Most homeowners will often have water leaks in their basements, if they have one, so it is almost a guarantee that they will look to purchase basement waterproofing products and gather information on how to best resolve their leaks.
The first thing that we have to see is the cause of basement water seepage and flooding. Serious basement problems due to excess moisture many times cause numerous problems to the basement structurally, as well as limit space, and ruin and or destroy furniture and furnishings.
Basements are basically built into a large hole that’s been dug out of the ground. Once the walls and floor of the basement are built, the remainder of the hole is filled in with effectively, loose soil, even if it’s compacted afterwards. The loose dirt surrounding your basement alows the water to flow easily. The end result of this is likely to be that you will find that there is an accumulation of water either surrounding or even underlying your basement.
Hydrostatic pressure is created by this on the basement walls and floors. This often attacks the outside membrane or protective coating, and/or water finds its way through tiny cracks or larger structural cracks. This sometimes happens even with systems that are designed to remove water away from the building because pipes get blocked with silt or heavy rainfalls overload the system.
This is when many people decide to try DIY basement waterproofing in an attempt to avoid the expense of having the basement competely dug up and re-done. Frequently used method is to handle the interior rather than the exterior, by utilizing materials like sealants on the inner walls and ground.
A typical project might involve:
- typical projects involve removing loose material to prepare walls
- before starting, take off prior restoration or foreign substance.
- make sure the basement is as dry as possible, hire heaters or large fans if necessary.
- prime walls and floor if the product requires use of a primer.
- repair all easily seen gaps, flaws, seams, or joints.
- wall/floor junctions may require a 1″ bead of sealant.
- using 2 or 3 coats to top-coat all surfaces
There’s nothing more to it. If the product is a good one you will have a sealed basement that should last for a number of years. Top sealants such as PermaFlex are supposed to be a complete, permanent indoor basement waterproofing system. The quote says that it is the only waterproofing system which totally seals any basement for all times. It could be very wet and deteriorated though. It can then be brushed, rolled over or even be sprayed on.
A full solution would cost homeowners a fraction of the cost and is perfect for do-it-yourself basement waterproofing. It’s also a wonderful solution for those with budget concerns with common and often expensive problems.