If your home has a basement and you get a lot of rain where you live, you need to do basement waterproofing. Your basement could become flooded which would cause a variety of problems. Not only can this ruin the flooring and walls, but also cause damage to things inside the basement. Before anything like this happens, below are two different types of basement waterproofing methods. You should then hire a basement waterproofing service to install the waterproofing for you.
Waterproof the Exterior
Waterproofing the exterior will keep water out of the basement. This will also protect the foundation from damage due to built-up water. One common way to waterproof the exterior is to install an exterior drain. This includes digging a deep trench around the foundation. Once the trench is dug a layer of concrete is placed on the bottom to allow for water drainage. A water pump system is connected to the drain to pump water out to another area of your yard, which may be a ditch or a nearby storm drain. An exterior drain is difficult to install to an existing home, however, as it requires excavation equipment and can be expensive.
A waterproofing company can also apply a membrane and polymer to the exterior foundation walls. This waterproofing membrane provides a coating so water cannot get through even if you have a lot of rain at your home. This is easier to install as the membrane is painted on. More than one coat will be applied to the foundation.
Interior Drain
Another type of basement waterproofing is installing an interior drain. An interior drain is also called a French drain. With this, the basement waterproofing service will dig a trench inside the basement around the perimeter of the flooring. The French drain is installed, and a sump pump is connected to the drain to move the water outside to a safe area.
When the contractor is completed, the French drain is not visible to you or anyone else that walks into your basement. Some people choose to use an outside exterior drain and an interior drainage system for full protection from water leaks. This may be a good idea if you have a very large basement or use your basement for living quarters, have a lot of expensive items in the basement, etc.
The basement waterproofing service you hire can tell you much more about both exterior and interior drains. For more information, contact a company like All Dry Basement Systems.
