Interior Basement Waterproofing

A basement that is not properly waterproofed can lead to problems inside the home. Besides having a damp, moldy, and musty basement, a wet basement can lead to wood rotting, mold and mildew, and poor indoor air quality inside the home as moisture and Radon from the basement can seep up into living quarters. A dry basement can be claimed as usable space as well, where as a wet basement is just a waste of space. But how can you waterproof your basement without digging a trench around the exterior?

For basement waterproofing, the first thing you do is fix any cracks in the basement walls and floors. For different types of cracks, there are different solutions for repairing the issue. Hydraulic cement can be used to fill tie rod holes. Foundation walls are often built with reinforced tie rods. These tie rods often stick out of the foundation, and though it is sealed on the outside, sometimes seals wear down, or aren’t done right. Hydraulic cement is an easy fix for this. You mix it yourself, but only small amounts at a time as it dries quickly, and then trowel it on the crack. It dries almost immediately, so make sure you have everything prepared and laid out before you start.

For cracks in the floor and where the floor meets the wall, concrete repair is a good choice for these. Clean the crack thoroughly, get a concrete repair tube, and the insert the contents into the crack. There are different types of concrete repair, but a polyurethane solution will hold longer and work better than a silicone or other mixture. However, polyurethane is more expensive than other mixtures. For large cracks, or other types of problematic cracks such as those in areas where support beams meet the foundation wall, it is best to get a professional company to fix the problem.

Once all cracks are fixed in the basement walls, there are paints, coatings and sealers that can help waterproof. Waterproofing paint is an acrylic formula that doesn’t technically waterproof, but it will prevent minor seepage, and it provide a moisture barrier by preventing diffusion of water through the walls. It resists the formation of mold and mildew because of this moisture barrier. To apply, you literally paint it on, just like you would a regular paint.

Concrete sealers as usually silicate-based and can only be used on walls that haven’t been painted, coated, or previously sealed. They soak into the concrete and chemically react with it to from a hard surface. Because they chemically react with the concrete, they don’t flake or peel off.

Depending on the problem, waterproofing a basement doesn’t need to be a difficult or expensive task. Simple fixes can prevent leaks and save a lot of money later on.