It you deal with a "Professional" Waterproofing Contractor, you will quickly realize that there are a limited number of professional waterproofing solutions for wet basement walls. These professional wet basement waterproofing solutions for your damp basement, in no particular order, are as follows:
• Epoxy crack injection to address basement wall cracks;
• Polyurethane injection to address basement wall cracks and other causes of wet basement walls;
• External excavation and waterproofing to accomplish outdoor concrete wall surface sealing;
• Internal de-watering to waterproof a wet basement;
• Window well drain installation to prevent water from entering around and through basement windows; and
• Sump pump installation to provide a drainage point for water beneath the basement floor.
As the preceding list details industry standard "professional" waterproofing methods, it follows that there are also "unprofessional" methods and methods with technical deficiencies that are used to stop or deal with basement leaks. We distinguish between the two categories because the unprofessional methods either do not work, do not last long, or cause significant deterioration of the foundation walls and/or related issues. The following waterproofing methods are not recommended by AquaGuard Injection & Waterproofing™:
• Applying tar or coatings to the inside surface of a foundation wall as a sealer to keep water from seeping into the basement;
• Using hydraulic cement to stop leaks, without subsequently having the leaks repaired properly;
• Repairing less than the entire length of a crack;
• Applying a rubber membrane over a crack in a poured concrete foundation wall, on the inside, that allows the water to drain beneath the basement floor slab;
• Excavating the exterior side of the foundation wall and applying a wooden board or styrofoam to effectively perform outdoor concrete wall surface sealing, even with the ample use of tar;
• Using crack injection kits for a do it yourself repair of basement wall cracks - the kits can work; however, you will be lucky if the DIY crack repair approximates the quality of a crack repair done by a qualified injection technician;
• Excavating the exterior side of the wall and sealing less than the entire crack length;
• Filling the surface of cracks from the inside or outside with caulking or similar sealing products;
• Tuck pointing horizontal mortar joint cracking in cinderblock walls internally; horizontal mortar joint cracking is typically symptomatic of the requirement for structural reinforcement;
• Creating shallow trenches in the basement floor to channel water from wet basement walls and basement wall cracks, to the floor drain; and
• Parging over the interior surface of a concrete block wall to stop water seepage.
Logically, one would assume that the best wet basement waterproofing solutions are those used by leading waterproofing contractors; however, if leading contractors are recommending and using different waterproofing techniques, then there must be some disagreement among waterproofing contractors as to what the best waterproofing solutions are. If you search through the Yellow Pages, Goldbook, or Canpages you will notice that there are large franchised companies that offer basement waterproofing services province wide or across Canada and the United States. There is a tendency among some of these larger companies to sell and use proprietary waterproofing solutions that have been developed in-house, and they claim that their business success proves that their methods are sound. It is beyond the scope of this page to discuss this issue further; however, any waterproofing method must fully take into account the body of science pertaining to hydrostatic pressure, drain laying practices, building construction techniques, etc., as well as the positively identified problem that a homeowner is facing. We believe that waterproofing repairs must be specific to a homeowner's particular problem and we believe that some proprietary systems/solutions have inherent technical deficiences. Anecdotally, we believe that homeowners generally end up paying too much for "broad brush" and large scale proprietary waterproofing solutions without realizing it.
We have developed a Basement Waterproofing Repair Methods table that lists the available waterproofing solutions for correcting wet basement problems. You will observe that there is usually more than one repair method available for any given cause of a leaky basement. We believe that these are the best waterproofing solutions available today.
Over the years we have been asked repeatedly "What would you do if it was your basement?" As in life in general, there are no simple answers. In general, many factors must be taken into account before it is possible to determine the best solution to use for wet basement waterproofing. Some of the factors are as follows:
• The foundation type;
• The age of the home;
• Whether the basement is finished or unfinished;
• The source of the leak into the basement;
• Your willingness to cut open the finished basement walls, or to remove them entirely;
• The presence of mould behind the finished basement walls;
• Your willingness to tolerate the inevitable landscaping damage associated with external excavation;
• Accessibility of the area to be waterproofed (both inside and outside);
• The location of patios, walkways, driveways, decks, cabanas, air conditioning units, etc;
• The urgency of the situation; and
• Your waterproofing budget.
Given the factors listed above, as well as your particular circumstances, we believe that a waterproofing contractor and the homeowner or renovation contractor must work together to jointly determine the best and most cost effective repair solution. AquaGuard Injection & Waterproofing™ is committed to business integrity; consequently, we will work with you to determine the best course of action to take based on the problem(s) you are experiencing. We guarantee that you will be satisfied in your dealings with us; see what our former customers have to say about AquaGuard Injection & Waterproofing™.
Call us Today at 1.888.284.2384 to arrange an appointment, you'll be glad you did.