You should always make sure to waterproof basement walls when you are finishing it. 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. Cracks, leaking windows and pipe condensation are probably the most common reasons basements have water build-up problems. A great deal of problems can be created from too much water or long term water retention in the basement.

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

Interior drainage systems installed below the wet basement floor to collect underground water and wet wall seepage.

An excavation was made inside the drenched 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 When trying to recement the floor over a French drain system, some repair and waterproofing contractors leave a gap that can be one to two inches in the floor to allow the web wall seppage to dair below the floor. A drain that connects to a sump pump is usually  the French type.

Hollow Baseboard Molding and Cove Systems

System for installing a hollow baseboard channel use a waterprof-of epoxy for the bonding to the floor and joint. The hollow molding collects wet wall seepage and water rising at the cove area. 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 have many uses such as floor drainage and to drain underground drain 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.

What is Damp Proofing?

The majority of waterproofing products are comprised of a tar based substance in a solvent base.  Application is inexpensive but efficiency is limited since they are manufactured to retard and not to prevent moisture penetration.  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.

Products used for waterproofing underground areas, such as a basement, are only designed to prevent water from penetrating the walls especially after heavy rains or spring thaws; but, if you have underground water from a source such as a spring you may need to install a sump pump to prevent water from entering your basement from under the floor.  Advanced Waterproofing Technologies provides supieor waterproofing protection as the products contain rubber and it allows flexibility when it dries.  How you will stretch the foundation to settle the flexibility of waterproofing

Application instructions:

There is not much price difference between waterproofing and damp proofing which show that waterproofing as the right alternative considering that oftentimes it goes with a 25 to 30-year guarantee

In the past, builders ignored the need to waterproof basement walls. At this point you have the opportunity to put this situation right with convenient products that have easy to follow instructions Most of the products are safe and easy to apply by the do-it-yourselfer.  Available even in 5 gallon pails or 55 gallon drums, they are ready for use and do not require heating or other application equipment, just the use of a brush or roller.  Commercial airless sprayers can be rented by the day to waterproof basement walls.  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.

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