Understanding Basement Home Improvements
Waterproofing basement walls can be done in a number of ways, mostly dealing with the inside and outside of the wall. During construction is the best time to make sure your basement is waterproof as a waterproof membrane can be applied to the outside of the foundation. Leaks and seepage through your basement walls could result from poor original work, the home settling, or hydrostatic pressure from changes in the water table around your home. You can waterproof your basement walls with some work.
Hairline cracks, holes, or other porous areas in the walls need to be checked out. Larger holes must be filled with mortar before they can be waterproofed but just a waterproof mix needs to be applied to smaller holes and cracks. To allow the mortar to properly take hold from the inside, a dovetail should be chiseled out when filling in larger holes. One part cement to two parts sand with enough water to make a stiff mix makes an average mortar.
When applying mortar use an ordinary trowel and make sure there are no air holes or pockets. Using a stiff wire brush to get rid of loose particles is also a good idea before applying the mortar to help it adhere because if the wall is leaking considerably you may need to put in a drainage pipe to a sub pump to help drain the water. This may only be temporary or permanent depending on the nature of the water flow. In much the same way as you would repair the larger holes in the wall, tackle the leaking floor joints.
To help it adhere, chisel out a dovetail joint and provide strength and drainage by inclining the patch slanting it from the floor to the wall. When the wall is completely repaired, the waterproof mixture can be applied. The mixture does not adhere to a dry wall, but will not set on a wet wall either so remove any paint and mist the wall before applying it. The manufacturer’s instructions should be read carefully since epoxy and latex waterproofing mixtures usually require you to add some water, but you could also use your own mix of plain cement and water which should have the consistency of cream when mixed to a slurry. Use a stiff brush to apply the mixture at the bottom of the wall and move up in a right to left direction.
Fill in all hard to reach areas. Feather the edges until the total area is covered and leave it to dry overnight or until the mixture is not sandy. Wet the wall down thoroughly once it has dried overnight and, in the same manner as the first coat was applied, apply a second coat of the waterproofing mixture. One coat will not do the job and may result in you having to start over again so always use two coats. Waterproofing basement walls is not as difficult as it might first appear if you use this information. More importantly, you will finally have that dry basement you have been wanting for so long.
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