HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE

THE NUMBER ONE REASON WE SEE BASEMENT LEAKS

If you know how to swim, you have undoubtedly experienced the pain of pressure in your ears from swimming deep into the water. This pressure is known as hydrostatic pressure and the deeper you go, the more pressure one will experience. This same phenomenon is the number one reason a basement will experience a leak. With pressure building up the lower you go, basements will often have water leaking down along the footing of the foundation. While this issue is common knowledge in the contracting industry, it can't be fully avoided during a home build. When building, the first thing that is done is a large hole is dug where the home will sit. The footings are poured and after the concrete has cured, the basement walls are formed.  The hole is then backfilled with the dirt that was removed. This backfill is much looser than the virgin soil that the builder removed. Because of this, it will absorb more water and at a quicker rate than the virgin soil, leading to pressure issues. 

To lessen water leaks, many contractors will install a footing drainage system before being backfilled, however, over the years, these drains often fill with silt and become ineffective. While waterproofing specialists can reinstall new exterior drainage systems, this is an expensive endeavor. OSHA dictates that for every foot that is dug down, one must dig outward two feet. With homes that have a small footprint, this can leave many properties incapable of meeting the outward requirements for this to be possible. For those who can dig out enough to safely install exterior drainage, this dig out will remove all landscaping, walkways, porches, patios, etc. which are near the home. That is why we recommend WaterGuard on the interior of the basement at the footing and a sump system to keep basements dry!

To read more about WaterGuard and the many benefits that in includes, check out our page: WaterGuard.