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Wet Basement Solutions
Basement Moisture
One of the most annoying problems homeowners have to deal with is excessive moisture. Usually it starts in the basement working its way up to the walls and floors of the house. High humidity leads to rotting of wooden floors, mold formation, structure decay, cracks and a lot of other problems related to health and costly repairs, not to mention the damp, musty odors, the high level of other allergens in the house (which are highly favored by moisture) or the damage done to personal belongings.
To Home Sellers
Even if these problems are of no concern to you because you intend to sell the house, you should still be interested in having a dry basement for no other reason than the huge difference in price it makes. A wet basement can reduce the price you want to obtain by 10-25%, while fixing basement moisture will pay back for itself several times over in the value of the home.
Waterproof Walls or Internal Drainage?
After heavy rains or snow melting, the ground is saturated and water puts pressure on the basement walls. Water pressure becomes often large enough to force water into the interior wall structure. The classical solution was a protective barrier, like wall sealing on the exterior using tar or plastic. But these treatments do nothing to reduce water pressure and, over time, will deteriorate to the point that water will find a pathway through the structure.
The optimum solution to this problem would be a combined system of waterproof coating on the interior side of the walls and a good internal drainage system. Through its internal canals, the system will drain unwanted water out without first damaging flooring or furnishings.
Internal Drainage System Solutions
1. Channel Above the Concrete Slab
This is the easiest, most inexpensive system: a drainage channel adheres at the base of the wall and the floor slab and another channel is placed on top of the slab. Water is collected through the top channel and goes through a trap to the sump basin. The system can be used only for concrete walls (in masonry walls, water remains in the block cores at floor level).
Inconveniences:
· This solution cannot drain water from under the floor slab.
· The system does not allow water to be removed completely from the space, thus the result could be humidity and mold.
2. Channel Within the Concrete Slab
A drainage channel is placed at the base of the wall on top of the footing, by inserting it within the concrete slab edge. This channel is connected to a drain pipe which leads to the sump. The system can be used for masonry walls because it drains the block cores completely.
Necessary steps:
· Remove and replace the concrete along the slab edge
· Drill holes at the base of every block core to permit drainage
· Cap the tops and coat the interior walls with vapor retarder coating, as moisture is permitted to penetrate the block cores
3. System Beneath the Concrete Slab
This is the most efficient drainage system: a perforated drain pipe is installed inside the perimeter of the footing and connected with a sump. Placing it beneath the slab will permit draining the area to a lower level. It is very important to place dimpled plastic sheeting at the base of the wall and beneath the slab edge to permit free drainage of the wall into the drain pipe. This system is also less expensive than most specialized drainage channel systems. | 
