Waterproofing prevents the basement of any house from being wet and leaky. It helps to eliminate water problems that terrify many people. There are many methods of how to construct a reliable defense against water entering.

Planning to use the basement waterproofing services of your next property for entertaining and even sleeping? First make sure that you won't have to spend thousands of dollars to fix a basement moisture problem.

If you are living in the basement area you should be at your comfort. Else excessive humidity to your basement area could vanish your comfort first and then you will have to move to another place because of this could affect you financially and physically both.

When your basement is too humid, you’ll probably be able to feel it. A comfortable basement should maintain a humidity level of 30 to 50% — however, those may differ depending on your climate. If we are talking about basement humidity in the summer, increasing your humidity levels to around 60% and, In winter around 25 – 40 percent which affects your health, causing things like nosebleeds, dry skin.

Typical Causes Of Basement Moisture Problems

Soil erosion and damage of structure(pipes and gutter) are the main causes of damage to land but also leads to a great loss of the solidity to building.

Humidity can be generated by occupants who do not use an air extractor during and after showering or who cook without turning on a hood with exit to the outside. However, most of the time, moisture comes from the soil around the foundation walls and under the concrete slab on the floor.

The Building Code has long required protection against moisture in the form of a bituminous coating. This black liquid applied to the exterior face of the foundation walls offers very limited protection. New homes in Los Angeles CA, can benefit from polythene or other waterproof barriers under the concrete slab.

“As soon as you pour the stone back fill against the foundation, the plaster deteriorates. And in places where cracks form in concrete, it offers no protection. Water can enter. "

Moisture and water can enter through foundation cracks, openings (windows, doors, ventilation outlets) and the junction between the foundation wall and the footing on which it rests. If the foundation drain (the "Los Angeles CA drain") arranged along the footings is blocked or simply does not exist, the water that stagnates near the foundation becomes an important source of moisture.

Concrete is a material that absorbs phenomenal amounts of water. When it is saturated and the ground outside is already very wet, moisture continually escapes to the interior of the house. If there is no ventilation in the basement, or moisture remains trapped in materials, health-damaging spore molds can grow.

“Moisture accumulates between fine particles in the soil, which becomes like a sponge,” illustrates the expert. This water-filled sponge is in contact with the foundation concrete, which is porous and absorbs moisture."

If the humidity level in the air exceeds 50%, the use of a dehumidifier is strongly recommended. However, it is always better to fix the problem at the source than to fight it continuously.

Solution Of Basement Moisture Problem

To eliminate a moisture problem in a basement, the main solution is to waterproof the foundation from the outside. We excavate all the accessible faces, to go and fix a waterproofing membrane. Count between $ 12,000 and $ 20,000, depending on the size of the house.

There are single-layer rubberized asphalt membranes, such as Blueskin, and "honeycomb" membranes, such as Delta MS, which are made up of two layers separated by honeycombs. These alleviate the water pressure against the foundation and allow some drainage.

The membranes must also cover the footing, to end above the foundation drain. In order for water to quickly seep into the foundation drain, it is covered with clean gravel. Experts further recommend the installation of a geotextile over the gravel, so that it remains clean over the years and that the drain does not clog.

Warning Signs of Damp Basement Moisture

Signs of damp in the basement:

1. Dark circles on floors and walls
2. Mold at the bottom of gypsum walls
3. Blisters and other deformations in the paint
4. Efflorescence (white salts) on the foundation walls and on the slab
5. Odors

Top 5 Basement Waterproofing Methods

A basement has to be watertight, to avoid water seepage and capillaries. For this, different types of basement waterproofing methods: Basement Roof Waterproofing

Basement Roof Waterproofing

In case the basement roof is covered with earth, a waterproofing is placed to prevent the passage of water. As the water is filtered by the effect of gravity, it is enough to install a waterproofing system that works under direct pressure. The most used systems are:

1. Asphalt sheets.
2. Pvc sheets.
3. Modified bitumen membranes.
4. Polyurethane membranes.

If the basement wall is outdoors, a waterproofing system for facades is applied. If on the other hand it is buried, there are different methods to waterproof walls:

Waterproofing of walls from the outside

To do this, the earth behind the wall is removed, making an excavation, and then simply placing a waterproofing that works under direct pressure (it is usually accompanied by a drainage system).

Waterproofing of walls from the inside

In this case, a waterproofing system is applied that works against pressure (it has to withstand the pressure of the water) and the most used are cementitious mortars or polymers. There is a system for waterproofing behind the wall, this is achieved by drilling and injecting waterproof resins from the inside. These systems are more expensive, but when there is a lot of water pressure they may be the only solution.

Basement Wall Waterproofing Membrane

Once the ceiling and wall are waterproofed, the partitions can only absorb moisture from the ground. Two methods can be used for this:

Physical waterproofing: It consists of placing a waterproofing sheet or membrane under the partition. This prevents the walls from absorbing moisture from the floor.

Chemical waterproofing: This method consists of drilling holes in the floor of the partition, to inject a liquid that forms an impermeable barrier. The waterproof barrier is formed by a chemical reaction.

Waterproofing of basement floors

If the slab is supported on the ground, a waterproofing must be installed to prevent it from absorbing moisture. This can be done in different ways: Waterproofing under the ground: this is achieved by placing a waterproofing sheet before making the screed (the most economical system) or by injecting waterproof resins from the top (with the screed made).

Waterproofing above the ground: for this, liquid waterproofing systems are used that work against pressure (to withstand the water pressure). The most used are cementations waterproofing mortars or polymers.

If all the areas of our basement are properly waterproofed, we will never have to worry about humidity problems again.

Basements or any underground structure that is made up of a slab, walls and top plate, is partially or totally exposed to the ground and groundwater, resulting in specific exposure to temporary or permanent environmental conditions depending on the location of the project . In general, new building owners request a useful life of 50 years or more, as is the case with tunnels where the service life is 120 years.

Any lack of impermeability seriously reduces the long-term durability of a building or other underground structure and affects its intended use, as the ingress of water will cause physical damage and deterioration of the concrete. This leads to costly structural repair work, damage or loss of interior finishes and personal property.

The design, the proper selection of the waterproofing system for a specific project and its correct application on site are key elements to minimize the total cost of the property. A waterproofing system generally costs less than 1% of the total project cost; however, selecting a high-quality waterproofing solution can easily save this amount, or more, on future maintenance and repair costs over the life of the roof structure.

1. Specific waterproofing solutions for metro stations built with the open-pit construction method.
2. Basement waterproofing solutions for various technical rooms and underground power plants.
3. Waterproofing solutions that guarantee a completely dry environment to protect goods against humidity in commercial premises and warehouses.
4. Basement waterproofing solutions for underground sports facilities, indoor swimming pools and other sports venues.

SERVICE ROOMS, COMMERCIAL PREMISES AND WAREHOUSES AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

LuxDevLa offers a high range of technologies and systems for waterproofing underground structures in Los Angeles CA. This includes highly flexible, liquid-applied membrane systems, waterproof concrete mix design, waterproof joint systems, waterproofing mortars, and asphalt coatings, as well as waterproof injection backing or repair systems.

All of these solutions are designed to be used together to meet the specific needs and requirements of the owners, architects, engineers, and contractors on the project. LuxDevLa's experience is combined with more than 100 years of experience around the world, in providing successful waterproofing solutions for the construction of basements and underground civil engineering structures, such as tunnels and water retention structures (dams, tanks, etc).

LuxDevLa waterproofing experts are trained to provide technical support to clients through their projects, determining the best waterproofing system from the beginning, through detailed and meticulous design, providing on-site support for successful installation and completion. This also includes extensive remedial solutions in waterproofing existing structures.

Underground structures can be exposed to different conditions, including:

1. Different levels of exposure to water and pressure (example: wet soil, seepage of water or water under hydrostatic pressure, and open water)
2. Groundwater containing harsh chemicals (commonly sulfates and chlorides in solution)
3. Uneven static forces (due to loading, settling or lifting, etc.)
4. Dynamic forces (for example: settlements, earthquakes, explosions, etc.)
5. Temperature variations (frost during the night / winters, heat during the day / summer) thermal gradient
6. Gases in the soil (for example, Methane and Radon)
7. Aggressive biological influences (roots / plant growth, fungi or bacterial attack)


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