Tips to Minimize Water Infiltration
Tips to Minimize Water Infiltration
Almost all manufacturers of waterproofing compounds mandate that their systems be accompanied by a high grade drainage tile system. This is very important. Common sense should tell you that the quicker and faster you get water away from your foundation, the less chance you have of developing a water infiltration problem. I discuss drain tile installation in great detail in Builder Bulletin #14 Foundation Drain Tile Installation. The drain tile system collects the water and channels it away from your foundation. Very few builders install these systems properly.
Water infiltration can also occur if your foundation develops a serious crack. Thus, it is paramount that your foundation be as strong as possible. Consider consulting a structural engineer to advise you as to the steps you can take in your area to minimize cracking. Adding reinforcing steel, thickening the foundation, proper curing, bracing and delaying backfilling all play a part. Remember, ordinary concrete generally attains about 70 percent of its design strength after 7 days, and 95 percent of its design strength 28 days after it is poured! If you backfill too soon, or too aggressively, you could produce stresses which will later cause cracking.
Be sure that downspout drain lines are not placed in the backfill dirt! This dirt is generally never compacted. It takes years for this soil to completely settle. Drain lines placed in this soil can easily develop reverse slope and/or crack from differential settling. This allows rainwater to flood the soil around your foundation. This just invites trouble. Have your builder install these drain lines in the undisturbed soil just outside of the excavated area created for the basement. Never let downspouts dump water at the base of the foundation. Pipe this water away from the house.
Be sure that all of the ground around your house slopes or falls away from the foundation. Never allow water to pool against or drain against the house. It is generally a good idea to slope the ground 1/2 inch per foot for a minimum of 10 feet away from the foundation. You can never have enough slope.
Water discharging from sump pumps should also be piped away from the foundation. If this water discharges at the base of the foundation, it eventually re-enters the sump and you pay to pump it again and again and again.
Always consult with the waterproofing contractor. Have this person approve the drain tile system and method of backfilling. Just like you, this individual does not want a problem!
Never hesitate to ask your builder questions! If you are not comfortable with the answers, ask someone else, go to the library or search the Internet. Ask your builder to support his techniques with written documentation. The literature is full of accepted building practices based upon results! Make sure that your project is not an experiment! Good luck!
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