Basement Waterproofing
Preventing expensive problems is the dream and need of every homeowner. Waterproofing your basement does just that, getting this process done prevents water from getting into your basement and getting water damage. Waterproofing a basement can either be done from the exterior or interior.
Why Do Basements Leak?
There are many different reasons why your basement might start to leak. As your home gets older your foundation becomes weaker and requires more upkeep. But here are some things that cause your basement to leak:
- Construction joints
- Foundation Cracks
- Failed Weeping Tile
- Leaking Mortar Joints
- Leaking Penetrations
- Sill Plates
- Tie Ride Holes
- Window Wells
What Are Foundation Cracks?
This is the major cause of wet basements, cracks in the foundation of your home can come in various shapes and sizes. They are not at all uncommon to new homes (within the first year), nor is it uncommon to old homes. Most cracks are caused by the foundation not fully settling, and isn’t really cause for concern. However, if the crack becomes bigger, to the point where water is leaking through, call for help as soon as possible. If you are suspicious about the size of a crack, mark the size of it now with pencil and date it. Given time, you will be able to observe the crack to determine if there is a serious issue that needs expert attention.
How Do They Happen?
Mother Nature
This is when no one could have prevented or controlled the creation of the crack. Things like earthquake can do some serious damage, or frost quakes. Frost quakes are when a lot of water has been accumulated in the soil and then freezes when the temperature suddenly drops. With the water freezing that rapidly, pressure and stress is applied to its surroundings. The pressure accumulates and causes the cracks.
Soil Condition/Settlement
There are many different conditions that your soil can be in order for there to be a crack created. There could be high water tables, saturated soils, very dry days, or just the natural settlement where the soil just settles under your house.
Poor Construction
This cause is referring to when the foundation is actually being created, numerous things could go wrong in this process. On the day that they choose to create the foundation, the weather conditions (extreme hot or cold) tamper with the cement and how it dries. If the cement is poured when it is really cold outside, this can cause the water in the cement to freeze which causes it to expand, or if the weather conditions are hot, the hot cement will dry too quickly and shrink. That action of expanding and contracting can create a crack.
Next, the quality of the concrete mix, basically if it is too watery or dry or not mixed well enough there are going to be problems either immediately or down the line. If the mix had too much water and the cement doesn’t dry properly then it is going to be very weak and likely to crack.
Finally there is backfilling and the condition of the equipment used. If there was backfilling done while the concrete was still soft, the walls could crack. Equipment damaging could happen in the driver’s car if they were too rough, or if a machine accidentally hits the side of the foundation. Large debris can hit the foundation and damage it.