DIY Basement Waterproofing All too often families move to a new house and immediately remodel the basement, only to find that it becomes a sodden mess with the first rain or thaw. Before you begin renovation, make sure you don’t have a leaking basement. There’s no use trying to make a basement livable unless you are certain that it presents no major moisture problems.
Even if you have lived in your house for several years, you may not be completely aware of the amount of moisture that penetrates the basement walls and floor. Even a relatively dry basement at times can admit or generate enough moisture to injure finishing materials. So the first step in remodeling a basement is to inspect it thoroughly for signs of water penetration or moisture. If you find any, you must then determine their cause and take appropriate corrective action.
How do you proceed? Vulcan, the time-honored and nationwide name specializing in basement waterproofing, offers the following suggestions for DIY Waterproofing:
1. Examine basement walls closely. If they are poured concrete, note the condition of the concrete surrounding the exposed ends of the metal tie rods embedded in the walls. Efflorescence on the concrete indicates that water is seeping in around the rods. (Efflorescence is the white deposits of lime created by the leaching of moisture out of the masonry). If it is present, seal the ends of the rods.
2. If your basement walls are made of masonry blocks, check the condition of the mortar joints. Crumbly joints will admit water from the outside and should be repointed. If deterioration is widespread, the joints will probably require the attention of a professional because this condition undermines the strength of the foundation walls. 3. Examine walls carefully for vertical and horizontal cracks. They are potential sources of trouble, especially those surrounded by efflorescence and/or discoloration. This indicates definite moisture penetration and should be sealed.
4. Openings frequently develop in the area where walls and floor meet, permitting insects and moisture to enter the basement. Seal these crevices. 5. Inspect the mortar joints around piping and conduit that enter the basement below grade. These joints often leak and should be made watertight.
6. Check the structure where the frame rests on the foundation wall. Unevenness in the top of the wall (particularly common in a poured concrete foundation) often leaves gaps between it and the framing. These gaps allow outside moisture to enter the basement and should be grouted or caulked. 7. Look for efflorescence on the slab floor of the basement. As on walls, it indicates water seepage through the masonry. Cracks in the floor around lally columns are common and, like all other openings in the floor, should be sealed.Note: Interior sealed repairs are most often a temporary solution. All materials, including concrete,
expand and contract with changes in temperature. This results in a re-opening of most repaired cracks.To repair a crack in a wall, chisel out the crack in the form of a V with the widest part of the V inside the wall. Then trowel epoxy filler into the V. The inverted shape of the V will help keep the epoxy in place when water penetrating from the outside exerts pressure against it. To finish the job, brush epoxy sealer over the patched area. You can use the same procedure to repair floor cracks and to seal openings that develop between floor and walls. Epoxy filler and sealer are available in kits for do-it-yourselfers.
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