DIY basement waterproofing

Good for you Don.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaWO8oOUAT8 video 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIMKK4UJCWk video 2

couple things… he was working w/limited funds so, if others can afford then backfill with most-all gravel, sand second best…not clay and other junk

also if you can afford it, apply visqueen on mastic, then if you want, attach membrane if it makes you feel better.

I think/sounds like he did/waterproofed about 125’

He mentioned cost to have done by companies $15,000-30,000.
Sure, some would bid all over the place.

To waterproof 125’ at his place, i would charge about $12,500 in case someone else wants to know but again, most homeowners would very likely get bids all over the place and if some bids were from interior system co’s then they’ll likely bid HIGH because, they don’t do exterior waterproofing and want to scare off homeowners on exterior waterproofing with high bids and other knothead-remarks.:wink:

I know this guy doesn’t know, NOT knocking him at all, but when he said something like the dimpled membrane RELIEVES any-all pressure, it does not.

The kind of pressure or weight one needs to be concerned with is the weight, the PRESSURE exerted against basement walls by saturated soil, lateral-soil-pressure.
Roots or concrete slabs or a porch footing etc can also can problems.

So a dimpled membrane attached to the wall doesn’t RELIEVE or reduce these pressures/weights,

If someone where to dig, then apply a dimpled membrane and then put clay, silty soil back in, then they did NOT relieve ANY pressure against the wall. Sure, if there was concrete, roots against wall and they removed it then they did relieve some pressure. But again, the membrane alone does not. The clay soil will continue to expand, contract, will still act upon the wall.

If they dug it out and and used a membrane and then backfilled with most-all gravel then they DID reduce soil pressure/weight acting upon the wall.

5:35 ish of second video, apparently after he finished waterproofing they got 4" of rain, no water in basement.

Just make sure, look around the GRADE and ABOVE grade for ANY direct openings into house, find em and seal em up. Around any doors, windows, where any service line enters house and so on.

Near end of 2nd video he lists his costs.
One more note-- even though he apparently had no cave ins, you have to be very careful, especially when leaving trenches open overnight or for days etc, they can indeed cave in.

Good DIY job Mr. homeowner :wink:

http://www.dwightyoderbuilders.com/concrete.cfm 6th paragraph…
…backfill all the way up with GRAVEL (not dirt) to within 2-3" of the finished grade.

…this type of drainage (the gravel backfill), prevents trapped water and saturated soil next to foundation (wall) from building up horizontal hydrostatic pressure (lateral pressure)

It’s the actual removal of x amount of clay soil and any concrete or roots against walls or porch footing etc that WAS causing more pressure against wall.

So getting rid of that junk and backfilling with most-all gravel is what helps REDUCE pressure, NOT the attachment or use a dimpled membrane!!!

A dimpled membrane doesn’t remove the clay, silty soil. roots etc etc that acts, that causes pressure against walls.

Many inside system companies, owners, salespeople actual believe and tell homeowners lots of crap such as, using a dimpled membrane on/against inside walls and when they DRILL HOLES on inside blocks, that it relieves pressure against basement walls…
NONSENSE…false claims!

Hippity hoppity this Easter with Kate Upton, got eggs?

–Keeping your basement dry on a small budget
http://www.local21news.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/keep-your-basement-dry-small-budget-7554.shtml

…let’s not get too carried away with this. So far, apparently for THIS homeowner Mr. Baer, he says he hasn’t got water in but i wish the reporter Donna Morgan would check back with Mr. Baer in 6–12 months and let’s see how he is doing at that point in time.

Always BEST off to FIRST, correctly determine/find where-how the dumb water is actually getting in, then fix/repair it correctly.

Apparently Mr. Baer spent about $370 on, imo, basically nothing other than, its a-ok to get new gutters and longer downspouts sure, in fact go ahead and extend them to the STREET if you like, but the Drylok, anyone will need the best of luck and god’s good graces for that.

In first post above, videos, the DIY guy, he SPENT around $790 and imo, well spent cash, there’s a big difference between duh two, eh.
And $790 is a small budget on THIS subject.

Here’s a homeowner who applied LOTS of DRYLOK on interior block walls, still leaked, more mold etc. Her problems/where the water entered were, outside.
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing28#5443308277375929394

PART of problem outside, where water first-entered into block wall and THEN it came out in her basement at–along the bottom of basement wall, floor.
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing28#5443308111650059842

Another homeowner here, paid over $1,000 to some BOZO company who applied JUNK on interior block wall, still leaked.
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofingIBeamsEtc#5443027684964339746

Window Wells? Much better off finding where the water gets in around, under etc any window then, fixing/sealing that, not a dumb bubble cover etc.
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing67#5751026999730561058

Another homeowner, paneling against basement wall here, water was entering through–around basement window, find 'em and seal em.
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing30#5443600952333069906

The bottom of paneling, where THEY saw the water come in, onto floor
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing30#5443600938442029282

So if some homeowners want to apply 42 coats of Drylok and spend $1,000 on that junk, fine, its your house and cash. But THAT cash could have been spent much better, gone towards fixing whatever your actual problem(s) is.

Any homeowner who has a leaky basement and would like some honest help/info, call me, 810 346 2955. i do NOT want a thing, nary one cent, willing to listen and help you, there’s an answering machine (that’s right Haege) if I’m not available, i will call you back, the name is Mark Anderson.