Exterior foundation waterproofing protects your foundation walls by managing the moisture of the soil around your basement, slab, or crawlspace. Keeping your basement dry isn’t always as simple as installing a sump pump and calling it a day. Before moisture enters your home, it saturates the outside sol, which grows heavier and presses against your basement walls. Effective basement waterproofing incorporates both interior and exterior measures to manage this moisture, support your home’s integrity, and prevent damage that can leave you with a soggy basement and high repair bills.
Cause Vs. Effect
Interior basement waterproofing often treats the effects of soil oversaturation. This can include interior dehumidifiers, sumps to gather moisture, and a sump pump to move water out and away from the home actively. It’s largely concerned with managing moisture that is already inside the home, mitigating the risks it brings, and moving it elsewhere as soon as possible.
Exterior foundation waterproofing seeks to prevent water from entering the home by controlling it before it can force its way through pipes, cracks, or gaps. This also helps keep the weight of the soil pressing against the sides of your foundation controlled, easing the stresses your walls have to hold back to maintain your home’s integrity.
What is Exterior Foundation Waterproofing?
This process shouldn’t be confused with the broader waterproofing measures taken outside your home and around your property. While the goal of these broader waterproofing measures is to collect and control the flow of water and, in the process, protect your basement or crawlspace walls, exterior foundation waterproofing is more focused. Designed solely to keep your basement dry and walls secure, active and passive waterproofing measures are installed directly next to the walls of your foundation underground, where they can directly affect the soil and water closest to it.
The Exterior Foundation Waterproofing Process
Exterior foundation waterproofing of existing properties is often more expensive and time-intensive than interior waterproofing. This is largely due to the need for careful excavation and wall preparation. It can be a great choice for new properties when it can be installed during the construction process, but it may also be the best next step for existing properties where interior drainage isn’t providing the moisture control needed to keep the property safe. Professional exterior foundation waterproofing is a straightforward process with time-tested results.
- Excavation – The land directly around your foundation is excavated down to the foundation footers. This gives your contractor complete access to the foundation walls for a thorough inspection during the waterproofing process.
- Repair and Barrier Application – The exposed foundation walls will be cleaned, and any damage will be assessed to determine its extent and severity. Damage found during the inspection will be repaired. This could be as minor as replacing eroded mortar in joints or the spaces between bricks or stones or more major repairs such as replacing damaged and cracked sections. Once the wall is repaired, a thin waterproof membrane may be applied, coating the wall to make it more resilient, or a sheet membrane may be placed against the wall. Basement or crawlspace window wells and vent wells may also be replaced, as leaking wells are frequent causes of basement moisture.
- Drainage Installation – Drainage pipes will be placed or replaced along the foot of your foundation. These French drains have perforations that allow water to enter from the soil. As with the interior drainage systems meant to keep your basement dry, once inside the drainage system, water will be collected and directed away from your foundation walls to a natural drainage source.
- Backfilling—Soil and substrate will be carefully added back around your home’s foundation. Care will be taken to avoid damaging your repaired foundation walls, the new drainage system, moisture barriers, and window wells. Properly backfilled soil will also help control moisture by helping to direct water either away from your home or into the drainage system for removal.
- Landscaping and Final Touches – Grass will be planted where appropriate to help secure your new soil and aid water management. You can also add water-sequestering bushes and other landscape waterproofing heroes to manage moisture further. Downspout extensions may be added to your gutter system to further reduce oversaturation around your foundation walls or direct runoff into your exterior foundation waterproofing drainage system for easy removal.
When is It Time to Consider Exterior Foundation Waterproofing?
While it’s always best to consult a foundation expert when considering your foundation waterproofing needs to ensure your property’s unique concerns are being met, there are a few good times to consider exterior foundation waterproofing proactively.
- New Construction – Exterior drainage is easier to add during new construction when the land is already excavated, and the addition won’t disrupt the household. Best of all, working to keep your basement dry from the beginning minimizes the need for costly mitigation and remediation measures down the road.
- Other Waterproofing Methods Aren’t Working – If your interior drainage isn’t keeping your basement dry, exterior foundation waterproofing may be needed as part of a more comprehensive foundation waterproofing and support plan.
- Excavation is Needed for Foundation Repair – If your foundation walls are damaged and in need of repairs requiring full or partial excavation, it can be a great time to install the drainage that will better protect your newly repaired walls.
Get Your Free Foundation Inspection
There’s no cost or obligation to have an experienced foundation professional inspect the interior and exterior of your property for signs of damage and to assess the risks it faces. They’ll schedule a visit, assess your property, and tailor a foundation waterproofing plan that keeps your home safe and on solid footing. Investing in a dryer basement helps prevent high repair bills down the road. Schedule your free quote with A.M. Wall Anchor & Waterproofing today.
