A Guide To A Perfect Exterior Basement Waterproofing

Water presence creates many problems for individuals but it becomes a severe issue when water gets into the basement. No matter the amount of water that gets in, there is bound to be a major inconvenience for the owner of that house. There are many ways to seal your basement but this article is going to be about exterior basement waterproofing solutions. So, let us get started without further delays. 

Why exterior waterproofing is more efficient?

If you are familiar with the way external seepage leads to the inside of the walls, you will know that it all starts with the faulty regions on the outside of your house. When the walls of either the basement or any other part of your house are not waterproof from the outside, no inside measure is going to help you. Based on these, you must work on waterproofing the walls from the outside first. 

Smart Tip: The external wall area is not only the visible wall above the ground. Since we are talking about the basement, you’ll have to excavate the soil in order to access the very base of the wall. Whatever solutions we propose are for the entire region of the basement walls from root to tip. 

Quick points to care before you start with the paints and adhesives

Work with the faults and cracks first

This is where your work begins. Faults and cracks will break all your efforts in case you leave them unattended. Concrete-based products work the best in fixing such faults. You can also hire some experts if you find yourself unable to deal with it because you have to do it perfectly. 

The range of available products

There is a variety of products that would help you achieve a waterproof condition in your basement. Going with concrete waterproof coating seems like an easy option because it works on both painted and unpainted walls. In both cases, the concrete-based solutions adhere perfectly to the masonry surfaces. 

The other prominent option includes silicate-based sealing agents. These can be applied only to unpainted walls. Once applied on the appropriate surfaces, these silicate-based sealers seal the walls from the outside very effectively. These sealers are a bit expensive as compared to the concrete-based solutions but are pretty durable and a wise purchase. 

Waterproof paints do the same thing but in that case, you’ll need to work on the dents and faults beforehand. Paints usually require some prework before they can be applied. 

Consider plastering the concrete walls of your basement from the outside

This is more like a permanent solution because it gives you protection from water leakage and seepage for a long duration. Though it is expensive than all the other options mentioned above it is the most versatile and durable one. Just don’t forget to add waterproofing additives to the concrete mixture. 

Use a moisture meter to test your solution

Once you have completed the waterproofing job on the outside of the wall and the wall has dried up, it is time to use a moisture meter to test. Spray some water on the external surface with a nozzle (by keeping the nozzle at an angle of 30 degrees). Leave the nozzle there for at least a couple of hours with a constant water supply. Now go to the inside of the basement and turn on the moisture meter. You can consider your basement to pass the moisture test only if you see no moisture reading (zero moisture reading) in the moisture meter. Anything other than zero on the meter is a sign that you have to consider working on the waterproofing project again. 

Pro tips for long-lasting effects

Interior or exterior basement waterproofing is not the only solution that will serve you in the long run. Some additional efforts are a must to complement the overall long-term benefits. Here is a quick look at such solutions:

Invest in an effective drainage system

The majority of people don’t think about it in the first place. And they pay a hefty price as a result. Having efficient drainage on the outside helps you keep the water away from the wall and that increases the life of whatever waterproofer you’ve applied on the outside. Trying to do it yourself is not a good idea because it requires expert help throughout the process. You can find people right for this job very easily. 

Regular maintenance

Man has never been able to invent something that is able to stand through time and climatic conditions. That’s why we need to rely on maintenance to make anything last longer. All the solutions that we have mentioned so far will bear no fruits in the long run if they are not maintained properly.