Water seeping into your basement can wreak havoc on your home and could potentially become hazardous to your family's health since mold and other allergens thrive in wet basements. Knowing what systems work and which ones do not will save you time, money, and your basement.
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As long as there have been water and basements, there have been systems to keep the two apart. To this day, ineffective and outdated waterproofing methods are often still used with the same poor results. In order to better understand their strengths and weaknesses, let's examine the two main options found in the basement waterproofing industry: outside and inside systems.
Outside Systems
Exterior Trench Drains
When a home is first constructed, builders often install exterior drains. With this system, a perforated drain tile is installed around the perimeter at the footing level to capture ground water, diverting it downhill away from the foundation or into a sump pump. This system, although common for newly constructed homes, is not practical or effective for an existing home with a leaky basement.
Some of the problems with exterior drains are:
Drains become clogged, blocked, or crushed.
Drains don't have enough stone around them to help water flow.
Installing exterior drain tile near the footing from the outside requires excavation around the perimeter, which can be intrusive or damaging to decks, plants, patios, and lawns.
Waterproof Coatings
Wall coatings are sprayed on to the foundation walls of a newly built home to prevent moisture from passing through the walls into the interior spaces. These coatings do not effectively keep water out of your basement.
Some of the problems associated with spray waterproofing include:
Coatings do not seal or bridge wall cracks.
Coatings may keep moisture away from walls, but do not stop water completely.
Coatings typically last approximately 10 to 15 years.
Inside Systems
Waterproofing professionals agree that the best post-construction method to take care of a leaky basement is through the inside. By installing a water trek system through the inside of the basement perimeter, you can capture the water at the most common point of water entry: the floor/wall joint.
Here are some of the advantages of an interior drainage system:
The system installs in a day or two.
No digging is required around the house destroying existing shrubs, decks, or lawns.
Interior drainage systems offer accessibility to the problem area as well as serviceability year round.