Originally Posted By: sharon lantz This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hello all,
I need a bit of help. I am looking for the best way to design a basement for the home we will soon be building. I want it waterproof so that the space will be dry, leakproof and durable. What are the best methods to employ, and what are good products to use? I also want the basement to have a height of 10’. Also, What do I ask for as to my concrete mix? I am assuming it will be drier if the basement is poured. I would rather spend more money now, and not have any problems later. I hate redoing things. I would like to do this right the first time. We bought a house once that had some minor problems, and I don’t want to have that experience again. Thanks for your help.
– I am in the planning stages of building and need help. I want to build a home that will be here 200 years from now.
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Sharon, here are some ideas that were passed on to me…
First keep the water away from the house, second if the water gets near the house give it a place to go, and third, for the water that touches the house, make it waterproof.
Obviously grading and footing drains are paramount. If the soil is clay, backfill should be gravel or sand out four feet from the home. Running a second round of drain tile two feet above the foundation drains is an extra precaution that costs very little. A waterproof exterior membrane should be applied to the foundation walls and then should be protected with either rigid foam or proprietary products designed especially for the purpose. The membrane can be a fibrous sprayed on product or butyl based sheet products.
All insulation and water proofing should be applied to the exterior, not the interior of the walls. CMU (block) walls are more permeable than poured walls, but poured walls won't prevent moisture/water intrusion in a poorly detailed home. If concrete walls are to be formed and poured in place a 4,000lb mix is adequate. Filament fiber should be added and the plasticizers should be employed to make the mix "wetter" without adding additional water. It should be lightly vibrated especially around window and door penetrations.
Originally Posted By: sharon lantz This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I want to thank-you so much for replying quickly. Would you have any specific products to recommend, and a particular cement blend? What you sent was very helpful. Thanks! Sharon
– I am in the planning stages of building and need help. I want to build a home that will be here 200 years from now.
Originally Posted By: aslimack This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Sharon,
Send me your email address and i can give you alot more information on the subject or point you in the direction where you can get all the information you are looking for. Hit the rectangular oval at the base of this post to mail me.
Originally Posted By: mkober This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Regardless of what your contractor tells you, don’t use less than a 6-sack mix for both footings and walls. Don’t let your contractor pour at more than a 4" slump, and have the ready-mix supplier give you 5 % +/- air-entrainment. If you live in a part of the country where alkali-silica reactivity is a concern, you should also have fly ash added to the mix. You might consider doing yourself a big favor and hire a knowledgeable person/firm to monitor the entire construction operation for you–it will be money well-spent having someone on your side down in the trenches, and can save you a lot of grief down the road.
