Protection of basements from groundwater and precipitation should be provided at the construction stage. But repeated waterproofing may be required due to its destruction during the operation of the building.
Causes of excessive dampness in the basement
A large accumulation of water and its condensate in the basement can occur for the following reasons:• deformation of the foundation in old buildings and the presence of cracks in the ceilings and joints through which water seeps;
• lack of a blind area or its destruction and, as a result, leakage of sewage under the foundation;
• raising groundwater.
Dampness in the basement
In all of the above cases, carry out waterproofing only inside the basement would be a waste of money. Moreover, when delaying the repair of the foundation and the blind area, a violation of the integrity of the building may occur. Basement waterproofing from the inside is carried out in this case only as additional protection against moisture.
If groundwater is close to the surface
Trying to pump (drain) groundwater from the basement is not a very smart decision. Groundwater is a kind of river that extends far beyond the house. Fortunately, in most cases it is located deep underground. If she came close to the surface, you should not even try to scoop her out.
For the first couple of years, the basement will fill with water really not so fast. But after her regular pumping ducts(channels that communicate with underground water), in your basement clean up, and it will be necessary to pump out water not only during floods, but all year round. Moreover, too radical water disposal measures can cost the life of the foundation, and, as a result, the whole house.
Location of groundwater
Perhaps the only solution to the problem of flooding the cellar in this case is basement floor raising to a considerable height.
Basement drainage
Basement waterproofing should only be done in summer after the flood and the decrease in groundwater activity. To remove condensate, all ventilation systems must be fully opened. In difficult cases, you can use a heat gun.Important! Excess water can be scooped out, but not pumped out, so as not to wash out the ducts and increase its flow!
Cellar or basement vent scheme
Raising and waterproofing the floor in the basement
It is very difficult to cope with groundwater. But, if the foundation is dry, it is quite possible that in the basement there is only somewhere a spring is trying to break through. In this case, raising the basement or subfloor floor to a considerable height will help to cope with the problem. This will also help if the groundwater has not risen too high.A wonderful old-fashioned way is the construction for protection against underground waters of the so-called "clay castle". It is envisaged at the construction stage and laid on the foundation. In our case, before backfilling and pouring the floor, it will be laid in a layer of 40 cm only in the cellar.
"Clay Castle"
1. For the construction of a “clay castle”, the earth in the cellar or subfield is selected before dampness appears and is replaced with clay. Use only the fattest, which will not let water through. Clay is desirable to take dry or slightly moistened so that it collects the remaining moisture from the floor when stirred. Such a “castle” is laid in small layers, while each layer is carefully rammed (in the old days, clay was kneaded with feet). By the walls it should be hammered as tightly as possible.
2. Next fit and the sand is compacted, and it is better to use a denser screening.
3. Sleeps on him rubble layer.
Pouring concrete
4. Before the screed layer is laid waterproofing(roofing material, polymer film, isoplast, etc.).
5. The last layer will be reinforced concrete layer 5 cm, which will give the necessary load. To reduce the pressure of water on its surface from below, the screed can be supported on the walls. To do this, they hollow out holes into which are inserted steel beams.
6. To insure against swelling of the floor, you can make it heavier by laying a double layer of concrete. To do this, the first layer, aged for drying for 2 weeks, is covered with mastic and roofing material, and then another layer of sand-cement mixture is applied again.
Basement wall waterproofing
Dampness in basements or cellars is often caused by water seeping through small holes (capillaries) in the walls. Waterproofing basement walls with the help of special compounds (liquid glass, bitumen, etc.) and roll materials is possible only if the building is erected in fairly dry areas.In other cases, the floor and walls should become single monolith of concrete. Wall coating is better carried out with a solution tension cement. Concrete made from NC cement has a tensile strength 20-30% higher than normal. Such walls will not crack and are able to withstand the pressure of the soil when it is mobile.
Advice. In the corners of the walls, as well as at the joints of the floor and ceiling, it is desirable to lay elastic lock. To do this, the tow is moistened in bituminous mastic and laid along the walls.
Before starting work with a puncher, it is necessary to completely remove the previous finish up to the foundation. If the old concrete is of poor quality, the damaged seams are knocked out, and all voids are restored with a sand-concrete mortar.
Advice. Adding liquid glass to the solution is possible only when mixing a small amount of concrete to strengthen small areas, since such a mixture will already set when mixed.
Wall cleaning
Stages of coating waterproofing of walls with NTs cement
1. Before starting waterproofing, to prevent gaps, it is necessary to smooth out all internal corners: there should not be too sharp corners and transitions.
2. To dampen deformations at the joints, all places where metal or plastic pipes pass and where they connect with wooden structures are smeared with elastic compounds or wrapped with sealant.
3. Solutions from such cement are applied to the walls like ordinary plaster in layers, with each layer 15 mm thick. The total thickness of the wall coating is from 3 mm.
Coating waterproofing
4. In corners, junctions and joints, it is better to reinforce the walls with wire mesh.
5. The surface should dry slowly. To increase the durability of such a coating, even in a damp basement, so that the walls do not harden ahead of time, they are periodically moistened for 10 days.
Basement sealing
Very often, condensation in the basement is formed due to temperature differences due to the rise of warm air from living quarters. In such a situation, external hydro- and thermal insulation would be an ideal solution.To do this, first a plastic film or any other vapor barrier material with overlapping strips is attached to the ceiling, then the bars are nailed. Any heat-insulating material is laid between them. To protect it from moisture, a layer of waterproofing is laid on top.
Thermal insulation of the basement
