The Benefits of Foundation Waterproofing

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A good foundation waterproofing will and can save your biggest investment which is your house. Your house's foundation is the most important part of your house because if anything happens to it, the whole house will be affected. There are many things that can happen to your house's foundation but the most common is leaking. The answer to this dilemma is a good foundation waterproofing. Foundation waterproofing ensures a dry, healthy and usable basement area. Foundation waterproofing is a critical step in maintaining your home's value and an important measure for preventing very serious damage. Usually done by professionals and is generally not recommended as a DIY project.

The first step in building a house is making and setting the foundation. Your house contractor should follow the foundation specifications to the letter so that you will have peace of mind for years to come. Many homeowners needlessly spend money due to leaking foundations. Sometimes, just dumping more dirt around the perimeter of your foundation will stop the leaking but this solution is only temporary. You must have a professional assess your foundation waterproofing problems so that in the long run, you will be assured that your leaking foundation is a thing of the past.

Foundation waterproofing systems are applied externally on the foundation walls, effectively preventing water penetration from seeping through the foundation. Foundation waterproofing is expensive and time-consuming, but handled this way; you can usually say good-bye to wet basement walls and floors. Foundation waterproofing is often confused with damp proofing. Damp proofing is a process which retards or slows water penetration into foundations.

Foundation waterproofing resists water and freeze thaw cycles enabling it to protect foundations from water seepage. That means you will not have to deal with callbacks and your builders won't have to experience wet basement problems. A dry basement means fewer worries about mold and moisture problems that could arise from an improperly or poorly done foundation waterproofing.  According to the ICC-ES, a non-profit public benefit corporation that evaluates products and sets performance criteria for the residential building market, a good foundation waterproofing must do three things. First, it must stop water vapor. This gaseous form of water is released by the surrounding soils and can move through the foundation walls and into the basement. Secondly, foundation waterproofing membranes must be able to stop liquid water under hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure is the force exerted by liquid water that is in the soil. Third and most important is that foundation waterproofing must span a crack in a foundation. Foundations crack as a normal process of concrete curing and if that crack is not sealed against water intrusion, it can leak when it rains.

Most people think that foundations, by themselves, can't be penetrated. This thinking is the reason that there are a lot of homes that are actually unsound and end up needing new foundations. Foundation waterproofing is incredibly important. Don't skimp on it!