Basement Waterproofing
Check out UGL DRYLOK. It's a DIY product you can apply yourself. Use a stiff wire brush to get rid of the efflorescence. Its a thick paint/waterproof product with the consistency of cake batter. A gallon covers approximately 75sqf. Just make sure you have adequate ventilation.
@dano - Thank you! This sounds like a job for when it warms up outside. I noticed this morning that there are a couple of small spots where the mortar has fallen out, so I'll have to patch those areas before using this product.
Before doing anything on the inside of the basement make sure you have addressed the issue from the outside first. We had a slight water issue in our basement. We repaired the gutter and also dealt with a crack in the pavement near the foundation. Only after we were satisfied that the water was no longer coming in from the outside did we use dry-lock on the inside. To do otherwise can mask a water issue and lead to serious issues down the road.
Drylock products work for a while, but they are a band aid at best. Think of it like this: water is penetrating through the 8 inches of concrete that make up your basement walls, but you are going to rely on a product the thickness of a layer of paint to stop the water? Like I said this works for a while; a big part of how well it works is how well it is applied. Ideally it should be put on bare concrete that has not already been painted.
Unfortunately leaky basements are a fact of life around here. Proper repairs are expensive: French drains and sump pumps, or excavation of the soil around the outside of the house so that proper waterproofing can be done.
Good luck.
spontaneous said:
Before doing anything on the inside of the basement make sure you have addressed the issue from the outside first. We had a slight water issue in our basement. We repaired the gutter and also dealt with a crack in the pavement near the foundation. Only after we were satisfied that the water was no longer coming in from the outside did we use dry-lock on the inside. To do otherwise can mask a water issue and lead to serious issues down the road.
@spontaneous - Thank you. Dealing with the water issues first makes sense. I think we will have to regrade our property.
@Red_Barchetta - Thanks for your feedback. We already have a sump pump and French drains. They keep the place from flooding during heavy downpours. Our basement walls are made of stones and mortar. It sounds like we will have to regrade the property. Ouch...
Red_Barchetta said:
Drylock products work for a while, but they are a band aid at best. Think of it like this: water is penetrating through the 8 inches of concrete that make up your basement walls, but you are going to rely on a product the thickness of a layer of paint to stop the water? Like I said this works for a while; a big part of how well it works is how well it is applied. Ideally it should be put on bare concrete that has not already been painted.
Unfortunately leaky basements are a fact of life around here. Proper repairs are expensive: French drains and sump pumps, or excavation of the soil around the outside of the house so that proper waterproofing can be done.
Good luck.
We have efflorescence showing up in our basement on the mortar between the stones. I have reached out to Gregory Waterproofing which has been recommended on MOL in the past. Does anyone have suggestions on other companies that do this kind of work? Also has anyone attempted this type of repair as a DIY project? If so, would welcome feedback on how it went. Thank you.