How To Waterproof Basement Walls

For most house owners, their basement walls rarely draw any attention until dampness creaks in and a close review reveals how moisture and wetness has eaten up on the protective confines of the house. Protecting your basement walls is usually the last thing in one’s mind, when constructing a house. Nevertheless, it pays to pay heed to this oft ignored, but probably the most important structure of your house. Waterproofing is crucial for ensuring proper maintenance of your house that protects your basement walls from the damaging effects of hydrostatic pressure. Waterproofing can be done both externally and internally. While internal maintenance is relatively cheaper, external wall waterproofing might cost you a bomb. Nevertheless, it pays to waterproof your house externally to ensure maximum protection. If you don’t have enough funds to waterproof your house externally, you can bet on other convenient options to fill in the cracks and minimize the water damage. Here are some useful ways that you can incorporate to waterproof your basement walls without taxing your pocket. Read on to pick your options.

 

 

If you are stuck with the excess moisture in your house and basement, installing a French drain can bail you out from this sticky ground. For those of you who are not aware, a French drain is a graveled trench that helps to channel out extra surface and groundwater from a moist plot. To install a French pipe, first of all you will need to dig out a trench around the inside perimeter of your wet basement. Place a perforated plastic drain pipe in the trench and cover it with gravel or rocks. Plaster the pipe and gravel with cement, leaving a gap of one or two inches to allow the wet wall seepage to trickle below the floor. A French drain is always connected to sump pump.

 

Another better known way to seep out moisture from basement walls is by using a hollow baseboard molding. Just affix the hollow baseboard molding to the joint where the floor meets the wall with a waterproof epoxy. This hollow molding will absorb wet wall seepage as well as all the moisture that escapes through the cove. The hollow baseball molding too, like the French drain, is usually connected to the sump pump.

 

A good way to get rid of basement wall dampness is to install a sump pump. A sump pump, which is basically installed under the basement floor, is designed to accumulate all underground moisture, thereby leaving your basement moisture free. A sump pump is installed in a tub that is placed under the floor. The perforations in the pump allow it to absorb all water within its immediate vicinity.

 

A wall sealer is another convenient way to get rid of wall dampness and moisture. Wall sealers are available in different forms and usually come as spray applied basement wall sealers, brush or roller applied basement waterproofing sealers, or panel type basement waterproofing sealers. You can apply these sealers on your wall to prevent moisture. However, remember that no waterproofing methods will leave you with hundred percent dry results.