Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Dry Basements Cont'd - Below Grade Walls


I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday! Now, back to basements...

Below grade walls are the most common type of wall leakage. There are many different types of applications done to the home during construction to attempt to prevent water penetration issues; parge and tar, waterproofing and foam board, waterproofing and fiberglass board...all work to some degree - all FAIL to some degree.

Parge and tar is what builders used most 15 years ago...only recently have they switched to an emulsion with more elasticity. The parging cracks and the tar doesn't move well with cracks, causing leaks. To repair from the outside is expensive, however, due to the removal of earth, landscaping, etc. Interior systems are the only known guarantee against water penetration, due to the system incorporated. Regardless, moisture needs to be kept out of basements.

The attached photo shows a clay tile home with extremely bad leakage. Notice the stains, mold (and mildew) on the walls.

The next few days the writings will be shorter, explaining the step by step process of waterproofing a basement from the interior.

Next Topic: Fixing a Wet Basement

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