Waterproofing a basement infiltrated with water at Morin-Heights, Qc.

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019 by Pamela Sabella

Challenge

Every day, our specialists visit customers who are undergoing different basement problems. One day in June 2013, a client from Morin-Heights calls us to book an appointment to have an inspection for the waterproofing of her basement to find out how she could solve her problem of water infiltrations and wet walls.

Very often, when customers request a free quote, they decide not to do the work right away thinking that the problem is not as bad as it seems. A few years later when they decide it's time to fix the problem, it has had time to worsen and create new consequences that damage the basement.

When our specialist went for a second inspection 6 years later, there seemed to be more water than before and iron ocher appeared to be present.

Our specialist has resubmitted the quote to deliver something more complete that would solve the problem at its source.

Solution

Our production team began by installing 79 feet of WaterGuard Internal Drain which is a modern foundation drain that is installed from the inside of the house on the foundation footing to the joint between the wall and the footing. It intercepts the water in the soil that tries to escape through the foundation and it also intercepts the water that seeps through the foundation walls. The water in the inner drain is then drained away from the house by a sump pump system to which the drain is connected.

This drain perimeter contains 4 inspection ports through which we can check the proper functioning of the system, prevent the drain from clogging and perform annual cleaning. This is a major advantage that the interior drain has compared to the outside French drain that is buried in the ground and cannot be regularly checked and cleaned.

In addition, as the walls are also wet and cold, a vapor barrier membrane allows the moisture that emerges from the walls to be blocked so as not to humidify the space. The CleanSpace vapor barrier is very thick and strong. It contains an antibacterial additive that prevents mold growth. In addition, if your walls are wet and efflorescence is present, a membrane vapor barrier can solve this problem too. The membrane is also connected to the inner drain so that the water and vapors that form on the wall are evacuated away from the house.