Waterproofing
Exterior Waterproofing:
Exterior waterproofing is best known as an initial defense against water and consists of gutters that collect water and lead it away to the main gutter. This is one of the reasons why it is very important to always keep gutters clean. Another important aspect of exterior waterproofing is a waterproof membrane, that is laid around the foundation of the structure to keep out moisture so that the concrete doesn’t absorb it, gets cracks and allow leaks. Next important issue is an exterior drainage system, similar to a French drain. This type of system requires some work, due to ist requirement of excavation along the foundation of the home.
Drain tiles are fitted into the trench around the home, those titles are surrounded by gravel and then the total trench is covered with soil. The drain tiles are employed to carry water away from the basement. This method involves some excavation, and that would be really valuable.
Exterior waterproofing is expensive when compared to interior waterproofing, as Exterior waterproofing requires more work and products, Also EW efficiently stops water from getting close to the basement. When the basement is prevented from becoming wet, it doesn’t get weak, damaged and it wouldn’t crack to let water inside the basement or your home. Hence a costly exterior waterproofing system would be reasonable in the long run, as it saves money in the long run.
Interior Water Proofing:
interior waterproofing is more of a water management approach and a final step in the process of waterproofing as it addresses the issue of water already leaking into the house.
Setting up a backwater valve is one of the most effective methods to save foundation from flooding if in case the structure is on a declining slope or in a flood-prone area. Setting up a backwater valve avoids sewer water from coming into the foundation through the toilet or sink after/during a heavy rainfall. After effects of sewage flooding in the foundations are uncomfortable and water damage repairs are very expensive.
Setting up a drainage system is the most difficult solution incase of interior waterproofing. There are numerous approaches and products that can be at disposal. A solution is to have a French drain with a sump pump set up, rubber walls, water weeping tiles, and a drainage rubber membrane, That allows water to easily pass through without affecting the walls.
Annual maintenance is required for sump pump set up.. A sump pump should be inspected regularly as it could fail when you need it most, In some cases.
Try improving interior basement drain system with the setup of waterproofing plastic sheets and panels. Those panels would allow walls to stay dry even in the case of a leak and allows flow to the drainage system. This method is expensive, but also saves the interior without any visual damage.
What you see there is efflorescence. It often occurs on masonry construction, particularly brick and cement block, when water moving through a wall or other structure, or water being driven out as a result of the heat of hydration as cement stone is being formed, brings salts to the surface that are not commonly bound as part of the cement stone. As the water evaporates, it leaves the salt behind, which forms a white, fluffy deposit, that can normally be brushed off. The resulting white deposits are referred to as “efflorescence” in this instance.
Vertical Foundation cracks are the most common cause of leaks in your basement. They are generally a result of structural shifting or something done after the fact causing pressure on the wall from the exterior like a tree (or simply improper rebar installation, bad concrete mix, bad weather when pouring etc.). A crack in your foundation can be from a number of reasons, that’s why it’s important to have it properly inspected by a trained professional. If your foundation has a horizontal crack, it could signify something structurally wrong and may need proper attention from a structural professional.
Cracks are most common on the bottom corner of basement windows formed into the concrete or on new homes (under 2 years when all the settlement happens). Of all the types of walls; concrete walls are the only type of wall that can be injected to stop the water. However there are many drawbacks to installing this type of system and after many years in the business, we have seen plenty of failed injections.
When it comes to injecting your foundation with any sort of resin/epoxy/urethane type kit you should understand a few things:
- You cannot inject any other type of wall other than a concrete wall limiting you if you have a stone, block or brick wall (you cannot inject these types of walls)
- Injections without proper protective masks and personal protection can be harmful to you, most installers may not take proper precautions (mixing resins or using products on the interior of your home to form an expanding compound can produce harmful fumes)
- Epoxy is a mix between a resin and a hardener this can lead to a few issues like:
- This liquid, if not hardened fast enough, can seep into surrounding areas and leave voids in the crack being repaired (especially at the top of a crack as like anything, gravity will play its course)
- This may lead to an irregular application causing your problem to recur even though it looks perfect from the inside
- Re-injecting a previously injected crack is borderline impossible as the voids, gaps cracks and pockets in the previous resin may not be filled properly and we cannot see them
- If the crack is actively leaking, the water entering may not allow the product to work properly (just like we cannot apply waterproofing materials to wet walls)
- The foundation shift causing the crack may move further, more often than not creating a crack in the crack injection (the most common reason for it to fail)
- Most products can only handle a gap no greater than 1/16th of an inch
- If the crack expands once injected, only a proper exterior solution will stay flexible and move with the wall shift keeping a seamless membrane in tact (ie. The Aqublock and Yellow-Jacket process we use)
Even with the best polyurethane polymer compounds that promise to stay flexible and work with the shift, they cannot guarantee 100% success. Most injection companies will up sell a secondary barrier channeling water under the floor “in-case” the injection fails (that shows true confidence in the product!)
WE LIVE IN CANADA, IT SNOWS AND FROST DESTROYS EVERYTHING, WITHOUT FROST PROTECTION THE PRODUCTS ARE BOUND TO FAIL, EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOME ENVELOPE NEEDS FROST PROTECTION!
Everything in construction is frost protected, Yes, even the exterior waterproofing has a drainage board giving the ground something to freeze to protect the wall, tar, and mesh system in place!
What is important with foundation cracks is to determine if it is a major structural issue. Is there already an injection there that has failed? What type of product are they injecting? Most exterior solutions and products applied are not that much more costly than an interior injection and come with a proven track record and warranty. To speak with a representative about injecting versus any other method we would be happy to explain this to you in a free consultation. Contact us here to set an appointment.
Blueskin is a great product. It is used in many ways all over the commercial and residential construction industry. We use this Blueskin WP 200 in very smooth or perfect concrete walls. You can use it underground as a waterproofing membrane and achieve great results but there are better solutions offered by the same company. Since a majority of our work is re-doing old damp proofing its often the surfaces we work on are never perfectly smooth. A trowel or spray applied coating (ie. Aquablock 720-38 for example) provides a better application and adhesion to an irregular wall everytime.
Each membrane we use is from the Henry, or DMX company line of waterproofing products. The most common product we apply is Aquablock series membranes, DMX weeping tiles and DMX drain boards. We have no vested interest in the materials we use so we source the best products we can use on your home.
General
We have been in the construction business since 1979 and have been waterproofing and repairing foundations since our inception. This is a family owned and operated business and is not a franchise. We are lifelong residents of Toronto and we are proud of our reputation in the industry. We have maintained a great record with our clients and have proudly maintained a A+ BBB rating for the life of our business.
You can find out more about the people behind Nusite on our About Us page.
Most innocent consumers focus on the length of the warranty, and marketers use this stunt to distort consumer perception, the main catch phrase that they use is warranty and focusing their prominence on the number of years whether its 15 years, 25 years or even a lifetime!
What an aware consumer needs to ponder over first is to know what the company is promising him. A warranty is usually a written guarantee for a product, and it states that the maker of the product is responsible to repair or replace a defective product or its parts within a particular product lifespan.
Most exterior building products, even the most expensive ones do not have a lifespan of more than 10 years so be careful when making a decision based on length of a product or service warranty. An aware consumer who is thinking of buying a roofing solution should ponder over inalienable truths like which shingle roofing would last a lifetime before making an informed buying decision. Many lifetime and extended warranties on waterproofing will contain special clauses that will make it difficult for you to ever make an actual claim, this can be said as nothing but pure deceptive advertising.
Be logical while making your consumer decision
Instead of asking how long the warranty is for, ask on practical questions like how many warranty calls did you have in the duration of your business. If the business states that we operate on less than a 1% call back rate on over 1,700+ homes waterproofed since 2010, it simply means that the product has a 99% sustainability ratio.
You should be asking more questions about the materials, their quality and the processes that are used in manufacturing and erection. This will ensure a fair comparative analysis rather than comparing years of warranty with different products with different grades of “waterproofing”.
Our Philosophy
As a company philosophy we always had a winning proposition for our customers. We take pride in only using Canadian made products from Bakor (Aquablock, Blueskin, and CM-100 Series materials). These systems are the best you can buy and come with a proven track record in the waterproofing industry. These systems are the best your money can buy and adhere to the strict rules and regulations of the waterproofing industry and have demonstrated an impeccable track record over the years in the waterproofing industry.
All of our customers receive a consumer specific written and signed certificate before the job is completed outlining any outstanding issues like, Clean up, laying gravel etc. This certificate will act as your written and signed warranty card and is fully transferable to any new homeowner in future.
When you schedule an estimate from our office, you get dispatched to an owner of the business. As we handle every call personally, you can be assured that our sales representatives won’t be assertive or intimidate you. We value privacy and understand that a leak is an important issue, so we aim to inform you about your it carefully.
Once we give you a free estimate and book and inspection, representatives will be dispatched to your home to assess the situation. The workers will be dressed in Nusite uniform on the day of the inspection.
Our professionals will sit down with you and have a one-on-one conversation about the type of wall you have and what the best solution will be for you (eg. The drawbacks of a block or stone-wall vs concrete). We will create a realistic plan catered to you, based on your budget and needs. We will also educate you about the repair plan and answer any questions.
With the help of technology, building codes, and the building envelope theory we will explain the root cause of your issue. We can confirm it using tools such as moisture meters designed to test the water content in drywall, wood , plaster, brick and even concrete/stone.
Once we have confirmed why water has entered your home and walls, you will receive a comprehensive package that includes a written estimate, a detailed process sheet, and a sample warranty certificate.
After we complete your project and everything ready to go, it will be signed off and your warranty will be in full effect.
Yes we can! We have many online reviews you can read on Homestars.com. We also have many clients you can speak to upon request. We will always ask for feedback on our work so we can continually improve our process and customer service.
Each membrane we use is from the Henry, or DMX company line of waterproofing products. The most common product we apply is Aquablock series membranes, DMX weeping tiles and DMX drain boards. We have no vested interest in the materials we use so we source the best products we can use on your home.