MLE Construction

Foundation And Waterproofing

What happens when you do not waterproof your basement or crawl space? Water damage can cause severe problems in your home, such as mold growth, rot, and even structural damage. Waterproofing your basement or crawl space is essential because water can seep into your walls and floors, causing significant issues.

MLE COnstruction Company helps to prevent moisture from penetrating through walls and floors. The primary purpose of these systems is to prevent damage caused by water intrusion.

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A Little Background about Foundation Waterproofing

Before getting into further details, let me describe what a foundation wall is as many people would be unaware of this. In simple words, foundation walls are the ones that have contact with the soil underground. They are made from masonry and concrete. Moreover, they are also known as the basement walls, and nowadays they are usually constructed on the footings or the slab.

Additionally, the main reason for foundation waterproofing is to prevent the outside water to enter inside, for example through basement corners. This usually happens by installing a system that ensures the water enters through walls and deals with hydrostatic pressure quite well.

How do Foundation waterproofing systems work?

Waterproofing systems for foundation walls can be effective in protecting the wall from water damage. They are designed to provide significant protection from water accessing the border limits into your home. There are several types of waterproofing techniques, and for every technique, different products are used.

Additionally, every foundation waterproofing system starts with a primary part in which you must apply primer to the concrete foundation wall. And the final part is the drainage system and Geo drain cavity drainage membrane. This ensures that the surrounding water can easily pass through the cavity.

Waterproofing systems for foundation walls work by sealing the wall surface to prevent water from penetrating the wall. The most common type of waterproofing system is a water-resistant membrane. This membrane is installed over the wall surface and sealed with a waterproofing membrane sealant.

Soft Story Retrofit

Soft Story Retrofit

Earthquakes deteriorate the building structures and putting the life of residents at risk. That is why soft story retrofit was introduced, strengthening the buildings to make them quite resistive against earthquakes. It reduces the effect of side shaking which weakens the first floor, causing it to fall to pieces. The walls become quite strong through soft story retrofit as drywall is replaced with solid plywood.

Earthquake Retrofit

Earthquake Retrofit

Earthquake retrofitting alters various things to make the house or building strengthened and stronger against earthquakes. This consists of holding up the foundation of your home, which helps prevent shaky damage. It also reinforces the roof and the chimney so that you are more prepared for the problems that can occur in the future.

Structural Retrofitting

Structural Retrofitting

As you may know, retrofitting means adding new features to old existing methods, and altering the structure of a building can be described as structural retrofitting. Several types of structure retrofitting include reinforcement of concrete, masonry, door, and windows structure. The roofs can also be structured by installing ventilation and insulation systems. And draught proofing could be achieved on doors.

Earthquake Brace and Bolt

Earthquake Brace and Bolt

Earthquake Brace and Bolt is a seismic retrofit that helps build relationships with your home’s frame and foundation. Many people cannot afford to retrofit their houses, so this is where the earthquake brace and bolt program comes in. In this program, they are willing to provide up to $3000 for retrofitting to the homeowners of California. It was developed to reduce the risk of potential damage for homeowners.

Foundation Repair

Foundation Repair

Foundation repair is a complete process that involves several steps, such as support installation and plan development. Plan development is the first step in the foundation repair process and usually is done by a contractor. When he visits your house, he analyses all the possible things that should be altered and plans. The support system is also installed by drilling and digging.

Foundation Construction

Foundation Construction

Before choosing a foundation, there are numerous factors to consider. One of these factors is the type of construction lying ground for foundation construction. It also considers the construction site's topography, paedology, and geology. There are two categories of foundation construction involving shallow and deep foundations. A shallow foundation is used when the structure load is low, while a deep foundation supports larger bearing capacities.

Foundation Replacement

Foundation Replacement

Keep in mind that foundation replacement is one of the most expensive foundation methods and can be disruptive. Firstly, the soil surrounding your home is shifted, and the foundation is destroyed or removed. The home is then lowered, and the foundation is made again. This process takes relatively much time to complete and can also destroy your home interior walls.

Foundation Inspection

Foundation Inspection

This process is the analysis of your home that whether it is safe to live in. The check-up is conducted by either an engineer or a foundation repair contractor. He will try to look for issues easily overseen by the homeowner. The primary reason for a foundation inspection is to let the homeowner know his home’s flaws, so he is better prepared for earthquakes.

Foundation Waterproofing

Foundation Waterproofing

The water can easily pass through the walls of the basement into the home, and waterproofing is a membrane that is attached to the interior walls to prevent this from happening. Any cracks or holes in the foundation will allow the water to pass through. Homeowners will have a dry basement with foundation waterproofing.

Structural Inspection

Structural Inspection

An engineer conducts the structure inspection to analyse the structural soundness of a building or house. The engineer primarily investigates load-bearing components, which include beams, trusses, joists, and columns/posts. When a homeowner is not 100% sure about the integrity of his building or house, he plans to go for a structural inspection.

Retaining Walls

Retaining Walls

Retaining walls prevent material from sliding away and resist all the pressure holding it back. There are several types of retaining walls which consists of brick, stones, gravity walls, and reinforced soil walls. The soil is retained at several levels as retaining walls support the soil.

House Levelling

House Levelling

Lifting the house to relevel a particular section is described as house levelling. There are several ways to achieve house levelling, such as through underpinning and void fill. It can also be done by replacing the pad system with the old post. House levelling can effectively push all types of cracks and holes back together. It also has the purpose of releveling uneven and bowed floors, reducing the house support with the ground.

Drainage

Drainage

Drainage is the method of artificially removing water from part of the land where it is in excess. For agricultural lands, it works well and can prevent water logging, a significant problem many farmers face. This can be achieved by shallow ditches called open drains.

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Why Foundation Waterproofing is Beneficial?

The structure of the walls below the ground is highly protected by foundation waterproofing. If foundation walls are not properly waterproofed, it can help the water and ground gases to enter a property. These gases have quite harmful effects and can cause the health of your belongings to deteriorate.

These gases become even riskier if you are living in areas that can get affected by floods. Nothing worst can happen to a homeowner if floods run into his house, as it takes a lot of money to for repairing such as a suction motor high-cost repairment.

Foundation waterproofing also has financial benefits as it increases the value and quality of your home. With time, its quality will not deteriorate as it will maintain its original form. It can also prevent you to spend a huge amount every year on your house for renovation and repair. Sometimes, you end up paying an amount much more extensive than what you can manage.

We all know that the most essential factor that a buyer considers before buying a house is to analyse its quality and strength. If your house’s quality is not appreciable, the buyer will pay less than the original value according to the area they are living in.

A foundation wall is also waterproofed to provide additional protection against moisture and weathering. Waterproofing can also help to reduce noise from water infiltration and the potential for mold growth.

Does Foundation Need to Be Waterproofed?

Foundation walls should be waterproofed to protect them and the building from water damage.

Waterproofing a foundation wall involves installing a waterproofing membrane on the exterior of the wall. This membrane will protect the wall from water damage, and it will also prevent moisture and debris from entering the wall.

According to the  American Society of Home Inspectors, it has been estimated that about 60% of homes in the US have wet basements. These problems can easily be solved by waterproofing the new walls of the basement.

How to Waterproof Foundation Walls?

Firstly, we must ensure that the walls are free from any loose material and smooth, making it easier to clean the surface of the foundation walls. By using patching cement, we must fill all the holes and cracks in the wall. This is because waterproofing materials are not covering large voids.

Moreover, we must examine the manufacturing literature for analysing temperature limitations. The waterproofing materials can only be prevented from bonding by applying concrete fully which will prevent the water vapor from escaping. Once this is accomplished, there will be a requirement for insulation and a drainage mat, so that it is protected during backfill.

This is where it all ends up, but you must strictly command the workers not to walk on footings and decks so that any error is prevented.

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OUR FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

This is depended on several factors. Different products are used for different climates, and it also depends on the initial damage that how long the waterproofing will sustain. There is not a single answer to this question, and as per the climate, different answers are provided. But according to some professionals, the average period is around ten years.

Of course, it is a one-time investment that prevents many problems for you in the coming years. You will have to fix problems and repair your home every year, which can be more expensive over the years. More than that, you will always be running around these problems making your life uncomfortable.

It is highly essential to waterproof those areas which are prone to flooding and in contact with the water. These areas include the basement, kitchen, balcony, bathroom, and outer walls. Areas exposed to the atmosphere, such as roofs, should also be waterproofed, with rain being the primary concern.

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