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Last Updated: Monday, May 10th, 2010, Created: Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
. WEATHER & RENOVATION is a joint project of: CTV.ca and JonEakes.com designed to help you plan home improvement projects around weather restrictions. If you have just been checking the weather for your project on the CTV web site -- welcome to JonEakes.com where you will find all the details for your home improvements. If you started here and are looking for weather restrictions related to home improvements, follow this link to CTV.ca where you can get your local weather forecast together with weather restrictions for specific products on the bottom of the page.
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Elastomeric, or rubberized, liquid waterproofing coatings can be used to totally waterproof a basement foundation, usually applied from the outside -- sort of like an inside-out swimming pool. Because of the size of the job (excavation, cleaning, application, grading and probably some work on the drainage while there) they are usually applied by professionals when it is deemed that there is not a less expensive alternative. Personally I have found that most, although not all, basement water leak problems can be solved by good rain gutters, downspouts that get the water away from the foundation and general landscaping to keep surface water away from the wall. If you add to that a drainage membrane on the wall tied to perimeter tiles around the footing, in most cases there really is not much reason left for more than a simple bituminous damp proofing on the wall itself. I would much rather not have water pushing on the foundation wall than try to create a waterproof barrier to stop it from getting in. That said: good Elastomeric coatings are two or three coats of application with attention to having an even thickness. Hire experienced applicators. Prep work is required, especially on concrete cracks or mortar joints in a block wall. None of the material can be left exposed to UV rays of the sun, so any above ground application must be protected. Ideally you will let it cure for two weeks before back-filling, although it is rarely left exposed that long. It is a great product, but overkill for most foundations. Click here for details on HOW DO I WATERPROOF A BASEMENT?
Keywords: Basement, Blocks, Concrete, Cracks, Footings, Foundation, Membrane, Problems, Renovation, Roof, Siding, Stucco, Walls, Water, Waterproof, Weather
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