How to waterproof Your Basement

when ever there is a big rain storm I can't count on two hands how many calls I get regarding a flooded basment. Most start by saying "I just had it fixed" Everyone starts by waisting time and money trying to fix a leak from the inside, this is the wrong way. Read below and I'll show you what I mean.

A video showing how inportant it is to have a sump pump installed and how it works.

Evaluate the perimeter of your house.

As we all know water runs down hill. Or better yet that's what you want it to. If your ground around the house is flat or worst yet sloping toward the house this is  real bad. In this case, you will have to bring in some fill (ugly dirt) and make the ground slope away from the house at least eight feet and ensure that the water can continue to run off. This is the major cause of basement flooding in my experience. 

Check your gutters and downspouts. 

Have you ever noticed the amount of water that comes from you gutters? WOW, that’s a lot of water. Well if you don't have gutters or your downspouts t end at the edge of your house your not doing any good. All you are doing is pushing that water straight down to the foundation.   

Try to waterproof your walls with a product such as Drylok or Xypex
If you have minor leaks and I mean minor leaks you can use a product like Drylok or Xypex. This is not the cure of all cures by no means. I have never seen it work but others have. First, you need to clean the heck out of the inside wall and make sure it's really dry. Once done,  with a heavy duty brush start painting. Using this method you are still letting water pass though the foundation which is real bad. In my opinion, the only way to stop leaks is from the outside.

Repair defects in poured concrete walls

If your foundation has big cracks and holes these really need to fix before anything else. Cracks can be fixed simply by using a caulk made for concrete. Larger cracks you would need to use a Mortar mix with a concrete bonding adhesive, this will help bond to existing concrete. After your patch has dried you will want to brush some foundation tar over the area covering well into the existing tarred area. Of course this would be below ground level.

Consider installing a sump.

This is essentially a hole in your basement floor which contains a pump. Your concrete floor is about 4 inches thick and then you have about 4 more inches of stone under the concrete. When water collects under the floor, the stone acts as a large reservoir. There could be a few thousands gallons of water there way before you see any. By installing a pump in the floor about two feet down, this would collect this water and then pump it OK. I know in my own house, the pump may not go on for a few years. But when it does, I know if it didn't have it I would've had a big problem. A few important things to know is always making the hole are at least 20 inches wide and about 24 inches deep. This will ensure your pump will stay submerged to help keep it cool as well as collect as much water as it can.  

Footing drains.

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