Menu
Don’t be one of the 85% of uninformed homeowners that make this mistake!
Damp proofing is a tar-based product that is applied to a building’s foundation walls and footing to deter water vapor from passing through the walls and into interior spaces. Damp proofing has little resistance to hydrostatic pressure (or standing water).
Damp proofing will harden and crack in less than two years due to acids in our acid rain and lack of UV radiation which is necessary to keep tar pliable.
When your home settles the tar will crack, exposing your concrete walls to water. The cost of damp proofing is less than waterproofing and hence is used more often.
However, damp proofing is a very poor long term method for protecting your home and rarely lasts more than a couple years.
Waterproofing is a modified polymer product applied to a building’s foundation walls and footing to prevent water from passing through the walls and into interior spaces.
Waterproofing has excellent resistance to hydrostatic pressure and will stay pliable underground without UV radiation. The polymers in the waterproofing membrane keep acids in the acid rain from decaying the membrane. The waterproofing membrane will expand with your home as it settles.
The cost of waterproofing is initially higher than that of damp proofing. As your home ages, the added cost of waterproofing is well worth the small price difference and pays for itself in a few years.
An insulating drainage board is recommended as a valuable addition to the waterproofing system. The board separates the membrane from the backfilled dirt around the home.
For the average eight feet deep basement, the board will compress a mere 12% on average. Engineers estimate that it will take 300+ years for the board to become clogged and inoperable.
Barrier Waterproofing Systems offers a wide range of warranties that will surely satisfy the homeowner and possible future homeowners. Our warranties are transferable to new homeowners if the need to move should ever arise. This is yet another advantage of a value added Barrier Waterproofing System!
Middle Tennessee
