You should always make sure to waterproof basement walls when you are finishing it. Most basements have high moisture levels, and much of the moisture enters via the basement walls. Cracks, leaking windows and pipe condensation are probably the most common reasons basements have water build-up problems. Too much or prolonged water retention in the basement can cause a variety of problems.

Basement Wall Options

There are numerous ways of waterproofing basement walls and these include:

- French Drains
- Hollow Baseboard Molding
- Sump Pumps
- Waterproofing
- Damp Proofing

French Drains

You have many choices when it comes to waterproofing basement walls, however to get your best results you first need to figure out exactly how and where your water is coming from, be it through the walls from freeze thaw cycles or heavy rains and run off, or is it coming from an underground spring, or do you simply have a damp or humid basement before you choose your remedy.

Whilst the basement floor is still wet, dig a trench around its inside perimeter. First you need to position a plastic drain pipe, ready perforated, and then make sure that it is surrounded by gravel or similar When trying to recement the floor over a French drain system, some repair and waterproofing contractors leave a gap that can be one to two inches in the floor to allow the web wall seppage to dair below the floor. A French drain usually connects to a sump pump.

Hollow Baseboard Molding and Cove Systems

A hollow baseboard channel is adhered to the joint where the floor meets the wall using a waterproof epoxy. This empty molding will gather wet wall seepage as well as fluid which rises at the cove region. Usually connected to a sump pump.

Sump Pumps

A sump pump is placed in a tub that sits under the floor of your lower lever. The sump pumps through perforations in the sump well located close to it, can collect underground water. Sump pumps have many uses such as floor drainage and to drain underground drain pipes.

Wall Sealers

There are many types and varieties of basement wall sealers on the market to choose from depending on whether you want to brush or roll the sealant product onto your wall, or you may choose to install a panel wall system to seal your walls.

The fact is that even with a good drainage system there is no surety of the basement walls remaining dry. We need to evaluate the most economical method to stop moisture from getting in the basement walls and this may be damp proofing and waterproofing.

What is Damp Proofing?

The majority of waterproofing products are comprised of a tar based substance in a solvent base.  They are cheap to apply but their effectiveness is limited because they are only to designed to ‘retard’ moisture penetration, not prevent it.  Unfortunately as curing takes place it is possible for it to become brittle. This is a result of the settling of the foundations and can result in the spontaneous appearance of cracks in the walls. The walls will then unfortunately lose their waterproofing as the coating will not be able to cover the cracks.

Does waterproofing may help a lot in protecting basement walls?

Products used for waterproofing underground areas, such as a basement, are only designed to prevent water from penetrating the walls especially after heavy rains or spring thaws; but, if you have underground water from a source such as a spring you may need to install a sump pump to prevent water from entering your basement from under the floor.  The rubber used in Advanced Water Proofing Technologies products provides superior waterproofing protection and allows the product to remain flexible even after drying.  The concrete or block has a waterproof coating that stretches to make the foundation completely waterproof.

How to Apply:

Clearly waterproofing is a better option and since there is not a huge price difference between that and damp proofing, it seems a more sensible long term  choice, especially when it often has a 25 to 30-year guarantee.

In the earlier days builders often did not consider waterproofing the basement walls as important. So now is your chance to rectify that with simple-to-use products. Even if you are not a professional you will find that our products are easily applied and not harmful.   These are available in 5 gallon pails or 55 gallon drums, as an example, and are ready for use without heat or any specialized equipment – if you can use a brush or a roller, you can use these.  You can even use a commercial airless sprayer which can be rented by the day.  Two people using rollers to waterproof a basement of about 1,000 square feet can accomplish the task easily in about two to three hours.  So get to it and start enjoying all that space without the damp.