Outside Waterproofing Methods

If you search the Internet or see the ads about how “drain tile and stone” or “Outside Waterproofing” does not work and will fail.  You might want to read one more paragraph.

Check with your local building department.  Inform them you are building a new house.  That you do not want to install outside drain tile or waterproof the exterior walls.   That you are going to use an “inside system” to keeping water out of your basement.

After they decline your permit,  you might want to read on.

After 42 plus years in the commercial and residential waterproofing business we can attest that outside waterproofing and drain tile will continue to be used on every new  home and commercial building built. Period

Chances are that if you basement is leaking, your waterproofing and drain system had worked for at least the past 40 to 60 years or more without an issue.  Technology in waterproofing is light years ahead of how your “old” system was installed.  They used solvent base tar and put it on with a brush. The solvent based material started to break down the day it was installed.  It dried out it became brittle and cracked.  The drain tile was made of clay and who knows if they used drain stone or not. When they back filled they used nothing to protect the waterproofing membrane from rocks and other debris.  They might of even used clay fill, which leads to cracked or bowed walls and a host of other structural issues.

At Mobile Waterproofing we take everything we have learned in commercial waterproofing and extend it to your home.  Currently we spray on TruDry™ membrane.  It is a polymer modified asphalt emulsion 40 mils thick.  The membrane’s elasticity bridges any small cracks which may develop over time unlike solvent based material of the past.  Then we add a 3 mil polyethylene sheeting.  And to protect the system from damage from debris during back-fill we install 1/2″ Dow insulation or drainage mat.

Before we back-fill we add perforated 4″ drain tile and install clean outs.  The clean outs allow the customer or Mobile Waterproofing he ability to inspect or do routine maintenance on the system from the surface. Then we add 18 inches of pea stone for drainage, wrap the drain stone in Geotex fabric to prevent dirt from entering the drain tile.  Then back-fill with sand or your current soil if it is suitable.

Mobile Waterproofing also installs inside systems,  and think we have the best inside system in the industry.  Sometimes they are the best choice.  The inside only guys, have one thing to sell you and will apply it to every job.  Being an independent locally owned waterproofing contractor allows us to apply the best solution to your individual foundation problems.

Another thing to note,  that every inside system installer also will try to sell you a dehumidifier or other costly method to reduce relative humidity. Some of these ad $40.00 a month to your electric bill.  An inside system is re-routing the water. You are not stopping the water problem at the source, you are re-directing it so that it is no longer a nuisance. Any time you run water thru or around concrete you can have condensation, sweating, odors and possibly mold.  None of which are covered under you limited lifetime warranty.  Also note the warranty only covers water on your floor.  We have installed thousands of these systems.  They work as promised, but condensation, sweating, efflorescence*, water stains  can happen on walls and they are not covered under anyone’s warranty.

*Efflorescence is salt and lime stained formed on any masonry product when water pushes through it. It appears as white or tan powder or “hair” on masonry.  These “hairs” can stand away from surface up to 1/2 inch.