Basement Waterproofing Mistakes to Avoid | Crawl Space Ninja

In today's video, we talk about the top mistakes to avoid when it comes to waterproofing your basement! You can visit our website to view all of our services and to see if you are within our service area.
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[@joeshmoe7789]

You should do everything to keep water from coming into the house first. Installing inside sumps is for water that's gotten into the house. The sump pump in your basement is the very last line of defense against wet basements. The VERY FIRST thing to do is get all roof, driveway, patio, walkway, etc water away from the house to a point where it can't come back. Run water over patios to see which direction it flows. If it runs toward the house, it's going into the foundation. Any buried drainage pipes with holes (perforated) should be replaced. Along with this is the pitch of the property. Rainwater must flow away from the house. There should be no stones against the house. Flower and shrub gardens with walls or borders should have some type of drainage so excess water can escape. Building the ground up against the house IS VERY IMPORTANT. It doesn't have to be high, just enough to provide slope. Plant grass against the house if possible. Its tight roots make it easier for excess water to run down and not penetrate into the ground. After all this is done and after any water is gone from the basement, run a dehumidifier long enough to get the humidity to an acceptable level, then sit back and wait and see what happens. You might have to wait a year for some good storms. Then you can determine if you need an internal sump pump. It's possible you don't need a pump, or just a pump without a perimeter drain. If ground water is a problem, it's much easier and cheaper to install a french drain outside for a crawl space. Try to talk to an engineer that has no stake in whether or not you have work done. It's worth it to pay independent from the contractor, there's a lot of bad work and advise out there. Learn as much as you can from more than one source. Be careful sealing or covering walls on the inside. If there's water there, it has to come in somewhere. It will take longer to dry and could also promote mold issues. A humidifier won't help. Cleaning gutters and down spouts once a year is not good advice. The frequency to clean them will have a lot to do with how many and where trees are near the house. A major storm can cause the need for gutters to be cleaned. Surface drains also need to be kept clean. Learning your house's situation will help you set up a schedule. The point water enters the basement may not be the point it enters the foundation. It can travel thru the block, then leak out at the weakest spot.

[@denisegaylord382]

When we finished our basement at another home, the floor was sloped to one corner of the basement. We put vapor barrier against the block, and installed a baseboard drainage system made by beaver industries. The block vapor went into that system, and ran to the drain in the floor against the outside wall. Then we built 2 x 4 walls out about 1inch or so from the wall. Then we insulated the 2x4 cavities with R19, and installed vapor barrier over the 2x4 wall before installing drywall. We left the interior vapor barrier long to overlap with the vapor barrier we used on the concrete floor. We also installed a medium sized dehumidifier with a pump to drain into the floor drain that was installed by the previous owners. Yes it was a lot of work to finish the basement, but after 15 years of living there, when I moved out, the basement was still dry, mold free, and when it did rain, the baseboard system ran flawlessly.

[@katehepburn9544]

We are having EverDry waterproof our basement. We were told to pull up the carpet and take down the paneling. We can see that this has been done before with the concrete edge floor around the walls. The problem with our basement is that it is damp according to the meters. It is musty. Whoever had this house in the past had painted the concrete blocks and there is some mold with the peeling paint. This house was built in 1939 fyi. We do have a sump pump and a backup sump pump.My brother in law and a friend who has been through this before said that redoing the inside is not necessary but instead do the outside tiles. Maybe we should up grade the sump pump. The ground does get very saturated when it rains. Also, the EverDry people said that because the bathroom is in the way they would 'go around' that and that would mean that it isn't consistent all the way around. This is going to cost us 25,000. I'm upset because I don't know what is going on. I don't want to redo the inside if it doesn't need it. I need help. I need an answer. Can you help?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Kate, without a through inspection, we can't give an honest or truthful suggestion. There are several factors that need to be considered when waterproofing your basement. Sorry we couldn't answer your question.

[@katehepburn9544]

@@CrawlSpaceNinja We had the basement waterproofed and they did a good job. It had been "waterproofed" once upon a time by a do it yourselfer. It was all done wrong and when they dug everything up, it was a mess. I'm glad it's done but I'm not thrilled with the expense.

[@johnnixon1026]

Spot on... going the extra mile now will always save you later...

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

We try to educate on that!

[@laurajones2032]

Thanks

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

You are welcome!

[@angrycannibal6625]

Excellent info, blessings.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Thanks for watching!

[@agrayday7816]

Thanks for the consistent great knowledge you are sharing! q1) What determines weather you need that inside crawl space drainage trench along the footings? Is it partly geography and consistent evidence of standing water in the space? q2) Would it be wrong to assume that most homes built with crawl spaces between the 50's and 80's did not have drainage systems inside the crawlspace along the footings? q3) putting in drainage along the crawlspace footings, slope to sump, and would you use pipe (size?) or a rolled over membrane/barrier (opening diameter?) ?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Good Morning, Q1- placing a water management system in a crawl space has to do with both geography, if you flood or has a potential for flooding. but also if there is evidence of water intrusion its a good idea to install one. Q2 - you are not wrong in assuming that, in our experience most homes do not have one installed. Q3 - this is what we use diy.crawlspaceninja.com/product/ez-flow-drain/ Hope this helps!

[@daddypapi3842]

Hi, can I cover a 1 inch “COVE JOINT” in the basement floor? I would like to finish my basement in New Jersey. Thank you for your videos.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Watch for moisture. If you have any moisture you will need to waterproof before finishing

[@daddypapi3842]

@@CrawlSpaceNinja thank you!

[@Anonymousone-z6u]

Sure wished you provided estimates in NY? This explanation was helpful.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Keep an eye on our service area as we are always expanding: crawlspaceninja.com/service-area/ Thanks so much for your support!

[@alanmcdowell977]

Michael Church I need to clean the air of mold in my Basement. What kind of air filter can i use to make to do this task. And what do I use to clean my idems of mold [tools,dvds,vcr tapes,ect,,,,]

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

HEPA filters are the best for addressing mold. We offer an entire line of mold removal products in our DIY store: diy.crawlspaceninja.com

[@charlesfickle2194]

Thanks for all the knowledge, your videos are extremely explanatory. I do have a question though, do you guys have to do anything to meet fire code with the foam board insulation? I'm looking to encapsulate in northern Indiana, and codes states all foam board must have a thermal barrier over it such as drywall.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

The foam board we use is treated with fire retardant, so make sure that fits your local code.

[@Officialbillyd23]

Whats your opinion on closed cell spray on basement walls and joist

[@mariahdelaney7773]

I'm not having a water issue. I just want to paint the basement walls. Any suggestions? The walls are cinderblock

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Hey Mariah Delaney, Check out this blog we did "Basement Finishing: Do Not Paint Your Walls" crawlspaceninja.com/blog/basement-finishing-do-not-paint-your-walls/ Thanks for watching and have a blessed day

[@djpatel78]

Can I able do french drain in crawl space and concrete?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

We don't necessarily recommend doing a concrete floor in the crawl space unless it's just a pad. Here is a video we did on concrete vs. vapor barrier: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnm8gZuunKmoe5o

[@joeshmoe7789]

Do everything I wrote here previously. If it still takes in water, have a french drain outside and at footer level.

[@aj12271]

Can rigid board insulation work as the vapor barrier?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

We dont recommend it as part of our process, but you can pick the best option that will suit your needs.

[@stevenrath7957]

My crawl space is not level. It has two 3 foot vertical drops. How do you guys connect French drain tile together when you have a vertical drop?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

we dont normally use french drains in the crawl space, we use Ez Flow pipes or the hydraway syste. also we try to backfill as much as we can with dirt we dig up.

[@neilwines3024]

Does drylock waterproof paint work? I have the alldry system around my basement and I still see signs of moisture on walls. And the crack in the floor hydraulics water in during big rain events. How do you fix that. Thank you for your videos and help

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Drylock could still grow mold... and you might need a dehumidifier.

[@joeshmoe7789]

It only seals the inside of the walls. water still gets thru the outside of the cinder block, fills cavities in the block and now pushes harder against the inside wall. See my earlier post.

[@thomaslivingston4138]

All I hear is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$? I agree with everything you're saying but it get expensive to do it right!