The term basement waterproofing usually refers to techniques used to keep water out of
basements. As a general rule, structures with basements are especially prone to getting flooded by water, mostly
due to how low they sit in the ground. Getting water in your basement is definitely a pain, and in some cases, it
can render your basement nearly unusable!
That is why several methods have been developed to keep the water out of your basement.
First, you can put an exterior coating of a tar-like substance on the foundation to keep water out.
This is usually done when the foundation is brand new, to avoid needing to dig the dirt back out from a
round it again.
A lot of dirt work is required to build a house with a basement, so it only makes sense that
you would coat the outside of it in the very beginning. If you are building a new house, you should definitely
put an exterior coating on it to protect from water damage.
Another method used to protect your basement from moisture is to put a similar coating on the interior
wall. This is usually only done if the exterior coating proves inefficient, or if putting a coating on
the outside of the basement is too expensive of an option.
And finally, you can use a drainage method, such as a sump pump, to pump water out of the
basement as it comes in. This third method should only be a last resort, because having enough water in
your basement to pump out usually means that it is unusable as a complete or finished basement.
If at all possible, try to keep the water out altogether. You can also sometimes run
drainage pipe around your basement to keep water from coming in, though this is not always as effective.
