Basement Waterproofing Options

From exterior water drainage to interior basement systems to waterproofing paints, basement waterproofing options are plentiful. There are contractor installed basement waterproofing systems and do-it-yourself options. The amount of basement waterproofing options can seem endless and a little overwhelming to homeowners. Before you decide on a remedy to your wet basement, you need to find the source of your wet basement problem. This will help you narrow down the basement waterproofing options that will work for your home.

Basement Waterproofing Options:

Exterior
• Exterior Drain Fields
• Exterior Damp Proofing Membrane or Coating
• Exterior Waterproofing Dimpled Membrane Mats and Tile
• Roof Water Diversions

Interior
• Waterproofing Paints
• Epoxy Wall and Crack Injections
• Old-fashioned Pipe and Gravel
• Above Floor Baseboard Channel
• Subfloor Basement Waterproofing System
• Footer Basement Waterproofing System

Exterior Basment Waterproofing Options

Let's start by explaining exterior basement waterproofing options…

Exterior Drain Fields
Exterior drain fields are simply installing drain tile outside of the basement foundation. There are some huge drawbacks with this basement waterproofing option you should be familiar with before choosing it as your solution:
• You will lose your shrubs, landscaping and foliage around the home.
• The soil can not be compacted tight again, as rain continues to soak in, the soil will begin to settle lower around the home, needing to be refilled to create runoff. Lack of compaction creates spungy soil around the foundation allowing water collection around the home.
• If your basement's finished, it won't be disturbed, but if the system fails, you will need to resort to an inside installed a drain tile system to fix your wet basement.

Exterior Damp Proofing Membrane or Coating
Applied to the exterior of the basement foundation walls to prevent moisture from entering through the walls and into the structure. As with exterior drain fields, there are several downfalls to this basement waterproofing system.

Exterior Waterproofing Dimpled Membrane Mats and Tile
There are two different styles of dimpled membranes -- air gap membranes and permeable dimple membranes. The concept behind the membranes is very simple and effective. But like with most exterior basement waterproofing options it comes with its drawbacks of loss of soil compaction and loss of landscaping around the home. A great benefit is, if your basement is finished with drywall, carpeting and you do not want to remove portions around the interior perimeter of your basement for an interior system, the exterior damp proofing does not disturb your finished basement.

Roof Water Diversions
Roof water diversions help to prevent water from entering the home by re-directing the roof water out away from the foundation. Downspout extensions are an ideal roof water diversion system, but they may not be able to handle large amounts of water. They should be used as a preventative measure. If your basement continues to leak, it needs an interior basement waterproofing system.

Interior Basment Waterproofing Options

Now, let's travel inside your basement to discuss the interior basement waterproofing options available…

Waterproofing Paints
Waterproofing paints are redly available at your local home center. Waterproofing paints may be cost effective, but they lack longevity. In the short-term these paints will stop minor leaks, but over a little time, the surface will begin to bubble, crack and flake off, leaving you with the same wet, leaky basement issue.

Epoxy Wall and Crack Injections
Used to repair and seal foundation wall and basement floor cracks. The epoxy is designed to stop water from entering the basement by plugging, patching and sealing the faults. The upside of this option is that it's cheap and easy to do. The downside is that it's a short-term solution, therefore, you may have to deal with a reoccurring water problem in the basement.

Old-fashioned Pipe and Gravel
A classic, tried-and-true basement waterproofing option that has remedied thousands of basements. The concept is simple -- dig up the perimeter of the basement, lay gravel to promote drainage, and install a pipe to collect water. It's ability to collect and drain water out of a basement is a great and will probably last for many years. There are now many advanced versions of pipe and gravel that have improved on the old-fashioned version, making for an ideal remedy to almost every basement!

Above Floor Baseboard Channel
About 90 percent of basements have water leaking in through the joint where the floor and wall meet during heavy rains and during wet spring months. If this is your issue, your basement is an ideal candidate for a baseboard channel system. Many professional contractors will offer above floor systems, but there is a do-it-yourself option available to homeowners seeking a dry basement without the hefty cost of hiring a contractor to install. With over 25 years of proven performance, the SquidGee Dry basement waterproofing option provides homeowner's contractor, professional-grade basement waterproofing solution at an affordable cost. Learn how to install the do-it-yourself basement waterproofing system…

Subfloor and Footer Basement Waterproofing Systems
If your basement has water coming up through the floor and cracks in the basement floor, your basement needs to be fixed with a subfloor or footer basement waterproofing systems. A subfloor system is installed next the basement footing with another system installed on top of the footer to collect water and drain it to a sump pump system. A footer system is a stand-alone system installed on top of the basement footing. The lower the system is installed in the basement to more water it can capture and handle. There are few do-it-yourself basement waterproofing options in this case and the idea of busting up a basement floor themselves is a scary thought to most homeowners. Your best option would be contact a local basement waterproofing contractor for an estimate to complete the work. Almost all basement waterproofing contractors offer a free estimate. Be sure when choosing a professional contractor to do the work in your basement, you research the company history by searching the internet, ask for several referrals and call them to find out more about their experience with the company before committing to a contract.