Water can cause serious problems for your home. If the foundation is damaged due to hydrostatic water pressure, the entire structure of your home could be damaged as a result.
The ideal time to waterproof your home is when it's being built. However, if you live in an older home, and water is a threat to your foundation, you'll need to find an effective waterproofing method so your home is kept dry and protected. One option to think about is waterproofing the exterior walls of your foundation. Here's how that works.
Why Exterior Waterproofing Is Effective
Exterior waterproofing might be disruptive to your yard, but it is effective at keeping water away from your foundation and out of your basement. The coating on the wall blocks water from seeping in through the concrete. The concrete walls are made waterproof so there is no worry about water getting inside your basement and having to be pumped out.
Interior methods of waterproofing rely on a sump pump to remove water after it gets in the basement. If the pump fails, your basement could get wet. This problem is eliminated when water is kept out of your basement when there is a coating on the exterior walls.
How Exterior Wall Waterproofing Is Done
The contractor has to expose the walls to apply the coating. This involves removing everything close to the walls, including foundation plants. Then the soil is dug away from your house to expose the walls all the way to the footings. Once the walls are exposed, they're cleaned. Repairs to cracks are also done if needed.
Once a wall is prepped, the contractor is ready to apply the waterproof coating. This can be applied with a trowel to form a thick layer over the concrete. When the coating dries, it forms a tough waterproof surface that keeps water from reaching the foundation. When the coating is dry, it's covered with drainage boards. The drainage boards protect the coating from damage when the soil is returned. Plus, the boards act as an additional barrier against water, and they help route the water for proper drainage.
When work on the wall is complete, the contractor buries the wall with soil and compacts it. You can eventually plant new foundation plants, and your home will look as it did before, and the foundation will be protected from water damage. The contractor has to make sure the water has a safe place to drain once the walls have been waterproofed. If necessary, the contractor may install an underground drain system that helps move water along after it's rolled down from the coating and drainage boards.
For more information, contact a waterproofing company like Central Penn Waterproofing.
Share20 December 2021
When my home was flooded last year, I was nearly in tears after surveying the damage. The carpets were soaked, the furniture was filthy and the house had a terrible odor. I didn't know how I was ever going to clean up the mess good enough so my home would be livable again. After speaking with my neighbor, whose home was also flooded, I found out about damage contractors. My name is Arlene Bell and I am here to sing the praises of the restoration crew that cleaned up my home. They worked tirelessly for days until every drop of water was gone. My home looks terrific and there are no signs that it was ever flooded. Read my blog to learn what you should and shouldn't do if you ever have emergency damage to your home.