Four Ways to Waterproof Foundation

If you want your home to last for a lifetime and more, you should make sure that its foundation is in good condition. One of the problems is significant exposure to water. If you want to waterproof your foundation, here are things that you should do:

1. Liquid rubber membranes: This material has the same characteristics with your car tires. They can be applied cold and quick to dry. Many homeowners can do it by themselves. The liquid will cure into a rubber coating that’s elastic. It should be able to fill up any small hole and prevent bigger cracks from developing. This material is as flexible as rubber, so it fills cracks quite well. When using this method, make sure that surface of the foundation is properly prepared. Also, liquid membranes will need a longer time to cure.
2. Hot applied rubber: As a rubberized asphalt compound, it will from a monolithic, flexible and strong membrane. You can also apply this material on roofs. It’s ideal if the surface of the foundation is uneven and rough. It will prevent the build up of excessive moisture and eliminate water migration. When using this material, make sure that the surface is primed first. The cost for this waterproofing method can be higher, because the material must be applied in layers. After applying the hot layer, you need to press reinforced fabric sheet quickly into the hot rubber. This will increase the strength of the layer and improve its waterproofing characteristics. Depending on the threat of water damage, you may need to apply the hot rubber and reinforced fabric multiple times.
3. Sheet membranes: This material is essentially self-adhering rubberized asphalt membranes, which are a combination of waterproof polyethylene film and rubberized asphalt. You can use this material if you want to have consistent thickness. It’s also resistant to hydrostatic pressure and quite strong mechanically. It has the ability to cover bigger holes on concrete surface of the foundation. You can also apply this material on masonry, wood and metal surfaces, not just concrete. However, it takes some skills to work with sheet membranes, because they are very sticky. It takes more work to implement this method and at least two people need to work at the same time to put the sheets properly in place. Workers also need to do various other tasks, such as patching, priming, penetration and joint treatment.
4. Cementitious waterproofing: This material is made of Portland cement, plasticizer, sand acrylic mixture and various active waterproofing chemicals. Cementitious waterproofing material is quite easy to use and you just need to mix it with water. This material is available in many specialized dealers. After applying cementitious waterproofing material, you can paint it as well. Often, just one coat is enough, also you need reinforcing mesh in some areas. This material is weather and corrosion resistant. However, because this material is based on cement, it doesn’t stretch well and there’s a possibility that it will crack. You need to make sure that the surface of the foundation doesn’t have gaping cracks or protrusions.