THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, October 28, 2010 IMPROVEMENT101 HOME
Mark@HomeAdditionPlus.com HOW TO PREVENT BASEMENT WATER LEAKS
by Mark Donovan Contributing Writer
Having a basement that
is free from water leaks is not a thing of chance. There are a number of steps that you can take to prevent basement water leaks and ensure a dry basement. Some of the steps to preventing base- ment water leaks should be done during the con- struction of the home. In other cases, steps can be taken to prevent and fix basement water leaks af- ter the home is built.
Preventing Basement Water Leaks When Constructing a Home
One of the best ways to prevent a leaking base- ment is to install the foun- dation walls properly so that there is less chance of them cracking and set- tling. Cracked basement walls are often the source of many wet basements. To mitigate the risk of foun- dation cracks and base- ment water leaks, proper excavation is essential. All topsoil and clay material should be removed from the foundation site area. Several inches to a foot of large 2 inch diameter, an- gular gravel should then be placed into the exca- vated hole and compacted. By taking these steps the
of gravel and drainage pipes should be installed around the base of the foundation, at the footing level, that channels water away from the home. The perforated PVC drain pip- ing should extend away from the home to a low spot on the property far away from the foundation. By creating a perimeter drain system around the foundation, any water that drains down around the basement walls will hit the perimeter foundation drain and be channeled away from the home to the low spot on the property. A perimeter drain system is one of the best solutions for preventing basement water leaks. The second step in pre-
Prior to backfilling around foundation walls make sure to install a perimeter drain and seal the exterior foundation walls up to the expected finished grade.
concrete footings are en- sured to be resting on solid and stable earth. By ensuring a stable footing there is less likelihood that foundation settling will occur, which is of- ten what causes cracked foundation walls. Next, when installing the foundation, a network
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venting basement leaks during the construction phase of a home is to seal the exterior basement walls. The basement seal- er should be applied from
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