Rigid foam sheets are a popular and cost-efficient option for waterproofing basement walls. These large sheets of expanded polystyrene foam (XPS) act as barriers against moisture and water leaks, reducing the risk of mold, mildew, and other elements. Waterproofing panels are designed to protect basement walls from unwanted moisture and elements like mold, mildew, and cracks.
To achieve the best results, combine plastic sheeting with an interior basement drainage system. Install plastic sheeting over existing basement walls to waterproof them, then install paneling on top. Wall insulation panels are essential for creating a cozy space in a well-insulated basement. Concrete walls are typically water-resistant but contain pores that allow water to enter if not properly sealed.
Interior basement waterproofing focuses on managing water that has already entered the basement. It typically involves installing drainage systems, such as interior French drains or sump pumps, to prevent rainwater from entering the basement. Some common signs of interior waterproofing include soft or discolored drywall on finished basement walls, excessive condensation on pipes and ducts, musty odors, cracks, and efflorescence on concrete walls.
PVC basement wall panels are low maintenance and can be installed to protect against humidity. BrightWall is a 100 waterproof rigid plastic paneling for unfinished basement walls that is durable, washable, and mold- and mildew-resistant. Trusscore products, made from PVC, reflect light, shed water, and don’t support mold or rot growth.
These panels create a durable vapor barrier, directing leaking water towards the basement drain and aiding in waterproofing your home. HydraShield wall paneling protects foundation walls from moisture and provides a clean white finish.
📹 Waterproofing Basement Walls | Finished & UnFinished Basement
Waterproofing interior basement walls with paint, tar, or drylok can be a big mistake. Concrete waterproofing is a science. In this …
What is best for waterproofing interior basement walls?
Negative-side waterproofing membranes are the most effective method for waterproofing basement walls and floors from the inside or interior (dry) side of a building. This is typically done when positive-side or blind-side waterproofing is not possible. The goal is to keep water and soil away from the below-grade walls and floor. Concrete basement walls require waterproofing membrane and a dimple drainage board. Without effective waterproofing, porous concrete can crack, allowing groundwater, contaminated soil vapors, and insects to enter the home.
Waterproofing creates a moisture-free, below-grade building envelope, protects the building’s integrity, reduces maintenance and repair expenses, and prevents moisture-related problems like crystalline salt deposits on basement walls or floors.
Why do people put plastic on basement walls?
It is of the utmost importance to implement vapor and moisture barriers in order to safeguard one’s domicile from the detrimental effects of water damage. It is advisable to seek the guidance of a professional contractor prior to the installation of a vapor barrier in your basement. Vapor barriers are an effective solution for addressing moisture problems; however, in areas where such issues are not present, leaving them off may be the optimal choice.
It is similarly crucial to engage in regular tuckpointing as part of a comprehensive home maintenance program. This practice is essential for the protection of a residential property from the damaging effects of water.
How to fix basement wall efflorescence?
Efflorescence can be removed from concrete foundation walls by using a specially formulated solution, pressure washing, or a stiff brush. Proper drainage around the foundation is crucial to prevent excess moisture from building up and pushing against the wall. Installing a drain tile system can also help prevent moisture buildup in the soil. If necessary, regrading your yard can help prevent moisture buildup and foundation issues.
Downspout extensions are an inexpensive and easy solution that ensure runoff is carried away from the foundation before release. Regularly cleaning gutters can prevent debris accumulation and water-hungry vegetation from clogging the gutters.
Keeping water-hungry vegetation away from the foundation is essential to prevent water-related issues. Open basement windows or crawl space vents can allow warm, humid air to enter and condense on cooler surfaces. Checking for plumbing leaks can also help prevent moisture buildup.
In summary, preventing efflorescence on concrete foundation walls requires proper drainage, grading your yard, installing downspout extensions, cleaning gutters regularly, keeping water-hungry vegetation away from the foundation, closing basement windows or crawl space vents, and checking for plumbing leaks. By following these steps, you can help prevent moisture buildup and maintain a healthy foundation.
What is the white stuff on interior walls?
White mold is a powdery fungus that grows in homes on walls or drywall, often difficult to detect due to its blend in with the material it grows on. Its spores are not pigmented, but as it reproduces, they may become pigmented, turning it into a black mold or remaining white regardless of its age. Both white and black mold are problematic due to potential health problems and property damage. White mold thrives in moist areas, such as wood and drywall, which contain cellulose, an organic food source for mold.
If your property has experienced water damage or poor ventilation, it may be difficult to detect due to the moist conditions of these surfaces. Therefore, white mold must be removed to prevent health and property issues.
How do they waterproof a basement from the inside?
A drain tile system is a crucial method for waterproofing basement walls from the inside, as it relieves hydrostatic pressure by channeling excess water away from the foundation. This can be done through gravity drains or sump pumps, depending on the slope of the yard. Drain tile can be installed on the exterior of a home or under the basement floor. An exterior drain tile system collects and channels excess moisture away from the foundation, and is typically installed in new homes. It can also be installed for existing homes. The installation procedure is straightforward.
What is a moisture barrier in a basement?
A basement vapor or moisture barrier is installed during home construction or remodeling to prevent moisture from penetrating the walls of a basement. Polyurethane sheeting is a common vapor barrier used by contractors to staple to the frame of a basement wall before plaster or drywall is applied. It also helps keep the basement insulated and warm. While it doesn’t prevent moisture from entering between foundation walls and the barrier, it helps dissipate moisture and mold. Insulation enclosed in a vapor barrier is popular among homeowners as it also encloses the fiberglass material used for insulation.
What is the white plastic on basement walls?
White Cap is a heavy plastic sheeting attached to basement walls, providing a clean, dry, and inviting space for storage, heating, and utilities. It can transform a dark, damp basement into a clean, dry space that extends living space and adds property value to a home investment. Acculevel, founded in 1996 by Andy Beery, is a family-owned and operated business that has waterproofed and encapsulated thousands of basements over the years. Encapsulation plays an essential role in getting the most out of your basement and extending its living space.
What is the white film on basement walls?
Efflorescence is defined as the dissolution of minerals as water evaporates on porous materials, such as basement walls or floors. It is a common phenomenon that occurs when water penetrates the interior of a building. The deposits resulting from efflorescence are not considered harmful to human health.
How do you seal an interior basement wall?
This article provides a DIY guide on waterproofing basement walls from the inside using a scrub brush, warm water, and dish soap. It covers the steps from cleaning the walls, plugging holes, filling in cracks, and applying a waterproof coating. The article is intended for those without water damage issues, but for those experiencing cracks, leaks, flooding, or other damage, it advises immediate contact with a professional. The first step is to clean the areas to be waterproofed, removing any coatings on the surface, wall, or floor. Many waterproofing products can only be applied directly to the substrate.
What is the plastic barrier behind drywall?
To install a vapor barrier, ensure a continuous barrier with no holes, gaps, or seams for moisture to enter. Materials like geomembrane or plastic liner behind drywall protect interior walls from water damage. For bathrooms and kitchens, semigloss paint is used as a secondary vapor barrier. Vapor barriers should be considered regionally, as cold northern climates differ from hot and humid south climates. A local building professional can help assess the needs of your climate before installation.
Western Liner offers 12- and 15-mil reinforced polyethylene liners, including the Vapor Stop series, which is stronger than standard vapor barriers and more difficult to damage during installation. Heat seaming the Vapor Stop together can reduce field work. Moisture-preventing tape is also used to prevent vapor transmissions.
What are the three types of basement waterproofing?
Interior sealants are a basement waterproofing method that involves applying sealant to the inside of basement walls and floors. Moisture in the basement can be caused by water seepage through cracks in the foundation or walls, which can be caused by hydrostatic pressure from the surrounding soil or poor drainage systems. Inadequate soil and drainage systems around the home, such as improperly sloped soil or inadequate drainage, can also contribute to moisture problems in the basement. Poorly installed and maintained gutters can also cause water to overflow and accumulate around the foundation, leading to water damage in the basement.
📹 How to Waterproof a Basement | DIY SquidGee Dry System
“Hi, I’m Joel with Waterproof.com and today I’m going to show you how to install the SquidGee Dry System. The SquidGee Dry …
Nice tutorial. Back in the day I installed 3″ pvc with 3/8 holes at 5 & 7 o’clock below footing. Covered in aggregate. Property on hill. Foundation was block. Area was clay based soil. Basement always flooded. After piping to a sump pump pit on 2 sides of basement never had a flood again. I quess I got the hydrostatic pressure to decrease by allowing water to find a least resistance path to pipe. After perusal article I think in theory it’s what you did for that home. I wasn’t sure it was going to work but happy it did. All work on inside of basement.👍
I bought Drylok last week and planned to paint the basement wall where water was seeping in from nail holes holding 2x4s that where soaked and rotted. I sprayed flex seal on the wall because I had it on hand. Didn’t know if I could paint drylok over flex seal. Seeing this article I’m no longer going to use drylok. Not sure what I’ll do but at least I won’t make it worse
The only time I got water in my basement from rain, was when hurricane Ivan dumped over western Pennsylvania here, and my gutters were filled with leaves. I got about a quart of water in one corner of my basement.. The gutters and downspout were not carrying the water away from the house like they should. The water was overflowing out of the gutters, and down into my lawn.. since then, I have been up on my roof using a leaf blower to keep the gutters clear whenever a multi day heavy storm is threatening in the fall when the leaves are falling.. if you want to keep water out of your basement, make sure your gutters are clear and the downspouts send the water away from your foundation, first.. here in western Pennsylvania, we average about 55 inches of rain every year.. my house is built on a half acre wooded lot on a slight hill side. It was a construction class project for students in the 1950s. It’s a 62’ ranch were the main/1st floor is at ground level in the front of the house, and the rear of the house, because the house is built on a slope that is Terraced, around the rear the basement and garage are level with the ground. So from the front, my house looks like a one story ranch, but from the rear at looks like a two story ranch. all brick, the foundation block is a very hard type of block they used back in the 50s. I had to have a door cut in because there was no man door in the basement to go outside. To get in and out of the basement, I had to keep opening the garage door when I first bought the house in the 80s.
Great information! I watched a few of the articles before I finalized my decision to go with American Dry. The articles were great and helped to “seal the deal”. We are just about to start the project. I have watched more of the articles and I am so much more informed about what will be done. I will follow-up with additional comments when the work has been completed.. Looking forward to this project!
this is so informative and thorough. My basement leaks in my basement when it rains and our maintenence dont know how to fix it, or anything else for that matter, and im always fixing up things with my own money. I have unfinished basement, i have A. D. D. But this was so good i watched the whole article. I was actually looking for a article showing how to waterproof my basement,but this is good to know.thnks
Great,informative article on how to properly waterproof your basement with the correct drain pitch,products for a dry basement! I love it and I’m excited about having my basement done! I’m thinking of doing it myself since I have the equipment and tools to do so. I’m in Maryland. I have been ripped off twice by two different people claiming to know how to do basement waterproofing. I’m out of $5,000-and my basement still is excavated and incomplete! The house was built in 1915. There is dampness in the basement properly because of several things: there isn’t a sump pump system in place to take the water away from the foundation the backyard is also excavated in preparation for a newly poured concrete backyard. When removing excess dirt from the basement area,I noticed there was water underneath the foundation once excavation begun,tree roots from a tree growing two houses away and hundreds of oyster shells as the digging continued!!! I was beyond shocked by all of this. I had no idea! I couldn’t believe my eyes to what I was seeing. Now the question is how do I go about fixing this correctly and properly even if I have to do it myself? I’m willing to put it the work and do just that! Remember, I been ripped off twice by two different people already. Thanks for these informative articles! You have no idea how much of a great help and inspiration you are and how the articles inspire! Kudos to American Dry Basement Systems!! P.S.I still think you should consider expanding to my area(Maryland/ Baltimore County; Nottingham/ White Marsh area).
There is a really simple solution. I bought a house with water in the basement, big puddles. The only reason it don’t flood was it would run out the basement garage door. I took one afternoon with a shovel and fixed it. Been over 30 years and no problems. All I did was dig a very shallow ditch along the drip edge of the roof and put the dirt against the basement wall. So the ground surface sloped away from basement walls instead of towards them. The shallow ditch is sloped towards downhill with some shallow surface ditches to carry the water away down hill. This works for surface run off from heavy rains. Will not fix high water table level that causes flooding without a rain.
I know it’s been awhile since this article has been posted but in regards to using liquid rubber paint, does the same argument apply to the floor as it does to the walls? I have a few hairline cracks in my basement floor and want to seal them. I was thinking liquid rubber could be the best option. Would it be okay to use liquid rubber on the floor cracks, whole floor or neither?
My country don’t build basement houses. But that’s where I really want to make mine different. And that’s where I find this topic really interesting because I lived in a house that experienced serious drainage issues. So that’s why I find this article very helpful. Thanks. Just about the water settling in the gutters and not making it to the sump pump. Would 5mm drop help with flow problem?
The house that I bought had a very bad water infiltration problem in the basement (not disclosed by the seller), and the only entry was blamed on a single window well that was below grade with no well and a concrete sidewalk sloping towards it. 2 years later, a very wet spring showed what I was in for, when there was a literal river flowing from the basement walls to the sump pit. The paneling in the basement ‘flowered’ with mold! I had a basement waterproofer come in (I checked BBB first) and did an interior waterproofing/weeping tile/sump and added a whole house dehumidifier. 5 years later, all is still good, problems solved. As you note, they did NOT seal the concrete, but installed a thick membrane sheet against the wall that allowed it to ‘breathe’ at the top and outside, and directed any weeping down to be collected to the sump.
Type of soil and the landscape plays a big role. Our house is on compact fine sandy soil. And we are on a hilly street. Water seems to drain very well. However, we did install a weeping tile under our basement floor. It runs all over under the floor, and along the outside walls. We also put a loose dimple board membrane on the inside brick walls that leads down to the weeping tile. So the brick breathes, although not a lot. The membrane had spray foam insulation sprayed over it, to a depth of about 4″. I honestly think it’s better for brick or concrete to just be able to breath freely into room, but we needed the living space in our basement. It would be great if we could monitor the amount of moisture in the walls.
American Dry Basement Systems serves only Connecticut and 8 counties in southern New York. Efflorescence and hairline cracks on basement walls are the first signs of lateral water pressure. Get a reputable waterproofing inspector to take a look and give you an honest assessment. Only settle for a robust system installation 10 to 12 inches beneath your floor with a lifetime warranty from a 10+ year company. Your house is expensive and increases in value. Take care of it, and you will reap the benefits.
Amazing information. Makes me realize that my 130yr old home is better built than homes of the 20th century. My issue is the surface mortar over the brick is crumbling in certain areas. Mostly the wall the faces what used to be a rural route and is now major highway traffic 😢😢 Vibration from massive traffic is partly the speed up of deterioration. Gonna cost a fortune which I refuse to pay… 😢
Hi I have a Granite slab wall foundation without a footer. How would I put a Drainage website in? I can dig under the slabs maybe 1 to 3 inches down some concrete (rat slab) & Clay. Would like to eliminate moisture in basement. Live in Cantal Maine in 135 year old house. Very Sound house other than that.
One of the worst things to do to your basement.. a finished basement. Nailing framing to your foundation, then covering it with interior walls etc… When i wanted an extra room/space in ny basement, I built a floating room.. basically a small unattached little shed in my basement with a drop ceiling, etc.. Nothing was attached to my foundation walls in any way. And the walls of the room are 2ft from the foundation walls it is cornered into so air flows and i can check or see if there are any issues at any time.
My cellar was built in 1150 (yes, 1150) from Yorkstone, its all vaulted ceilings and gargoyles which is very nice but damp. At some stage long ago it was painted and layer upon layer has been added over the years Efflorescence is rife and the stone is slowly crumbling. This cellar is in my pub and is used to store and dispense my ales. What is the best thing to seal it with to stop the constant water ingress and slow down the crumbling? Thanks for a great article.
bottom line here is this system keeps the water just below floor level, so you don’t see what’s going on. Sounds like a better fix is to get the water away from the outside of the foundation. BTW, in the opening scene, it looks as if the ground level of the garden is right against the siding. It’s likely the whole property needs to be graded to slope away from the house.
Great article! May I know what is the product you seal the wall with? I live in Montréal, Canada and I have the exact same problem. I’m planning to do a Delta system on the outside and installing a new weeping tile, but would like to repair the damaged concrete interior wall from the painted on tar. In help would be greatly appreciated….cheers eh!….lol
Hi, My exterior garage was dug down on one side to lay the block foundation. A lot of water is coming in through the dug down side. The previous owner has coated inside and out with a paint sealer. I was going to apply Xypex (crystalize treatment) but the surface preparation states that it must be clean of any product. My question: What is a good solution to remove paint sealers?
Great article. Quick question: my foundation wall is made of large pieces of stone (built 1929). The outside area surrounding my house is all concrete (in an urban area). The downspout of my gutter runs underground and this is where it leaks into my basement. I’ve redirected the downspout but in heavier rains, I still get moisture penetration. Can I just use hydraulic waterproofing cement to seal this specific area? Other areas within my basement are always dry.
I didn’t see what you actually did to fix the problem; maybe I missed it. I saw you pull up the other job but a article to show the fix was what I was looking for. I don’t understand completely what you did to fix the problem. For all I know, you just put in a new gutter. Please, show pictures or something of what you actually did??
This is rather educative. I have an unfinished basement. There is, as far as I know, no waterproofing. The basement does have a tendency to be humid, but we don’t have any water problems. I think that a large part of what is preventing problems is the fact that we are on a slope. The parking side and front of the house only has a foot of foundation wall exposed. By the time you get to the rear of the house, the ground is level with the basement slab. We’ve got an outside door at the rear of our house. The foundation tile is also obviously working quite well. There’s an area of about one foot near the foundation that is always bone dry during summer.
My home was built in 1948. The basement walls are cut stone from the mammoth cave area of the country. My stone basement walls have leaked in an annoying way for the 16 years I have lived here. I have recently begun thinking of restoring the 75 year old home. I am a Mechanical Engineer by profession and I can’t help notice that this 1 1/2 story home sure has “Settled” A LOT in many concerning locations on both stories. I doubt seriously that this home sits on any kind of acceptable footer and I can only assume that the basement floor concrete was poured on a minimally prepared surface. I have no doubt that the basement floor gets water under it routinely. But get this. I quiet by accident found that a rather large drain in the basement floor was actually capped years and years ago. With the cap removed, a good flashlight will reveal the presence of a cavern big enough for.a group of men to hunker in under the basement floor. I can’t tell exactly what it’s limits are but it’s extremely close to a brick 30′ ? chimney that I can’t imagine is not supported by the basement floor. Then, if you just don’t pay attention to the floor joists, the homes main support beam, other doubled and tripled 2×4’s that are supposed to act as lesser support beams, one may be all in to tackle the project. Sounds cost prohibitive in this neighborhood….not to mention that one would probably come out better if they took lots of pictures of this house to remember it by. Dozed it and built another one.
I’ve watched a few of your articles now and really appreciate the level of understanding you provide. Are there any national service companies you’d recommend or not recommend? We’re in northwest indiana and looking for a reputable company to patch foundation cracks from the exterior, possible interior but the interior is currently finished.
Interesting article covering the practical aspects of waterproofing thanks. I am a structural engineer (from UK) and so have some experience in waterproofing and am fascinated by this stuff. Usually the architect or a basement specialist will specify these but I am always interested in how the different systems work. In the US do they ever specify/install a tanking system which wraps around the outside of the walls and slab? Another option is to cast the slab and walls together and place hydrophilic strips along any joints (usually from the kicker to the wall) and use the concrete itself to prevent water getting in. Usually two systems are used in case one fails. I wonder if the systems being condemned in your article are actually ok but the installer put them in without following the manufacturer’s guidance?
WELL THAT JUST TOTALLY STALLS ME ON DRYLOCK IM GOING TO SEAL MY WALLS IN MY GARAGE 1st Then DRYLOCK Or im just going to seal them like I did the floor( its the same hi gloss BEHR product sold at Home Depot & its how their concrete floors allow your knees & feet go in the same direction without tearing your knee sockets out. Ive sent this to a family member so they can apply MORE KNOWLEDGE TO THEIR HOUSE
I have a stone foundation and a previous owner painted the interior wall of the basement with drylok. Half of it peeled off. I manually removed all the loose drylok and once a year a wipe down the exposed stones to remove efflorescence. The exposed stones are actually beautiful. I don’t know why they didn’t just leave the stone wall alone.
So using AMES Blue Max rubber paint on my basement walls isn’t a good idea. I don’t have a water problem but if I decide to finish my basement I don’t want to deal with musty smells and possibly mold behind the walls. I run my basement dehumidifier at 40% humidity, 8 year old home. No odors, but similar basements have odors in our development. Your thoughts? Great articles! just subscribed.
If a better grade of cement, “Hydraulic cement” were to be used for basement foundations “waterproofing” a basement would quite often not even be necessary. The Romans used cement to build aqueducts and roads that 2,000 years later are still standing and usable. Why can’t we build a road that doesn’t turn into potholes in a few years? Or a basement that doesn’t leak from its initial build? And you know what you can do with that stuff called “blacktop”. Stick it where the sun doesn’t shine! lol
I have an unfinished brick basement. Same remedies applied. They cut a narrow drain around 60% of the walls. But it is effloresencing bad this year. This is a rental home, but I feel the property mgt wont do enough to remedy. I want to descale and seal it myself, but I dont know what chemical systems or physical remedies work best. I dont have $5k to hire a pro 🙁 I just want this smell gone. If there is a way to get some consultation I would love to contact you and your company. Im in southwest illinois. A lot of rain this summer of 2023. Hoping this will dry up in the autumn to take action. Thank you.
Thanks for this in-depth article. I need some foundation repairs but have been hesitant due to exactly what happened to this house. I do not want to get the wrong foundation system. I’m considering having a structural engineer give me an inspection first and go from there. What is your opinion about that? How would you know if a foundation system is wrong for your situation?
this is the best explanation ive heard for that white powder on the wall. my last home had it in the basement on the one side. house was on top of the hill so water was sitting on the other side. what i did was tarped from the bottom of my aluminum siding down to the ground and over to my neighbors driveway. she had a small wall between us maybe 3 ft high and i knew her for my entire life so she didnt care. it looked shitty but i never had water flow in. only crystal powder. i was going to drylok it but then i figured the water would prob re route somewhere else and since i had crystals instead of water i just left it. my new house the previous people had no gutters. and water would rush in through all the basement walls. really messed up things underground. i used lik 4 buckets of cement patching cracks in the winter.
Why would someone initially dig out this basement space so large around where the cement or blocks are going to be inserted as basement walls just to backfill that whole area surrounding the basement walls, leaving the walls open to leakage and water pressure? Why not only dig where the material will be? I understand molds. But why not have the mold be styrofoam on the outside that will never be removed? You would kill two birds with one stone that way. It would be very cost effective, too. I’m honestly not telling you what to do. I truly am just curious.
So that’s the white chalky looking powder stuff I have on some spots of my basement walls? My landlords gave me the green light to use the basement underneath the house and I’m fixing it up for a Mini wood working Project shop and when I moved all the old rotting wood panels they used for shelves and other junk, I found this white chalky stuff on some areas of my basement walls. Looks like I got alot of work ahead of me before I can make my basement look great. Thanks for the article.
Thank you so much for your article. So many people along with Sherwin Williams recommends DryLoc. I do know that stuff is bad though and I keep telling people. I have a 100+ year old home and the cement block walls are similar to that of your tarred walls except mine were painted by a previous owner. I roughly scraped off the efflorescence. In the areas where the paint could be scraped off and the wall is bare with loose sand, what product should I use to fix and solidify those areas? Someone here used a Raydon sealer but I would think that does the same as Drylok. After the spots are fixed, can I apply just a regular latex paint over everything (at least until the other areas flake off)?
Last year, we bought a home built in 1900 in Columbus Ohio. We just had a waterproofing system installed in the basement that has had many years of bandaids applied, but didn’t actually address the issues present. Because of that, there were mold issues, minor wall bowing, massive amounts of buildup on the walls. We went with a company that we believe installed the correct system for our home, but we are now looking to address our basement walls, which were not part of the workorder. Do you have any recommendations for types or categories of sealant that we should look to use on walls to help strengthen the concrete again and change it to non-porous as stated within your article? Thanks for the help!
I am drinking your koolaid. There is so much misinformation out there, coming from contractors with very differing “solutions” to this common problem. It’s Buyer-Beware, for sure. Because some of these contractors taking your money are doing it the “right” way… But the contractors doing it the “wrong way” are taking money from consumers, but leaving them without truly solving the problem. That’s bad value. No good.
Before I comment anything, I just want to make it clear that I am NOT an expert in this area and I am NOT criticizing this very informative article. Im just a homeowner trying to make an informed decision. Now that that’s out of the way, you mentioned that DryLock may cause the same effect as the tar but after speaking with a Drylock representative they were very clear that Drylock WILL allow the concrete to breathe. It will let vapors through but will help prevent actual water from seeping in. Im assuming what happened here is the tar crated an almost air tight seal from the inside of the home causing the concrete to soak in rain water without properly drying after heavy rain fall. With that said, do you still recommend NOT using Drylok for extra “insurance” after soil has been sloped away from home and downspouts redirected over 8ft from the foundation? I am not currently getting any water in basement, just want to make sure I take a few extra steps before putting up drywall.
I wish you had made this article 2years ago before I spent $11k on a the basement gutter system. Our slab is below the footing so it does catch some of the water but in our last atmospheric river storm the gutter failed and water still overflowed into the basement. The sump pump appears to have discharged some water, but I can’t determine where the failure occurred. Will you be taking any vacations to the Reno/Tahoe Area? Do you do Skype/Zoom consultations? Your articles are very concise and well delivered. I trust you already more than our local contractor!
I’m surprised you didn’t talk about the outside of the walls maybe applying a water barrier or French drain on the outside of the basement walls and back filling with rock or something. Not saying I’m an expert or anything just some things I’ve heard other people did in damp or flood plain areas have done to keep their basements dry. You make all of your points crystal clear and show what was wrong on this basement install. This will help a lot of first time home buyers/builders as well as those with existing problems seek out better solutions to their wet basement problems. cheers!
It’s all just common sense. You can’t possibly drain a basement using little toy patushka pieces like that and you can’t insulate against moisture by painting the inside of the wall with tar because that locks the water inside the wall. Same reason I always criticise all the homes being insulated from the OUTSIDE all over Europe where that creates issues with the condensation point moving inside the wall, and plus, why do you want to heat the walls? You want to heat only the space inside the walls. Same analogy with the water, only in reverse. With that house you just showed, I would uncover the outside to the foundation, and re-seal it from the OUTSIDE with tar, and then do an inner French Drain system much deeper than the original toy pieces went.
Just out if curiosity….. We just moved into our house the end of March 2021. We found out we have a sump pump not sure how old. When water goes into the sump well where does this water originate from? There are spots on the basement walls that have the effloescence. Can I paint dry lock or similar over it on the basement walls?
We live just north of Albany, NY and have a problem with the red ochre, and we have to routinely have a service pressure wash out all the lateral lines under our basement floor. There seems to be no permanent solution to this issue, unless you are aware of something. We have a suspicion that the builders dumped a lot of their construction debris prior to backfilling. Our sump pump runs constantly when it’s warm enough for water to flow and over time, the red ochre does a number on the sump pump. I learned the hard way to have a spare ready to install–just in case.
“find the right company ‘” is the hardest part of this job. The problem is the public calls experts to tell them what the right solution is. You call 3-6 and you get varying answers. In this case why is fixing from the inside the solution vs putting in a higher capacity weeping tile? Just curious, why an interior french drain vs exterior? (Excluding cost as the reason)
What about this new poly seal/flex seal coating? Will that destroy the cement the same way? I’ve talked to companies using this poly seal system on inside walls & they say it doesn’t deteriorate the cement but seeing this makes me question them. If anything I might poly seal the outside where the foundation meets the top of the driveway. Let me know what you think thanks
We have a very old house, ~100 years, which has a drain tile system that is common in our area, for that era. There’s really no leaking or seepage, but on one side theres some efflorescence (which may be due to a slope created by a walkway). We want to finish the basement but since there’s significant old peeling and flaking cement and paint, but no significant leakage that would justify the cost a major interior trenching system, can we just slap a coat of paint and then put our insulation and dryway in? Should we even paint the foundation walls or just let them breathe? The paint is very old and its crumbling, seems like we need to do something to prep it.
So I have a damp basement and you said to get the right person for the right job well that is the most impossible thing to do most companies want to rip you off and then you get somebody else and they wanna rip you off and nobody ever does it right so how does a homeowner who’s never built the house knows nothing about a basement How do you figure out who is the right person for the right job this is just ridiculous
We have a 90 yr old home in eastern Maryland and have needed to fix our basement for a few years. Wish you could come down here!! I have watched several of your articles and really agree with your methods! 👏 The lower 24″ of our walls has the black waterproofing under ?? coats of ?? paint around the entire basement. I have tested 4 different masonry strippers – no luck. Any suggestions for removal? I want to recoat the walls with a crystalline slurry that grows into the wall
your questioning how water gets around to the sump, I’m not an expert but I’m assuming all basements have a drainage tile system under the whole floor of the basement which ultimately leads to sump … if you have water sitting somewhere along the websites then something is plugged or settled somewhere preventing it from working as intended but what do I know … I know in my 1960’s built to house this would be true …
So in Russia they put XPS boards around the house and cover it with soil/rocks or concrete. It’s called ‘blind area’ and there’s always a decline so water runs away from the house. My house I bought here in USA didn’t even have gutters and backyard is going uphill, there were no drainage neither. Must have been built by a smart builder and approved by another smart inspector 🙂
Great article and so impressed with how much you reply to questions. How would you approach this scenario that I have. House in Chicago is from 1893, sits in Sandy soil not from beach. Basement has had an injector put in from previous owner. Everything seems to work well and for is dry even after heavy rains in spring impacted several neighbors on the block. I am seeing efflorescence on the basement walls but no leaks or running water. We have a garden on one side and neighbors driveway on the other. Both could be easily contributing to hydrostatic pressure. Thoughts on steps to determine how concerned I should be? At some point we will put in a new driveway next to garden and can address that side of the wall with resloping away and drains. Was considering permeable brick to drain out of drive. Any thoughts would be helpful. And keep up the great work. Wish you in Chicago!
Is it possible to drill down from the outside of the home in strategic locations and put a series of sump pumps in to keep the water table down during extreme storms? We had an extreme flooding event earlier this year (last event of this scale was 10 years ago) that caused some minor water intrusion into our basement but it went away immediately after the waters subsided. So I’m not thrilled with the idea of jackhammering the perimeter of the basement floor for the sake of a once per 5-10 year event. However I do like the idea of eliminating the false water table as quickly as possible when that event does happen. Is this a stupid idea or do you think it might have legs? Wish you guys were down in Nashville then I’d just get you to handle it 😂😂. Thanks again for putting out this content!! Great work and explanation.