A number of interior systems are used to keep a basement dry. A short description of the basics follows:

Interior Drainage

This is the main system people are talking about when they say ‘basement waterproofing’, and it has a number of names:

• interior Drain

• Basement French Drain

• Perimeter Drain

• Interior Footing Drain

All foundations nowadays get built with footing drains, which are an essential part of the waterproofing system. ( think french drains but next to the footer of the foundation). But older houses were built without them, and many of the footing drains on older houses have failed.

When these fail, water can get into the basement. Because excavation can be disruptive and expensive, a new footing drain is installed on the interior of the basement instead of the exterior. This is the purpose of a basement waterproofing system, often called an ‘interior french drain.’

See our interior drain page for more details.

Crack Injection

Concrete cracks, and these cracks can open up over time. Whether you are getting an exterior foundation waterproofing system or a basement waterproofing system, the cracks need to be waterproofed.

We use a two part polyurethane, which is injected into the crack and expands to fill the void from the front to the back with a waterproofing closed cell foam. It’s the same stuff and equipment they use to stop active leaks in damns and mining tunnels.

Concrete Sealing

There are many types of concrete sealing. Besides foundation waterproofing, for residential purposes, most concrete sealing is floor or masonry sealing. This slows moisture from working its way through brick and cinder blocks, or from working its way up through the slab, perhaps one installed without a vapor barrier.

Crystalline Waterproofing

In the presence of moisture, to form insoluble crystalline products to reduce concrete permeability and seal hairline cracks from within the concrete. Particularly useful for larger concrete vertical surfaces that was poured incorrectly or is spalling with age.

Sealing walls from the inside is a homeowner diy trick that has a short lifetime. Short of some advanced polyurethane injection techniques, application of a crystalline compound is the best way to achieve a waterproofed basement from the interior, without excavation.