What is foundation waterproofing?Waterproofing is protecting your property foundation - be it residential or commercial - from cracks due to natural processes such as water damage, thermal movement, shrinking, settlement and other causes. Think of foundation waterproofing as a long-term solution for protection of your property.
Did you know that 44% of new homes have leaking basements within 3 years of completion? And the warranty on a dry basement in a new home in the U.S. and Canada is only 1 or 2 years?
Think of what can happen if you dont pay attention to make sure you properly seal your house foundation. It not only causes countless damage to your property it also decreases value of your house, costs money to repair, wastes time, not to mention various health and life hazards.
So what is the solution to this problem? Waterproof your property the right way as you build it! There are many products on the market and it is difficult to choose at times, but not all are the same quality.
The easiest, simplest and smartest way is to apply rubberized liquid membrane. Liquid rubber membranes are elastomeric polymerized coatings made from liquid rubber - the same quality tough material your car tires are made from.
Advantages: They are easiest to apply, quick to dry, and cold applied. You can do it by yourself, by using a sprayer, roller or trowel. The liquid cures into an elastic rubber coating on the wall, able to fill up eventual cracks in foundation wall because of its flexibility. They also come with a long warranty and are very cost effective.
If you want the best ones, consider the ones which are environmentally friendly, non-toxic, non-flammable, VOC compliant, offer superior vapor and water barrier protection, and no priming is required before installation.
Disadvantages: Possibility of inconsistency in coverage, but the newest liquid rubber foundation waterproofing membranes will help you to determine the "right" thickness by intensity of color i.e. the Gray Coat All Seasons Formula from
Aquasealusa.com blends in with the concrete foundation, so over-spraying is no longer a problem, making it much easier for the applicator to apply.
There are of course other products on the market like sheet membranes, cementitious waterproofing, hot tar or bentonite, but they either dont offer such a long warranty, are labor intensive or low quality. In addition, many of these products require company employees/certified technicians to apply the products, which will cost extra money for labor.
Basically it comes down to what your needs are and how much money you are willing to invest to protect your property properly. What seems to be cheaper in the beginning can be very costly later on if you dont do it right the first time.
About The Author: Dagmar Rakos is the site Administrator for Waterproofing-Foundation-guaranteed.com. Highly effective, easy to apply foundation, basement and specialty waterproofing products for ICF and standard construction. For home builders and waterproofing contractors.
