What’s the best way to waterproof a basement?
Victoria BC's leaky basement experts explain the best way to keep your basement dry.
Making sure your basement is waterproofed is important, but it’s especially important in rainy cities like Victoria BC where having a leaky basement could easily cost you thousands of Canadian dollars in water damage repairs. To avoid these expensive repair costs, our Victoria drain experts will explain the best way to waterproof your basement. Our basement waterproofing service is designed to keep your basement dry for the rest of your life with a free lifetime warranty. So let’s get started.
Firstly, to ensure your basement is waterproofed the BEST way, you’ll want to inspect your existing perimeter drain system and basement foundation for leaks and vulnerabilities. Unlike other Victoria drainage companies who will lazily give you a cost estimate for a full drain tile replacement without even inspecting your drains first, we assess your existing drainage carefully in order to come up with solutions that save you time and money. For example, if you have a leak in just one side of your basement, we may only need to repair that portion of your drains rather than replace the whole perimeter drain system. This is important to know because other Victoria drainage companies may try to swindle you if you’re unaware of this, so never accept a quote from a drainage company if they haven’t even taken the time to inspect your foundation yet.
Next, we come to the actual waterproofing method itself.
The best way to waterproof a basement is to (1) dig a trench around the entire exterior of your foundation to repair any cracks, (2) to spray on a waterproofing material, (3) apply a waterproofing membrane, (4) and to install a modern perimeter drain system built to the latest BC by-laws and building codes before the trench is filled back in. Certain types of foundations laid onto bedrock may also benefit from a sump pump, though this is not always necessary and in most cases a gravity pump is recommended. In other words, waterproofing a basement is all about
protecting your foundation.
Our sprayed waterproofing membrane will make water penetration in your cement foundation impossible, protecting your basement from leaks. The drainage system is a further step to make sure no underground water reaches your foundation to begin with. We also weatherproof your drain pipes so that they don’t freeze and burst in the winter. By draining the water away from your home with sloping pipes, your basement will remain dry no matter how cold or stormy Victoria gets.
On a further note, hexagonal ceramic drain tile is an old-school type of drain pipe that must be replaced with new PVC pipe due to building code standards. PVC pipes, although we still call them drain tile in the industry to avoid confusion, are less likely to get clogged, and to ensure it never clogs annual
drain inspections should be conducted routinely. So long as you have an up-to-date perimeter drain system and schedule your yearly inspections, you can rest assured that your basement will remain dry and waterproofed for good, backed by RainTek’s lifetime warranty.
Check out other blog posts by RainTek
RainTek Blog
