Causes of Basement Leaks - Designed to Fail

A builder can prevent a basement from leaking in two ways:

1. A coating on the walls of the basement
2. A "footing drain," a suitable drainage system around the base of the foundation

Wall coatings can be "damp-proofing," which are low-cost black tar coatings. Building contractors may spend around $200 each house on damp-proofing, or 20 cents per square foot. Unfortunately, it doesn't entirely block the flow of water, it doesn't last forever, and it doesn't bridge wall cracks. Nearly all newly built residences were damp-proofed up until around 1985.

Footing drains may go wrong in a variety of ways, especially since they are frequently installed by untrained personnel.

Issues include:

• The drains lead nowhere—this is a very typical problem.
• They frequently lead to places that are obstructed, congested, or crushed
• The drains clog because the water pouring into them contains silt and sediment (mud) - this is quite frequent.
• The drains are not connected as a continuous loop the drains are built too high.
• The drains have very little or no stone surrounding them (stone is pricey).

Footing Drain Failure

Failure of the footing drain is the most frequent reason for wet basements. When this occurs, the soil surrounding the foundation's outside cannot drain properly and gets saturated. Water enters the basement through the following channels due to hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of the water in the soil:

• The connection between the wall and the footing – most common
• Pipe penetrations and wall cracks – very common
• Porous block walls – very common if you have block walls
• Under the footing – pretty rare

What Works?

Where should the drainage system be positioned so that it stays permanently free of clogs since exterior drainage systems are considered to be inefficient over the long run as a solution?

These systems often require pricey and intrusive maintenance.

The ideal choice for setting up a perimeter drainage system inside the basement!

Since the drainage system is not in direct contact with wet soil, it is safeguarded against clogging.

Concrete acts as a kind of filter for the water, keeping debris from blocking the pipes.

Today, it has been demonstrated that the WaterGaurd system, developed by Basement Systems, Inc. in 1994, provides all the benefits that builders and customers require.

WaterGaurd is a long-lasting and effective internal perimeter basement waterproofing solution. The WaterGaurd lies above the footing rather than next to it, which is the primary difference.

This is important because it ensures that no portion of the system sits directly on soil, preventing moist dirt from entering the drain from below (and preventing WaterGuard from clogging).

To take advantage of the benefits of our WaterGaurd interior perimeter waterproofing drainage system, click here to request a free inspection for one of our specialists to come out and evaluate the issue, providing a free estimate for the solution.