As a homeowner, you might be wondering: How does Basement Waterproofing work and what are the exact methods of getting a wet basement to be permanently dry? In order to answer these questions, one must understand just what exactly a building foundation is.
 
The foundation can be defined as a crucial element of every structure that transfers the weight of the building to the ground. Whenever a structure is built, the soil gets excavated for the upcoming construction of the foundation. Typically, concrete footings are formed and after that, the foundation walls are installed onto these footings. Depending on each individual house and its age (and therefore also the way it was constructed), the material of the foundation walls can vary. Foundations of newer houses are generally made with cinderblock or are formed with poured concrete whereas older house foundations were often built with brick or natural fieldstone. Without proper foundation waterproofing, the above-mentioned materials have little to no water resistance capabilities. 

Once the construction of a foundation has been finished, weeping tiles are placed at the bottom of the foundation beside the footings. Older weeping tiles were designed to be placed in separate segments and were made out of clay. These weeping tiles were generally connected into the main drain line and were to act as exterior water drainage for the building foundation. Over time, due to numerous factors (tree roots, soil clogging, excessive soil weight and pressure) these clay weeping tiles often become damaged, obsolete and no longer capable of functioning properly. As the soil around the building begins to collect water from rains or thawing snow, broken and non-functioning weeping tiles prevent the water in the soil to drain properly. This leads to volumes of water collecting in the soil and amassing at the building foundation, causing hydrostatic water pressure that will eventually penetrate the weakest spots in the foundation and will lead to moisture and water within the basement area.

In summary, it can be said that without proper waterproofing materials applied to the foundation walls and without proper drainage installed, a building foundation will sooner or later suffer from constant below ground water pressure. This will ultimately lead to visible signs within the basement area. Moisture, mold and dampness are all serious indicators of a foundation that is in need of waterproofing procedures. Generally, there are two different methods of preventing water from further getting into the basement area - exterior waterproofing and interior waterproofing.