What is the Purpose of Waterproofing?

The basement, unprotected from melt and groundwater, quickly collapses, and with it, the whole house perishes. Moisture accumulated by brick walls or concrete penetrates the structure, which has undesirable consequences at low temperatures. What happens next, every schoolchild knows – water expands when it freezes, and tears even iron pipes, not to mention concrete and brick. Cracks form in the foundation and walls, where water penetrates, which has a corrosive effect on the reinforcement and concrete of structures. Also, water often flows through the junction of the floor with the walls.

In addition, dampness becomes a source of mold, a favorable factor for the reproduction of pathogens. They will not limit their area to the basement, spreading throughout the rest of the building. The sanitary condition of the building is significantly deteriorating.

The problem of dampness is especially acute in the case when the waterproofing qualities of the basements are violated due to:

• Design errors;
• Poor concrete pouring;
• Failure to comply with the technology and timing of the curing of concrete foundations;
• Lack of initial waterproofing of expansion joints and floor;
• The presence of foreign inclusions in concrete: voids, debris, formwork remnants;
• Exit out of the reinforcement foundation;
• Defects in waterproofing materials;
• Changes in the designated purpose of residential buildings for their industrial use.

How are the Penetrating Waterproofing Works Going?

The device for internal waterproofing of the basement, despite the general construction company principles with the external, is still more complicated. As a rule, the unprotected foundation has already accumulated dampness, condensation has accumulated in the cellar, the walls are covered with fungus, which requires careful surface preparation.

This is partly due to the higher cost of interior work. The best way to treat a basement from the inside is penetrating waterproofing. The device of penetrating waterproofing is performed according to the following method:

• Basement concrete walls are thoroughly cleaned of efflorescence, fungus, dirt, and debris;
• The surface of the walls is moistened with water, but so as not to flood the room, but to achieve the deepest penetration of water into the concrete mass. Therefore, the water is distributed along the walls slowly and in stages;
• Next, the liquid waterproofing mixture is applied with a brush with a synthetic pile in two layers – the second across the first, after it dries. The better the walls are moistened, the deeper the waterproofing mixture penetrates the concrete.

Penetrating waterproofing is characterized by one drawback – it is designed for processing a concrete foundation, moreover, high-quality poured, with cracks, no more than 0.4 mm in depth.

Also in Moscow, another type of waterproofing is now gaining popularity – injection. Even though this waterproofing is not the cheapest, in some cases it becomes the only way to save the basement and the floor from dampness and groundwater.

What Can be Achieved by Waterproofing a Concrete Basement And Masonry Walls?

Firstly, it is possible to avoid dampness and the above consequences.

Secondly, a protected basement space acquires a high economic value. Here it becomes possible to arrange a cellar for storing property, provisions, auxiliary premises – a workshop, a gym, a studio – i.e., everything for which there is enough space and imagination;

Thirdly, the necessary level of comfort is provided in the rooms located above. Basement waterproofing NYC outside from groundwater

The easiest, most effective, and cheapest way to protect the basement from moisture penetration is vertical waterproofing from the outside, which is carried out even at the construction stage, namely, after the concrete has hardened, when the foundation walls have not yet been covered with earth. Therefore, such basement waterproofing will not be a mistake to call foundation waterproofing.

Depending on the materials used, waterproofing is distinguished:

• The coating is made of bituminous mastic. The prices for it are very low. Dust, dirt, and debris are removed from the walls, after which they are dried. For better adhesion, they are primed with a special primer, and then covered with mastic with a roller or brush. Recently, you can buy bitumen-polymer materials for the same purpose, which are more durable than ordinary bituminous mastic;
• Okechuku – from rolled materials, the basis of which is fiberglass, polyester, fiberglass with two bitumen-polymer layers or ordinary roofing material. First, the walls of the foundation are cleaned, dried, covered with a primer, and then the roll material is glued from the bottom up and overlapped onto the primed surface so that the lower edge of the upper sheet goes over the upper edge of the lower one. Sheets are rolled with a roller. The same method is used to waterproof the floor. The complexity of the work lies in the need to comply with many technical conditions, which is why it is better to invite specialists;
• Plastering. It is good for a foundation that, according to calculations, will not undergo deformation. The outer surface of the walls is cleaned, guide beacons are attached to them, and then, just like concrete plaster is thrown, the space between the beacons is filled flush with them with a special insulating compound with modifiers, additives, and binding components. The disadvantage of this method is the requirement for the stability of the foundation. If it settles or deforms, cracks will appear in the plaster, which will become conductors of water;
• Made of liquid rubber. Long-lasting protection is achieved by spraying, brushing, or rolling the vertical surface of the foundation in one layer. The method is technologically advanced, but the prices for the material are quite high;
• Screen. Bentonite clay mats, which are attached to the foundation using facade dowels, allow creating an effective barrier against ground, flood, and pressure water. On contact with water, the clay swells, filling cracks and forming a gel screen, thereby creating reliable waterproofing. Such waterproofing is laborious and expensive, but effective.

In addition, before proceeding with the installation of the floor and floor, you need to install horizontal insulation – before the walls are erected. The purpose of such waterproofing is not to protect the basement, but to protect the rest of the overlying premises (including the floor) from the capillary rise of water. By separating the underground part of the foundation from the ground one with the help of horizontal insulation, it is possible to cut off the water that penetrates from the ground up the walls and floor.

This type of waterproofing is mandatory. Horizontal waterproofing is carried out by methods:

• Roll pasting. The horizontal surface of the foundation is covered with bitumen sheet material in two overlap layers on top of a millimeter layer of mastic;
• Coatings. The horizontal surfaces of the foundation are covered with a liquid material based on rubber, rubber, mastic, which creates a protective barrier on the surface of the structure through which water cannot enter;
• Penetrating treatments. Special compositions are applied to damp concrete over the surface. Active chemical components penetrate the concrete, reacting with its components. The reaction products are insoluble crystals that fill the pores and microcracks of concrete, increasing its water resistance.

Basement waterproofing from the outside during the construction phase of the house has a lower cost than internal protection from groundwater, in the case when the house is already built. Some techniques allow you to save money and do all the work yourself, spending money only on the purchase of material.