SHOULD I PUT DAMPPROOFING OR WATERPROOFING ON MY FOUNDATION?

When building or buying a newly constructed home ALWAYS insist that contractor use a waterproofing material on the exterior foundation walls.  Although these two products may look very similar, they are VERY DIFFERENT in how they perform.  Many contractors continue to use dampproofing because once the foundation is backfilled the area is “out of sight, out of mind”, and once the house is finished and sold it becomes the homeowner’s problem if the foundation starts to leak.  The small amount of money you save by not using proper waterproofing when the home is built, can cost you a lot of money to fix when water appears in your basement after one or two years, or even sooner.

WHAT IS DAMPPROOFING?

Dampproofing products are typically a tar based material cut back with a solvent based product.  They are cheap to apply and their effectiveness is extremely limited because they are only to designed to ‘retard’ moisture penetration, not prevent it.  The main problem with this type of product is that it becomes brittle once it cures and as the foundation settles and hairline cracks appear, the tar based coating will not stretch to bridge the cracks and this allows moisture to penetrate into the basement.  Many homeowners who have problems with a wet basement and dig up the exterior foundation find that these tar based products have started to flake off the wall within a few years of being applied.

WHAT IS WATERPROOFING?

Waterproofing products are designed to “prevent” water penetration even under wet conditions such as hydrostatic pressure in the soil after heavy rain storms or spring thaws.  Advanced Waterproofing Technologies products contain rubber which provides superior waterproofing protection and allows the product to remain flexible even when it dries.  This flexibility allows the waterproofing membrane to stretch as the foundation settles and bridge small hairline settlement cracks that can occur in the concrete or block.

WHAT PRODUCTS DOES AQUASEAL OFFER FOR EXTERIOR WATERPROOFING?

Advanced Waterproofing Technologies distributes liquid applied, exterior waterproofing products for use on concrete or block foundations, or insulated concrete forms (ICF).  These environmentally friendly products are safe and easy for the homeowner or contractor to use and provide superior waterproofing protection.

Foundation Waterproofing Products:

1.)         Eco-Flex water based, liquid rubber membrane

2.)         Gray-Coat All Season Formula

3.)         Aqua-Wrap – heavy duty protective film

4.)         Aqua-Board – dimpled drainage/protection board

WHERE CAN YOUR PRODUCTS BE USED?

Our exterior waterproofing products can be used on residential homes or commercial buildings.  They are designed for standard concrete or block foundations, or for use with insulated concrete forms (ICF).  Also, some of the products can be used on other materials that require a waterproof seal such as wood, metal, plastic, etc., or below interior surfaces such as the floor slab or under tiles in showers, bathrooms, etc. where moisture might be a problem.

OUR HOME IS IN AN AREA WITH A HIGH WATER TABLE, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND?

In this type of situation your foundation is under increased attack from hydrostatic pressure so it is very important to do everything you can to alleviate the stress on your foundation walls.  The best method for doing this is to install a drainage board such as our Aqua-Board over the top of the rubber waterproofing membrane.  These boards are actually plastic sheets with extruded dimples that provide an air barrier between the foundation and the backfill material to relieve the hydrostatic pressure against the walls.  These dimples also create drainage channels so that the water surrounding your property can drain down the wall and into the footing drains.

HOW DO I APPLY YOUR PRODUCTS?

All of the products we distribute are safe and easy to apply by the ‘do-it-yourselfer’ building their own home or the professional contractor.  The products come ready to use in 5 gallon pails or 55 gallon drums and do not require heating or special application equipment – anyone who can use a brush or roller can apply them.  Or alternatively, you can use a commercial airless sprayer which can be rented by the day.  An average size foundation of approximately 1,000 square feet can easily be waterproofed by a couple of people using a roller in 2-3 hours. 

IS THERE A WARRANTY WITH YOUR PRODUCTS?

We offer a 30 year warranty against product failure on all of our exterior waterproofing products.  Providing the foundation is sound, all tie-holes have been properly filled, and the waterproofing applied to the correct thickness, the membrane will last indefinitely – it will not dry out, crack or peel off the wall.  Our products are manufactured with top quality ingredients and you get some of the best products on the market – we wouldn’t offer a 30 year warranty if the products did not perform.

IS YOUR WATERPROOFING EXPENSIVE?

No, you will find that our pricing compares very favorable with other similar quality products on the market, and because our products are ‘user friendly’ you can actually save money by doing the waterproofing yourself.  Aquaseal products will give you quality waterproofing for your home at a price that provides very good value for your money, and you will have peace of mind knowing that your home is protected.

ARE YOUR PRODUCTS JUST FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION?

No – they can be used for renovation projects, or by people who have dug up around their exterior foundation to fix a problem with a leaky basement.  Once the existing foundation is exposed clean it by power washing to remove any loose debris.  If there is old waterproofing on the foundation, such as dried-out tar based dampproofing products, it is not necessary to remove this.  Just clean off any areas that are loose or flaking with either the power washer or by hand, repair any cracks or voids in the walls, and then apply waterproofing right over the old material.

DO I NEED TO USE ANYTHING ELSE ON TOP OF THE WATERPROOFING?

If your home is in an area with well draining soil and you have good quality backfill material, then you can carefully backfill directly against our products.  However, if your backfill material contains rocks or stones that could damage the newly applied rubber membrane, then we recommend the use of a product such as our Aqua-Wrap.  This 6mil polyethylene sheeting is highly puncture and tear resistant and will prevent rocks from puncturing the waterproofing. 

You can also use polystyrene boards against the exterior foundation for their insulation value.  Because our products are water based and do not contain solvents, they are safe to use with polystyrene.

Always check with your local building department before backfilling because some municipalities do require the use of protection or insulation boards in addition to waterproofing or dampproofing products.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PRODUCTS TO FIX A LEAKY BASEMENT FROM THE INSIDE?

We have a range of products to seal your basement walls and floor, prevent mold and mildew growth, and take that musty smell out of your house.  For poured concrete foundations and block we have AQUA-STOP which penetrates deep into the concrete to stop water soaking through to the inside – it has been tested to depths of 400+ feet!  If your walls are brick or stone and mortar, AQUA-BLOCK BB provides the toughest waterproof coating on the market and leaves a clean white finish.  These commercial grade products are safe and easy for the homeowner to apply and are an economical alternative to expensive contractor repairs. 

CAN YOU FIX THE MUSTY SMELL IN MY BASEMENT?

This musty smell is a sign of dampness, even if your basement doesn’t seem to have a problem with leaks.  This smell is caused by mold growth in damp areas and fungus spores in the air, and this can contribute to health problems such as allergies and asthma.  Advanced Waterproofing Technologies basement waterproofing products will seal the walls and floor of your basement and make the air healthy and fresh again.

WHAT IS THE WHITE POWDERY SUBSTANCE ON MY BASEMENT WALLS?

This is known as “efflorescence” and is a sign of dampness in concrete walls.  The moisture is causing a chemical breakdown of the bonding agent in the concrete and the free lime is leaching out of the wall.  If this problem is ignored it will eventually start to weaken the concrete and compromise the structural integrity of the wall.  The powdery substance can be washed or brushed off the wall and then the entire area can be sealed with either AQUA-STOP or AQUA-BLOCK BB.

I HAVE CRACKS IN MY WALLS AND FLOOR THAT LEAK WATER AFTER HEAVY RAIN, CAN I JUST REPAIR THESE?

Although it’s important to repair the cracks to stop the water coming through to the inside, you need to then seal the entire wall or floor surface with one of our basement waterproofing products.  Remember that you only repair the interior part of the crack – it still goes right through to the exterior and will let water in.  If you don’t seal the surrounding wall or floor surface the incoming water will by-pass the repaired crack and soak into the concrete around it.  The resulting hydrostatic pressure can also cause additional cracks to appear, branching off the repaired crack – so you are only exchanging one problem for another. 

I HAVE PAINT ON THE WALL, DO I HAVE TO REMOVE IT?

Unfortunately the answer to this question is YES.  Existing paint or coatings on the wall will stop our waterproofing products from working properly.  AQUA-STOP penetrates deep into the concrete and it cannot do this if there is a barrier of paint in the way.  Although AQUA-BLOCK BB is a coating, it has special ingredients that allow it to form a very strong bond with concrete, brick or stone and this adhesive bond would be severely compromised by an existing coating.  The existing paint or coating can be removed with a good quality paint stripper and any remaining residue can be ground off using a mechanical wire brush.  If you don’t take the time to do this, our basement waterproofing products will not work and you won’t get the results you want or paid for.