Basements, whether you use them as a living space or not, are prone to water damage. When hydrostatic pressure builds up on the exterior walls, it can cause water to seep through cracks and leak into your home. This can lead to mold and damage to your belongings. In order to prevent this, or to fix a leak, your basement must be waterproofed.
What is Basement Waterproofing?
Basement waterproofing is necessary when there is a crack in your foundation wall. This crack will allow water to seep into your basement leaving you with a mess to deal with. Basement waterproofing fixes the crack and keeps your basement dry!
How to Fix a Foundation Crack
Foundation cracks should be fixed from the outside of the foundation. Once our team has located the crack, we will setup tarps and begin the process of excavating the area by hand. This is important because it allows us to be careful not to upset the area surrounding your home so that when the job is complete your home can return back to its original state.
Once we begin digging, we look for any other cracks in the wall. We then clean the exposed wall with a wire brush to prepare the area for primer and then chisel the crack before we clean it again. We then insert expansive-hydraulic cement into the crack with a trowel. This cement expands as it cures which seals the cracks and is completely unaffected by any residual moisture in the area. Once the cement is set we put a layer of drying primer which prepares the area for aggressive adhesion. This is important to the next step, the coat of Hydroshield. This rubberized membrane is unaffected by air, moisture, or water.
To add extra protection we then place a flexible layer of fiberglass mesh on top and then an additional layer of hydroshield. Then while the area is still tacky we add a layer of poly plastic and finally Platon drainage board to ensure no water will penetrate the surface. Before we backfill the area we will replace the existing weeping tile and surround it with filtersock to move all water away from your foundation!
Once we begin backfilling we power tamper the soil ever 6”-12” to ensure that the drainage remains consistent. When this step is complete we add a termination strip to the Platon drainage board and begin our clean up!
If you’re looking for a basement waterproofing company in Greater Toronto Area that will get the job right the first time, contact the experts at GJ MacRae today! Our team will visit your home, inspect the area, and provide you with a step by step solution.
