or internal, helps to strengthen the effect of insulating materials.
After that, you can come to choosing the materials.
Materials
Before you start getting rid of the water that destroys the basement, you need to study the soil and the features of the foundation of your building. Before buying waterproofing compounds, it’s significant (as we’ve said before) to determine at what depth the soil water lies, how the soil increases during frosts, what type of soil is in your place of residence. The modern market offers several types of materials that can prevent the appearance of moisture in the cellar.
Waterproofing the basement from groundwater using bitumen is the most budget option for solving problems with moisture. Bitumen consists of small bars applied to the surface in a liquid form:
- bitumen resin and engine oil in a ratio of 3 to 1 are placed in a large tank;
- the container is heated, and the mixture is brought to a liquid state;
- it’s applied to the surface with a brush or roller, the surface must be pre-leveled, and the cracks sealed;
- the lower part of the treated surface should be located no higher than 20 cm from the soil;
- the optimum thickness of a bitumen layer will be 5 cm.
Rolled materials can be used with any liquid products or independently. It’s budget, but at the same time – high-quality material. Besides, the simultaneous use of mastic and rolled material contributes to the good penetration of compounds into the definite foundation and the reliability of waterproofing of your basement.
You can also use liquid rubber. It perfectly adheres to any surface, protects against fire and forms special solid coating. Experts recommend using one-component rubber which is presented in 2 types of compositions: mixtures applied in one layer and compositions applied in one layer possible to be set in a day.
Benefits of Basement Waterproofing
While choosing exterior basement waterproofing near me, I found the following benefits of this process:
- saving the desired microclimate in the basement for storing food;
- protecting the room from groundwater;
- preventing the destruction of walls and the appearance of mold or fungi;
- making the life of the entire structure longer.
Final Words
In conclusion, I’d like to say that poor-quality insulation of a building from water creates a damp and humid environment, as a result of which the concrete and the foundation are destroyed. You need to choose basement waterproofing service carefully and check all the details: materials, technologies, stages of work. Moreover, don’t forget to do some pre-work and check the soil.