If you’re looking for information on Waterproofing Basement Walls, this has it all.

When you are finishing a basement, waterproofing basement walls is a useful thing to do. Moisture entering through the walls of the basement  is the main reason that area of your house is more damp than the rest of the house. The most frequent causes of water build-up in basements are due to cracks, leaking windows and pipe condensation. Too much or prolonged water retention in the basement can cause a variety of problems.

Basement Wall Options

There are numerous ways of waterproofing basement walls and these include:

- French Drains
- Hollow Baseboard Molding
- Sump Pumps
- Waterproofing
- Damp Proofing

French Drains

You do not have to stick to one particular method when it comes to waterproofing the walls of your basement. Among the available methods are French Drains, which involve the insertion of drainage systems underneath the basment floor to collect water leakage.

A trench is dug round the inside perimeter of the wet basement floor. First you need to position a plastic drain pipe, ready perforated, and then make sure that it is surrounded by gravel or similar Some wet basement waterproofing and repair contractors re-cement the floor over the French drain system leaving a 1 inch to 2 inch gap in the floor along the walls to allow the web wall seepage to drain below the floor into the French drain system. A drain that connects to a sump pump is usually  the French type.

Hollow Baseboard Molding and Cove Systems

what might be the possible use of the Hollow Baseboard Molding.is it good enough to adhered or joint for epoxy use? Water rising at a cove area in a basement will also damage hollow molding since it will retain moisture from a wet wall. More often than not, linked to a sump pump.

Sump Pumps

A sump pump is placed in a tub that sits under the floor of your lower lever. The sump pumps through perforations in the sump well located close to it, can collect underground water. Sump pumps can also act as a good floor drain or be used to drain a variety of underground drainage pipes.

Wall Sealers

Varieties include spray applied basement wall sealers, brush or roller applied basement waterproofing sealers, or panel type basement waterproofing sealers for wet basement walls.

The truth is even with a good drainage system, it can’t assure a dry basement wall. Being the cheapest and easiest methods to stop moisture from getting into your basement through the walls, lets focus on damp proofing and waterproofing.

Damp proofing means what?

Damp proofing products are typically a tar based material in a solvent base.  Although these are a cheap fix, they are not very effective because they are designed only to slow down the moisture build up not prevent it.   The biggest problem is that, because this material becomes brittle, hairline cracks will appear as the foundation settles. Since the tar based coating does not stretch to cover these cracks, water will seep into the basement.

Find out the meaning of waterproofing.

Waterproofing products are designed to ‘prevent’ water penetration even under wet conditions such as hydrostatic pressure in the soil after heavy rain or spring thaws.  The rubber used in Advanced Water Proofing Technologies products provides superior waterproofing protection and allows the product to remain flexible even after drying.  The concrete or block has a waterproof coating that stretches to make the foundation completely waterproof.

How to Apply:

Clearly waterproofing is a better option and since there is not a huge price difference between that and damp proofing, it seems a more sensible long term  choice, especially when it often has a 25 to 30-year guarantee.

Builders, many times in the past, paid little attention to waterproofing basement walls. So now is your chance to rectify that with simple-to-use products. The products available in the market are easy to apply and mostly they are do it yourself types.  They come ready to use in for example, 5 gallon pails or 55 gallon drums and do not require heating or special application equipment, anyone who can use a brush or roller can apply them.  You can also utilize a commercially available airless sprayer that can be rented on a daily basis.  An average size basement of approximately 1,000 square feet can easily be waterproofed by a couple of people using a roller in 2-3 hours. So start it and enjoy the convenience of damp-less space.