If you’re building a house from scratch and most of its parts involve concrete, you may want to consider waterproofing. This step is essential, so the rooms stay cozy and nice. With this said, a genuine concrete house may need more waterproofing materials and techniques than any other type of structure.
Concrete is known to have cracks if given enough time and in general, and you may consider waterproofing your home regardless of its materials, especially if you live in areas prone to floods.
Determine Whether your House Needs Waterproofing
If you think that your property initially needs waterproofing, the best thing that you can do is to consult a professional to give you advice. The Nassau County NY waterproofing professionals can give you tips, or they can help apply liquid membranes to fill up joints and cracks. Others will recommend a more elaborate technique, especially if you have a faulty drainage system or if your basement is frequently flooding.
Preparation of the Walls
If you decide to do waterproofing, you need to know the techniques involved in it. With concrete walls, this means that you’ll have to do the following:
- Grinding – smooth out any rough patches and ensure that the surface is even. This way, the membranes, and slurries will have a solid surface that they can adhere to.
- Caulking – caulking is generally used to fill up large cracks and expansion joints. You can do this with the use of a high-quality polyurethane especially made for caulking
- Patching Concrete – Fill up any joints that are larger than 0.6 cm. Ensure that the patch is completely dried before you do other steps.
Cleaning the Surface
Use stiff brushes, water, and trisodium phosphate to clean the surface. Wash away the excess paint, dirt, oil, and other loose materials that may still be clinging to the walls. The membranes would stick better on a clean surface and ensure to dry everything before proceeding.
Choosing the Materials
1. Liquid Membranes can Help
Materials like liquid membranes that are commonly used in waterproofing can be budget-friendly and are very effective. They are essentially coatings with a polymer base that’s rolled, troweled, or sprayed directly into concrete. Many homeowners use them because they are inexpensive, and you have to follow the instructions on the label for their applications.
However, liquid membranes may have a disadvantage, and this is not offering enough and even coverage. Even if you try for coverage that’s about 60mm as a recommended thickness, you’ll find this hard to achieve in a consistent manner, especially if you have a large room to cover. Learn more about liquid membranes on this site here.
2. Self-Adhering Membranes Provide Consistency
Sheet membranes that have self-adhering features are the ones you peel and place inside the rooms. They are rubberized asphalt membranes that provide excellent protection against flooding and water damage. Some are very thick but know that they are more expensive compared to liquid membranes.
- These sheets are very sticky, and you may need professionals to work with them. It takes a lot of patience and diligence to peel the membrane and expose the sticky sheets. This is because they will stick with anything they come in contact with, and it’s almost impossible to unstick them once they are correctly laid.
- If you’re unsure about what to do, you can get the professionals to help. They will pay attention to the overlapping of the sheets and ensure they are correctly installed to prevent leaks. The lap joints should be cut appropriately, and a mastic bead should be run down on laps that are spaced at a foot from a corner.
- Most of the time, the sheet membranes may require two people to install them. Installation done by a single person can result in many frustrations and a poor job of getting everything to work out.
Trying Out Exterior Insulated Finish Systems or EIFS
EIFS offers a relatively simple coating, and they are attractive and durable. They can act as insulation and waterproofing with a stucco-like finish. EIFS coats can be applied directly to the walls of your home, and they can float out irregularities, fill out any voids, and they create surfaces that are resistant to moisture.
- The EIFS are applied with the use of trowels, and they usually come in buckets that contain 5 gallons. They are premixed and tinted with colors, so you can pick one that you like. They can be applied rolled with paint rollers or sprayed on surfaces.
About Cementitious Waterproofing
Aside from having a name or moniker that takes a lot to pronounce, cementitious waterproofing can easily apply and mix. They can be found at your local masonry supply. Mix the cementitious material with acrylic as an additive to achieve a better bond. Apply them using a brush with a long handle to make it easy on yourself.
Two Below-Ground Waterproofing You Should Know About
Damp Proofing
This technique is used in water tables where they are generally lower than the structures. There’s usually an excellent free-draining fill on them. The membranes deal with the overall shedding of the water ingress, and there’s no hydrostatic pressure. You can know more about hydrostatic pressure here: https://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/hydrostatic_pressure.htm.
Usually, this is incorporating a damp-proof membrane to the walls of a basement. The incorporation of a polythene damp proof membrane that has a higher grade prevents water from coming in. The higher the DPM grade, the greater the protection it will have against hydrostatic pressures.
Tanking
Tanking is a technique used in many below-ground structures. These are the floors or basements that are sitting continuously at a water table. The entire structure of the basement requires complete encapsulation because the foundation is constantly experiencing hydrostatic pressure. They can be found under slabs and walls.
For other services like sump pump systems, battery backups, dehumidification, and encapsulation, you can always contact an expert near your area for these services. These experts can give you the waterproofing or home restoration that you need after a flood. Prevention is always better than cure so that you can ask about your options with the professionals near you.
