Since a basement is the lowest level of a building, it can be more susceptible to water exposure. If liquids start finding their way into the walls of a basement, the damage can be significant if unchecked. As a concrete contractor, you want to fortify your client’s walls as soon as possible. Here is a guide to what you should and shouldn’t do when waterproofing concrete walls. 

Do: 

Understand where the water is coming from. 

To execute an effective waterproofing campaign in a customer’s basement, a concrete contractor needs to determine why the problem is happening. That way, in addition to reinforcing the walls, you can take the pressure off them in the future. Because concrete absorbs water, you should see streaks mapping out its path of flow. In many cases, these will lead you right to a leaky pipe or below a bathroom. 

Rely on hydraulic cement. 

When enough water streams into a concrete wall, the material will start to crack. The best solution is to fill in these weak parts with fresh hydraulic cement. Not only will they iron out the cracks, but they’ll also create waterproof linkages within the material. The cement expands and sets especially quickly so the homeowner will barely be inconvenienced. 

Don’t:

Leave standing water during repair work.

A concrete contractor should never begin a basement repair when there is still water left on the floor. That standing water could easily create an electric shock if a wire should accidentally make contact with it, putting your workers in danger. Before you commence any work, turn off all power in the basement and suck up the liquid with a utility hose.

Add a sealer over paint. 

One common strategy to waterproof basement concrete walls involves applying sealer to create a powerful buffer. A typical mistake is to add the sealer over a painted wall, which makes it impossible for the material to bond. You’ll need to remove all layers of paint first with a sandblaster. Only then, when you’ve reached the original masonry, can the waterproofing layer be set. 

If you’re a concrete contractor looking to create waterproof basement walls, get in touch with an expert like Pro-Crete Systems of Florida in Largo, FL. With over three decades of experience, the concrete supplier can outfit you with advanced PMMA waterproofing systems to ensure liquids never make it past the walls. They also offer balcony and breezeway waterproofing if you could use a partner for other parts of a home. To find out more about their products, call (727) 526-8090. Learn more about the company by visiting their website.