Interior Waterproofing Services

Reasons to pick internal basement waterproofing.

•      Preserving the surrounding landscape.
•      Proximity to neighbouring house/building/property line.
•      Cost savings.
•      Unable to excavate on the outside of the leaking wall.

Interior waterproofing system

It is important to understand that an interior waterproofing system has the ability to eliminate moisture from your wet basement, however interior waterproofing isn’t actually waterproofing. Internal basement waterproofing doesn’t stop water from penetrating your foundation wall, instead, it redirects or channels water through the interior weeping system. Depending on the each situation the water can be directed to a sump pit or a storm sewer, where the unwanted water is eliminated.

Steps to internal waterproofing.

1. Installation of an internal weeping tile system.

The first step for internal basement waterproofing is establishing which walls actually require interior waterproofing. Once the problematic walls have been identified a 12”-18” trench is made by breaking up the concrete in front of the walls of interest. The concrete rubble is removed from site and the trench is excavated to make room for 4” weeping tile. The weeping tile is laid in the trench to span all problem areas, leading to the newly installed sump pit

2. Installation of a sump system or discharge storm sewer line.

A sump system is comprised of 3 items; the sump pit, the primary sump pump, and a battery backup sump pump.

The sump pit must be installed in a location that is both feasible for the weeping tile system to drain into, and feasible to plumb a discharge line through the foundation wall. The function of a sump pit is to collect ground water being channeled through the weeping system. Once the pit fills to a pre-set threshold, the primary pump switch is engaged allowing for water to be pumped from the pit through the discharge line. The discharge line is typically run straight up a foundation wall to a level above the exterior ground level, where a hole is cored through the foundation wall and the water is discharged to the exterior.

The placement of the discharge line is the most crucial, as the water being discharged must be able to travel away from the house. This is a vital element to eliminate the chances of recirculating the discharged water back into the house.

In some cases where a storm sewer is present the weeping system can be run directly to the storm system. In some instances, tying into the storm sewer is the best suited option that is both cost effective and reliable for the homeowner, however if a storm sewer is not present, then a sump pit is recommended.

3. Installation of waterproof membrane.

The final item to be installed during internal basement waterproofing is the waterproof membrane. Prior to membrane installation the wall is prepared slightly differently according to the foundation wall type. Stone rubble walls are prepared by removing any degrading material that is about to fall off, and large voids are filled. Block walls require holes drilled in the bottom course to allow for all accumulated water to drain into the weeping tile system.  The installation of waterproof membrane should span from the basement ceiling to the top of the trench where the weeping tile is installed. This allows the membrane to channel water downward, and also acts as a vapor barrier between the moist foundation wall and the airspace in the basement. After installation the trench is cemented to match the existing concrete floor.