When you invest in a home, you want to make sure you keep your home in great condition. Keeping up with regular house maintenance, and knowing how to properly care for your home, is of considerable importance. If you want to keep your home secure from water damage, we suggest you look into waterproofing your basement. In this article, we will include specifics on how you can make sure your basement, and your homes exterior, is shielded from water intrusion and water damage.
Interior Waterproofing
For interior waterproofing, one of the ways to keep water out is by having an interior drainage system installed. An interior drainage system is made up of pipes and drains that are under the foundation of your home and will capture any leaks or excess groundwater by using a sump pump. If you have a wet basement, basement water intrusion, or rainwater seepage, it might be a good idea to look into interior waterproofing of your basement.
To install an interior drain tile system, a waterproofing contractor would come out and jackhammer the floor and install the system and then replace the flooring in a few days. An interior drain tile system collects water under and around the basement and sends it to the basement’s sump pit. There are three possible ways to install an interior system: above the concrete slab, within the slab’s edge, or below the slab.
For an interior drain tile system, a stone base is laid down with a perforated pipe on top under the basement floor. As water collects around and under the floor’s foundation, the pipe collects the water and diverts the water to a sump pit. Then the sump pump will pump the water out of the basement.
There are also vapor barriers, which seal out moisture using plastic or foil, and are laid along the walls of your basement. It is also important to note sealing cracks in your foundation walls and sealing any window cracks will also allow you to keep water out of your basement.
Exterior Waterproofing
We all know water is powerful and defending against water getting into your home will allow you to feel at ease. If you have a soggy yard, or pooling water in your yard, it is a good idea to look into exterior waterproofing. Exterior waterproofing of your home could include adding gutters, exterior drain systems, downspouts, gutter downspout extensions, and drain tile systems. All of these exterior waterproofing ways are designed to collect water and move it away from your home. A drain tile system, or a footing tile system, uses perforated pipes to gather groundwater and direct it away from your home’s foundation.
An exterior drain tile system prohibits moisture from building up in the soil in and around the foundation of one’s home. This exterior system will direct the water it collects to a street’s sewer, which will in turn alleviate the pressure on one’s foundation from water. In order to do this, water will accumulate in a basin around your homes foundation, and a gravity pipe system will lead the water into a sump pump. The pump will then expel the water from the home via a discharge line.
It is also important to note that there is one more exterior waterproofing option, and it’s done when the foundation of your home is put in. It’s called a waterproof membrane and it’s meant to seal out moisture so that the concrete doesn’t absorb it. If concrete does absorb moisture that can lead to cracks in the foundation which can in turn cause water intrusion.
If you’re interested in having an interior or exterior drain tile system installed, please consider contacting a professional waterproofing company. Schmitt Waterproofing, is a Better Business Bureau A+ rated company, serving the Buford, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Flowery Branch, Cumming, Gainesville, Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, Duluth, Dawsonville, Canton, Ball Ground, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody areas in Georgia. We have years of experience and are waterproofing experts. Please contact us online or by phone by calling 404-268-1040. To see more information about us follow us on Facebook.