Basement Waterproofing
Introduction.
Anyone that’s ever been a student and lived off campus in a rented house - will probably know that musty and damp smell you get if there’s a waterproofing problem in the basement of the house you’re living in. Whilst studying at the University of Massachusetts, living in Amherst, shortly after last ‘fall’ we started to notice that distinctive smell in our house. Knowing it wasn’t something to ignore we let the rental company know and they called in an expert basement waterproofing to sort out the problem.
Causes of basement waterproofing problems.
Apart from the smell sure signs of having a wet basement problem are flaking and cracking basement walls. The dampness can be due to a variety of reasons, some of which can be quite easy and straight-forward to fix; right through to those that might require some more serious structural work to be done. The one thing not to do is to neglect any basement waterproofing problems as it will not go away - but only get worse with time and could possibly result in permanent and un-reversible damage. Damp can accumulate in a basement from something as simple as a blocked down-pipe or drain from your roof. Alternatively if you’ve been having work done in your garden or near the house it could be just due to an area of uneven ground that’s now leaving lying water on the surface that just needs draining away more efficiently . Establishing the exact cause of the basement waterproofing problem is important as, in the long run, it will save you money. Which is another reason for using a professional basement waterproofing company; they’ll have all the gear to carry out a full on-site survey to establish exactly what the problem is.
Basement waterproofing solutions.
Generally speaking if the problem is above the level of the basement it is an easier problem to solve than one below it. Apart from surface water or drainage problems that can suddenly occur by far the commonest cause of basement waterproofing problems is a failure in the damp-proof course of an outer wall. One solution to this is to remove the damaged wall-plaster and fit a bitumen impregnated lath to the wall(s) concerned. The bitumen provides a waterproof skin, then by fixing plasterboard to the outward facing lath you can create a new and dry ‘inner’ wall surface. If the problem is to do with the floor or foundation of the basement and its waterproof membrane , or the piles onto which it is built, then the whole floor might need excavating and replacing. This definitely a job for a specialist basement waterproofing company that knows what they’re doing in terms of the engineering and structure of the house. That would; of course, be a major job to be done and although essential it could be quite expensive one. However, not all basement waterproofing has to be expensive. Damp in a basement can be due to condensation accumulating in it, which is actually not an uncommon cause of damp in basements. Warm moist air from other parts of the house finds its way down to the colder basement where the moisture condenses, especially on the colder walls. This can be rectified by adding heating to the basement or fitting an extractor fan. Whilst some DIY enthusiast may attempt this sort of job themselves they really should still consult with basement waterproofing experts, to ensure that they have correctly identified the problem .
Modern basement waterproofing techniques.
Whilst bitumen covered laths will waterproof a basement wall and plastic membranes can be used in damp-proof courses; a modern and professional basement waterproofing company has some more ‘hi-tech’ solutions on offer, Two of these are Cementitious Waterproofing Slurries and Studded Membranes. The slurries are today’s solution to problems with damp walls, where they are used to create a new wall skin whilst the studded membranes can be used on walls, ceiling and even floors; removing the need for costly excavations. Of course when used in conjunction with one another they provide an even more effective solution.