The most effective ways to waterproof foundations. How to waterproof the foundation if the house has already been built

Protecting a basement from water is one of the main tasks during its construction. It includes a whole range of measures to ensure the watertightness of the basement walls and floor, as well as to prevent the rise of water inside the structure through the capillaries. The most reliable waterproofing can only be done at the construction stage; all subsequent work will be only half measures that will not give a long-term and sustainable result. But what to do if you have already bought ready house and discovered that there is often water in the basement? What measures to take, what materials to use. In this article, we will tell you how to waterproof a basement in an existing building and what materials to use for certain jobs.

What type of basement waterproofing can it be?

Before moving directly to waterproofing materials, I would like to clarify what we will protect our basement from. In total, there are three types of waterproofing: anti-pressure, non-pressure and anti-capillary.

Anti-pressure waterproofing a basement is necessary when the groundwater level is higher than the basement floor, and sometimes the walls too, or if there is a seasonal rise to this level during spring floods. Such waterproofing is installed only on the outside of the wall and floor structure. Materials are used that can withstand so-called positive water pressure. This is when water presses its weight against the surface of a structure, such as a wall. But waterproofing the basement of a house from the inside with these materials is useless, since negative water pressure acts there, causing the material to separate from the surface. In addition to this, if groundwater is high, it would be a good idea to install drainage around the basement to drain the water into a drain well or sewer.

Non-pressure waterproofing the basement is to protect against water accumulated due to precipitation or floods. Of course, if anti-pressure waterproofing has already been carried out, then there is no point in non-pressure waterproofing. But if the groundwater level in the area is quite low and there is no likelihood of its seasonal rise, then you can only get by with non-pressure waterproofing measures, for example, coating the floor and foundation walls with bitumen mastic.

Anti-capillary waterproofing designed to prevent water from rising through capillaries in concrete foundation walls and floors. This will protect the structure of the house from destruction. If previously, to protect the walls of a house from rising moisture, they simply coated it with bitumen or covered the top of the foundation with roofing felt before arranging the walls, but today the use of penetrating waterproofing is gaining more and more popularity.

Waterproofing basements: materials and technologies

The modern market is saturated with various waterproofing materials. Conventionally, they can be divided according to the method of application and principle of action into several categories: coating, roll, water repellent, penetrating or injection. Each of them is good in its place.

Coating waterproofing materials

This very broad category includes a variety of emulsions, bitumen-based mastics that can be applied both cold and hot, thick-layer bituminous coatings, cement-based compositions, and polymer coating materials.

Mastics are made from special bitumen, which is refined with synthetic rubber, and do not contain solvents. They can be applied to any strong, stable base: concrete, brick, plaster, stone and others, after moistening them. After the mastic dries, a seamless, highly elastic film is formed on the surface. This coating covers all cracks, is not afraid of cold and heat, does not allow water to pass through, and is resistant to aggressive environments. Waterproofing a basement involves applying mastic to the outer wall of the foundation to protect it from groundwater and storm water. This material can only withstand positive water pressure. Although sometimes mastics are used to fill expansion joints, so be sure to read the instructions before purchasing.

For example, bitumen mastics “Elastopaz” and “Elastomix”, which are also called liquid rubber, are applied to the surface of the floor and walls of the basement from the inside. But remember, the material is not able to resist negative water pressure for a long time, therefore, if the external waterproofing of the basement is not done, then over time the liquid rubber may break and a leak will appear.

Thick-layer bituminous coatings One- and two-component ones are used only to protect house structures from pressure water; they are applied outside the foundation walls and before pouring the basement floor. Can be used on any mineral surfaces: concrete, brick, hollow blocks, sandstone, limestone, plaster, porous concrete and others.

Cement-based compositions can be divided into conventional cement coating waterproofing, cement coating waterproofing with a penetrating effect and auxiliary compositions.

Ordinary cement coating waterproofing Also called armor, it can be applied to any mineral surface. Some materials, after application, can create an elastic coating that will bridge newly formed cracks even up to 2 mm wide.

Cement waterproofing with penetrating effect Use only on good quality concrete surfaces. If cracks and capillaries are larger than 0.4 - 0.5 mm, the material will not work.

Polymer coating waterproofing materials include polyurethane-based materials and universal materials based on MS polymers.

Polyurethane based materials used for durable waterproofing, used in liquid form, they are one or two-component coatings that are applied and harden in a cold state. It makes sense to apply these materials only on the side facing the water. In this case, it is first necessary to carefully prepare the base: it must be clean, dry, without flaws that could interfere with adhesion.

Universal waterproofing based on MS polymers combines the advantages of silicone and polyurethane. This material appeared on the market relatively recently, but has already gained confidence, as it provides reliable crack bridging up to 10 mm and water resistance at the level of a thick-walled coating, and is applied as easily as a conventional bitumen emulsion, again, on the side facing the water .

Pasting waterproofing materials

Pasted waterproofing is carried out using rolled materials by gluing them to the base in several layers. For this you can use roofing felt, stekloizol, glass roofing felt, hydrostekloizol, glass felt, hydroisol, hydrobutyl and others. Before installing the adhesive waterproofing, the surface must be carefully treated: leveled (irregularities up to 2 mm are allowed), dried, and primed with bitumen emulsion. The resulting coating is sensitive to mechanical damage, so it is imperative to protect it with a pressure wall.

These materials are a relatively new way to make a surface water-repellent. Water simply rolls off the surface treated with a water repellent. But when new cracks appear, the material is not able to heal them, and it does not penetrate deeply into the surface structure, no more than 5 mm, so over time it is washed out and weathered. Gradually, the water-repellent properties decrease: if the material is water-based, then after 1 - 3 years, and if it is solvent-based, then after 5 - 10 years.

Penetrating waterproofing

Used to ensure waterproofness of concrete structures. The composition applied to the surface is a mixture of Portland cement, active chemical additives and finely ground quartz sand. It must be applied to a damp surface, while the active elements react with water, resulting in the formation of crystals that fill all the pores, capillaries and cracks in the concrete and do not allow water to pass through. The penetration depth of crystals is from 15 to 25 cm, but some brands claim that their material can penetrate up to 90 cm deep.

Penetrating waterproofing is a great way to seal a basement from the inside. But at the same time, it has several disadvantages: it is used only on concrete surfaces, the concrete must be of good quality, with capillaries and cracks up to 0.4 mm deep.

When wondering how to properly waterproof a basement, pay attention to the fact that external waterproofing Almost all materials offered on the market are suitable: coating, lining, water repellent, liquid rubber and others, and for internal waterproofing you can use penetrating waterproofing. In this case, the term internal waterproofing of the basement means protecting the basement from ground or storm water, as well as capillary water. Because if you want to protect the basement from water that may appear due to leaks of communications, i.e. inside the basement, then coating materials, mastics and emulsions can be used to waterproof the floor.

The situation when water enters the basement, but it is not possible to carry out full external waterproofing, is not uncommon. Quite often, there is simply no external waterproofing of the foundation, or it has collapsed over time. At the same time, it is not possible to dig out the foundation and carefully treat its surface due to the fact that the houses are too close to each other or for other reasons. That is why home owners are looking for opportunities to waterproof the basement with their own hands, without resorting to excavation work.

Important! We would like to warn you right away that for high-quality protection from groundwater, waterproofing will be required on the outside of the foundation walls. This is the only way moisture will not penetrate the walls and inside the basement, pressing the waterproofing material against the wall surface. If there is no external waterproofing of the foundation walls, water will penetrate into the thickness of the walls, and then into the basement.

Waterproofing a basement from the inside with your own hands can include several types of work, for example, anti-capillary protection of concrete walls and basement floors and protection with liquid rubber.

Among all the penetrating materials, the following can be distinguished:

• Mixtures that are applied to concrete surfaces both outside and inside structures to make them waterproof;
• Mixtures and compositions for sealing seams, cracks, joints. Used in combination with the first mixtures;
• Fast-hardening compounds that can stop a leak in a matter of seconds;
• Additives to concrete mortar that are used during the construction stage.

Before applying penetrating waterproofing to the surfaces inside the basement, it is necessary to clean the room and thoroughly prepare the concrete surfaces. This is some of the difficulty in using penetrating materials, since to clean and moisten the concrete you will have to use special equipment or do it manually. If the capillaries of the concrete are closed, the material will not be able to get inside.

Important! Penetrating waterproofing is applied only to wet concrete. It is better if it is freshly poured.

All cracks and cracks must be opened and cleared, and then sealed with material for joints and seams, for example, Penecrit.

Then, according to the instructions, a solution for walls and floors is prepared, for example, “Penetron”, and applied with a brush or roller in a layer of 1 - 2 mm. Then you need to let the first layer dry and absorb and repeat the operation. Reacting with water, the material forms hydrophobic crystals, which extend deep into the concrete structure by 10 - 15 cm, and sometimes more, clogging the capillaries and preventing water from penetrating not only into the basement, but also into the concrete structure.

Learn more about complex penetrating basement waterproofing video.

On the market you can choose a material more suitable for certain conditions: “Hydrohit”, “Lakhta”, “Kalmatron”, “Xipex”, “Maxill”, “Penetron”.

Basement waterproofing with liquid rubber

As an additional measure to the penetrating waterproofing of concrete, the walls and floor of the basement can be treated with liquid rubber - a modern polymer or bitumen waterproofing material.

For self-application, one-component materials are suitable, for example, “Elastopaz” and “Elastomix”, which can be applied with a roller or brush without heating. Moreover, work can be carried out at any time of the year. The compositions are sold ready-to-use; just open the bucket and mix thoroughly.

To waterproof a basement with liquid rubber, the surface on which it will be applied must be cleaned of dust and debris, dried if necessary, and leveled. In principle, careful leveling is not required, since the material itself will close all the cracks and bulges, forming a membrane, but if the height differences are too large, the material consumption will increase.

Then we apply a primer to the walls and floor, preferably the one recommended by the material manufacturer. Next, open the bucket and mix the contents using a mixing attachment on a drill.

We apply the material to the surface of the walls and floor with a roller, spatula or brush, focusing Special attention unevenness, cracks and chips. And leave it to dry. After complete hardening, the material will resemble rubber.

Waterproofing with liquid rubber from the inside of the basement does not protect the walls from water penetrating into their thickness. Over time, the concrete will become saturated with water to such an extent that it will begin to tear the rubber away from the surface. Although the manufacturer claims that rubber penetrates up to 15 mm deep into concrete, in the event of severe groundwater or storm water pressure, this coating will last no more than 4 - 5 years.

Since such materials are not designed for negative water pressure, it is advisable to install pressure walls and screed the floor in a layer of up to 50 - 100 mm. This way you can guarantee no leaks for quite a long time.

Internal waterproofing of the basement is just an additional, auxiliary measure. It is not capable of providing maximum reliability. Therefore, at the first opportunity, it is still worth digging out the foundation and performing waterproofing correctly. If the groundwater is quite low and never bothers you, then sometimes it is enough to perform penetrating insulation from the inside using polymer materials or special cement-based plasters. But remember, this will not protect the walls from water accumulation.

Waterproofing the basement from the inside: video review

After the service life of bituminous mastics or roofing felt has been exhausted, waterproofing the old foundation of a house becomes relevant to increase the service life of power structures. In this case, it is necessary to protect the side surfaces of the foundation from soil moisture, groundwater and wastewater, lay drains around the perimeter, and make a horizontal shut-off waterproofing between the foundation and the walls. If you are interested in horizontal cut-off waterproofing, then you are interested, if vertical, then read on.

If at the construction stage they forgot about waterproofing the foundation of the house or did it incorrectly, or the old protective coating has expired, it is necessary to carry out a set of measures again to solve the following problems:

• cutting off the walls from the basement part of the foundation - the structural materials of the housing frame draw moisture from reinforced concrete structures and collapse much faster;
• protection of reinforcement from corrosion, concrete from destruction, increasing in volume by water, when freezing inside the structure of the material.

For example, if a cottage is built without a horizontal waterproofing carpet, the lower crowns of the frame rot and the brickwork collapses. In the absence of waterproofing of the outer edges of the foundation, the annual opening of cracks in concrete increases by 0.2 - 0.5 mm.

Attention! If the home has a basement, then the problem can be solved from the inside, but for MZLF you will have to expose the tape from the outside to provide access to concrete surfaces.

Vertical external waterproofing

The main difficulty when carrying out waterproofing repairs is the inaccessibility of concrete surfaces. In addition, the foundation must be protected from the outside. Therefore, it is necessary to destroy the blind area and dismantle the façade and basement cladding.

After the tape is exposed, the foundation can be waterproofed using several technologies: plastering, pasting over or coating with appropriate materials to protect the house from destruction.

Coating materials

Waterproofing the foundation by coating with epoxy, polymer or allows you to obtain a continuous film layer:

• the film is removed from the surface - chemical milling sequential application of a cleaner, activator, sandblasting, cleaning an angle grinder with a metal brush;
• the seams are deepened - grooves 2.5 x 2.5 cm minimum, in order to lay a bentonite strand in them;
• surface treatment – ​​2 – 3 layers of mastic on top of a primer, which serves to increase the surface roughness.

After this, the house will receive protection from the foundation and walls getting wet. The disadvantage is the low mechanical strength of the film, the integrity of which can be damaged even by stones present in the backfill materials. Therefore, mastics often serve as the bottom layer of complex waterproofing. Before final drying, membranes, polyethylene films are glued onto them, or roll materials are fused.

Pasting materials

You can waterproof the foundation of a house using films or membranes. In the absence of plantar insulation, the rolls are launched to the bottom of the trench (10 - 20 cm) and fused from the bottom up. The films are fixed to the surface with a special polymer glue; membranes and hydroglass insulation can have a self-adhesive layer.

Waterproofing with roll materials.

If the groundwater level (GWL) is high or there is a possibility of its seasonal rise, three layers of material are required. If the groundwater level is low, two layers of waterproofing carpet are sufficient. The main nuances of the technology are:

• longitudinal seam of adjacent sheets - overlap 10 cm minimum;
• transverse seam - important when building up rolls for buried strip foundations, it is 20 - 30 cm, the top roll covers the bottom one to avoid leaks, similar to laying roofing materials;
• The arrangement of sheets is only vertical.

To increase strength, a thin reinforcing mesh (polymer, galvanized, usually used for plaster coatings) is installed between the layers of adhesive and coating insulation.

Attention! If roll waterproofing is used independently, the seams are treated with mastic. When performing complex protection, the mastic layer is under the hydroglass insulation by default; the seams do not need to be processed additionally.

The disadvantage still lies in the insufficient mechanical strength of the coating. The problem is completely solved by classic or crush-sliding thermal insulation. In the first case, the surface is covered with high-density polystyrene foam. An additional horizontal layer of EPS is laid under the blind area at a level of 30–40 cm from the ground. This makes it possible to completely compensate for swelling, retaining geothermal heat in the soil layers adjacent to the foundation. In the second option, the EPS surface is additionally covered with polyethylene (attached only at the top to the wall). After that, sheets of soft thermal insulation PSB-S (foam plastic) are pressed against the polyethylene with the trench backfill material without fixing it to the wall. When swelling, the outer layer wrinkles. It moves upward along the slippery film and returns to its original position in the spring.

Waterproof plasters

Foundation waterproofing can be made in the form of a plaster layer. Cement-sand mortar is not suitable for these purposes; special dry mixtures with polymer additives are used that clog the pores of concrete in the top layer:

• a plaster mesh is mounted on the surface;
• the surface is wetted, then the first layer of 0.5 - 1 cm is applied;
• After drying, finishing plastering is carried out to a total layer thickness of 2 - 3 cm.

Waterproofing the foundation with special plaster mixtures.

This is a budget solution for country house in comparison with coating and pasting technologies.

Attention: If there is heavy rainfall in the operating region, the area high groundwater level, buildings are required. Drains are placed at the level of the base of the foundation and drain water by gravity into an underground container.

Internal waterproofing

If there is a basement floor in a building, waterproofing the foundation of the house from the inside is more often used. Films, rolls and membrane materials are practically useless here:

• after the concrete gets wet, they peel off from the structural material;
• mechanical fixation is not possible;
• the effectiveness of protection is extremely low.

Injection waterproofing

From the inside, injection waterproofing of the foundation is often used, which can only be done with sufficient practice. The difficulty lies in determining where to drill through holes in the supporting structure, which weaken its strength. The technology looks like:

• preparation - surfaces are examined for cracks and leaks;
• sealing cracks - with compounds, for example Penepurform or any other analogues;
• holes - holes along the diameter of the injectors according to the diagram at an angle of 45 degrees;
• injections - packers are inserted into the pits, with which repair mixtures are injected.

Injection waterproofing of the foundation from the inside.

The components are mixed before injection, operations are carried out after the concrete has been heated to 35 degrees. The disadvantage is the lack of necessary equipment in the arsenal of a home craftsman. Even its rental costs more than external waterproofing after digging trenches.

Volumetric waterproofing

The manufacturer Penetron and many others produce repair mixtures for any operating conditions. All work can be done to make all reinforced concrete structures of the house absolutely waterproof. The principle of operation of volumetric waterproofing is as follows:

• sealing of input nodes of engineering systems, connections, interfaces, joints, seams with Penecrit material;
• elimination of leaks (pressure groundwater) using Waterplug, Peneplag mixtures;
• laying Penerab hydraulic seals in the seams of FBS blocks or treating them with PeneProxy glue or Peneband tape;
• surface treatment with Penetron product.

When the components of the mixture react chemically with cement stone, a reverse osmosis reaction occurs. The molecular composition of concrete changes, after which the structural material acquires new properties (water resistance) throughout the entire thickness of the structure.

If you impregnate the lower rows of brickwork with Penetron, after pre-treating the seams with Peneproxy glue, they will completely replace the horizontal waterproofing of the walls. Moreover, over time, materials only gain strength, and do not lose it from contact with water. Therefore, the resource becomes unlimited - a broken piece of concrete will remain completely waterproof until completely destroyed mechanically.

The same manufacturer has products for injection (Penesplitsil based on epoxy, bitumen resins), plastering of defective surfaces (Brace, which gives structural strength to concrete, stone, and brickwork).

Moreover, the company’s specialists have developed the most popular standard solutions:

• foundation tape made of FBS blocks - Penecrete in the seams, Penetron over the entire surface of the concrete;
• brick wall from the inside - two layers of Penetron on top of mesh-reinforced plaster;
• outside masonry – 2 layers of Penetron on cement-sand plaster;
• pressure leak – Peneplug + Penecrit (as a plug 2.5 x 2.5 cm);
• input of engineering systems - expansion of grooves up to 2.5 cm to a depth of 4 - 6 cm, layer; Peneplag/Waterplag, Penebar gasket, Penetron putty;
• floor/wall junctions - 2.5 x 2.5 cm grooves at 45 degrees to the vertical, filled with Penecrit.

Attention! Volumetric waterproofing with penetrating compounds (Penetron is not the only manufacturer of such compounds) reduces repair labor costs by an order of magnitude. Insulating external surfaces from inside the basement is the optimal solution, eliminating the need for excavation work.

Horizontal cut-off waterproofing

In the design of an old cottage, the wall rests on the foundation, which makes it much more difficult to lay roofing felt or hydroglass insulation. To waterproof the foundation of a house, you will have to perform a set of repairs:

• exposure of the foundation - a trench close to the reinforced concrete structure with a depth to its base;
• unloading is usually partial, longitudinal or transverse beams are installed;
• dividing the perimeter - every meter the tape is separated by grippers;
• removal of wall material - cutting out an angle grinder with a disc on brickwork stone or the crown of a log house with a chainsaw;
• screed - M100 solution (preferably with a penetrating additive);
• waterproofing - two layers of rolled material, the ends are bent to create an overlap in the adjacent area;
• wedging - replacing the lower crown or row of brickwork, filling the cracks with wedges, dry mortar (M100 and above).

The option of horizontal waterproofing with penetrating compounds is also possible, read. But injection horizontal waterproofing is more popular; it is done in a similar way, only holes are drilled in the plane between the base and the masonry, and the mixture is fed into these holes. This creates a layer impregnated with waterproofing.

If the crowns and lower rows of the masonry are intact in an old built dwelling, the building is simply lifted with jacks in compliance with the technical conditions:

• vertical movement of the long sides no more than 5 cm at a time;
• preliminary tying of log house walls with vertical boards (two self-tapping screws in each crown)

Attention: Work on adjacent grips is carried out after the mortar used in the screed has gained strength.

Thus, in a building in use, waterproofing of the foundation can be done in several ways, depending on the presence of a basement in use, groundwater level. All methods are suitable for repairing the waterproof insulating layer on concrete structures houses designed to operate in aggressive underground environments.

Concrete is the main material for laying the foundation. It is not subject to the destructive effects of water and serves as an excellent conductor, allowing water to pass inside the house. Moisture inside the home, in turn, creates an environment for fungi and mold to grow. The foundation is often reinforced with reinforcing mesh, which can be subject to corrosion when exposed to moisture. Such reinforcement can cause cracks, and the foundation loses strength and durability over time. Sometimes developers neglect. This may be done for reasons of economy or carelessness during construction. But in the near future, residents of the new house will see with their own eyes the sad consequences of unscrupulous work. If waterproofing is improper, the foundation, floor and walls of the house, basements, and roof begin to collapse. The list can be continued, listing almost all the elements of the building. A reasonable question arises about how to properly waterproof the foundation and other elements of the house.

To prevent the accumulation of moisture from the soil in the foundation and to prevent the destructive effects of mold and mildew, it is necessary to waterproof the foundation.

The waterproofing layer for any houses and buildings must be complete, without flaws or cracks. A protective layer is applied to the outer surface of the foundation, walls, basement, since it is from this side that the house will interact with moisture. So how to waterproof?

There are two types of water that can negatively affect the foundation. These include surface and groundwater.

To protect against rain and melt water, builders use a waterproof blind area. And since it rains in all regions, the blind area must always be done. However, groundwater protection may not always be installed. On construction sites with waterproofing it is mandatory to carry out waterproofing. It is also necessary to take into account the rise of groundwater during seasonal warming. Therefore, foundation waterproofing is required if:

1. Groundwater is located at a distance of less than a meter from the bottom of the foundation. If during a seasonal flood the water level rises a couple of meters higher, then the foundation can be treated with coating waterproofing. Thus, you can reliably protect the foundation and walls of the house from capillary absorption of water into the concrete.
2. Groundwater is located deeper than 1 meter. Here a waterproofing layer is not necessary, but taking into account the seasonal rise of water, the proximity of a river and the presence of drainage devices and blind areas in neighboring areas, experts advise making inexpensive coating waterproofing.
3. High groundwater level. In this case, the groundwater reaches one level or higher than the bottom of the foundation. In this case, high-quality and thorough waterproofing should be done, and a drainage system should be included in the foundation construction project. The installation of drainage on such soil is simply necessary, since water creates pressure on the foundation, while simultaneously reducing the force of support of the foundation on the ground. As a result, the foundation may shift, possibly even overturning. Therefore, in addition to waterproofing, it is necessary around the foundation. It will significantly reduce the groundwater level and protect against excess moisture.
4. Construction of a foundation on water-resistant soil. Waterproof or impermeable soils include clay and loam with a layer of soil capable of absorbing water (sand). Such soil does not allow water to spread out of the area, but penetrates inside and begins to move, obeying the law of least resistance, towards the foundation.
5. Aggressive groundwater. It is necessary to know the composition of groundwater before building a foundation. Since aggressive waters can simply destroy the concrete base, that is, lead to corrosion of the concrete. All materials for building the foundation must make the foundation resistant to the aggressive properties of groundwater. The most dangerous are considered to be aggressive pressure waters that create pressure on the foundation.

All underground waters can be divided into suspended, free-flow, low-pressure and pressurized waters.

In any case, it should be under a permeable layer of sand and crushed stone. Such a cushion isolates capillary absorption of groundwater.

How to waterproof a foundation correctly?

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Waterproofing of a monolithic slab foundation

Material used:

• rolled roofing felt;
• insulation;
• concrete solution.

You should use rolled roofing felt. The foundation slab must be leveled with a concrete screed and waterproofing applied on top of it. Then the insulation is laid and the surface is covered with a concrete screed. You should wait until the concrete screed has dried and only then begin installing the floor coverings.

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Strip foundation and its waterproofing

Coating with bitumen mastic.

Material used:

• bitumen mastic;
• EPS insulation or geotextile;
• sand.

Coating the foundation of a house with bitumen mastic is considered the cheapest type of foundation waterproofing. It reliably prevents capillary penetration of groundwater. Pressure water can easily bypass such protection, and under its influence the waterproofing can be damaged. Also, the mastic does not withstand shifts and does not stretch.

Before applying mastic, the surface should be carefully leveled and dried well, and it is better to round the corners of the foundation. Most often, such waterproofing is damaged when filling the gap with soil. Such soil is located around the foundation and contains a lot of debris: stones, reinforcement, glass, etc.

To protect the mastic coating, you can use EPS insulation, geotextiles or a brick wall.

EPS insulation is most often installed on a foundation that stands on soil with a fairly high level of freezing. A protective brick wall is an expensive and rather labor-intensive process.

Rolled roofing felt.

Material used:

• rolled roofing felt;
• bitumen mastic.

The waterproofing layer is applied to the walls using a sprayer, filling all cracks and gaps in the foundation walls.

Roofing felt is more expensive than bitumen mastic. But the advantages of such waterproofing are durability and strength. When backfilling the gap with clean sand, protection for the waterproofing layer does not need to be provided.
Before covering the foundation walls with waterproofing, the surface should be leveled and treated with hot bitumen mastic. Then 2 layers of roofing material are attached with an overlap of 10 cm.

How to waterproof a strip foundation using a sprayer?

Material used:

• special sprayer;
• container for heating the material;
• liquid bitumen.

Using a sprayer, the waterproofing layer is applied to the walls. The surface of the base does not need to be leveled; it only needs to be cleaned of dust. After applying waterproofing, it should be reinforced together with a geotectile option. This method can be classified as an inexpensive option for applying waterproofing. Bitumen is easily applied, filling all cracks and gaps in the foundation walls.

A mixture of oil and bitumen should be heated in a container. As soon as the mixture becomes homogeneous, you can begin pollinating the surface. This type of waterproofing is best used if the foundation has a complex shape or is located next to a neighboring house. In these cases, it will be difficult to apply the method of gluing roofing felt, so a sprayer will be the most convenient option.

There is another way to apply a 25 mm cement mortar to the outer surface of the foundation if the water pressure reaches 20 meters.

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Applying a plaster layer with your own hands

Scheme for applying plaster waterproofing.

Choosing plaster as waterproofing material, solve two problems at once: leveling and moisture protection. This circumstance makes the plaster layer quite attractive for waterproofing the foundation.

All the necessary materials can be purchased without spending a lot of money. Waterproofing of this type is very easy to produce.

To carry out the work you will need:

• plaster;
• components that enhance water resistance;
• putty knife;
• container for the mixture;
• putty mesh;
• screws, dowels;
• screwdriver (preferably a screwdriver);
• hammer drill

First of all, a mixture is prepared, which consists of a plaster solution with special waterproofing components. The plaster solution is then applied to the foundation walls. The work is carried out in the same way as applying plaster to the walls. At the final stage, the putty mesh is attached to the foundation using screws and dowels.

The mesh is necessary to strengthen the plaster layer. The work is carried out to prevent the putty from collapsing during operation. The plaster layer performs well the functions of protecting and leveling foundation walls.

But this method also has disadvantages that reduce almost all the advantages to zero. Due to low waterproofing, plaster can only be used in regions with a dry climate. This option is short-lived and rather unreliable, which is characterized by the appearance of cracks.

Use of a special solution.

Waterproofing the foundation in this way is quite high quality. A distinctive feature is durability. Spraying does not require any special skills.

You will need:

• solution;
• protection for face, hands;
• spray.

The solution is carefully sprayed and after drying, the next layer is applied. You will need to apply 4-5 layers.

The main difference between this option is the penetration of the solution directly into the structure of the base. Penetration reaches 15 cm. Protection occurs inside, not on the surface.

However, the cost of such waterproofing is high. Thanks to this method, you will get really high-quality waterproofing of the base of the house.

The foundation is an important component of any structure, the quality and stability of which determines the durability of the building as a whole. Why use insulation? The foundation is exposed to many negative factors - one of them is moisture, which destroys the structure. Do-it-yourself foundation waterproofing, done correctly using technology, will help you cope with this trouble.

There are two types of moisture that affect the base:

• melt water and precipitation entering the ground from the outside;
• bottom waters, their level is variable, depending on the season.

Which waterproofing to choose for the foundation? The base is selected based on the type of base and material; slab and column supports are protected from moisture in different ways.

It acts on the base in several ways:

• if there are aggressive components in the bottom or rain moisture, then potholes and defects caused by the leaching of solid particles may appear in the base body;
• is destroyed by freezing of moisture that has penetrated into the base material. The only element in nature that expands when exposed to sub-zero temperatures is water. Penetrating into micropores, it puts a strong load on the base from the inside, resulting in cracks, crevices, and breaks;
• washing away the soil with water leads to distortion and subsidence of the structure, which can lead to the destruction of walls.

Now it becomes clear why waterproofing the base is needed. For this reason, the base must be insulated as soon as the structure is ready.

Types of insulation used

Three groups of arrangement for protecting the constructed foundation from groundwater can be distinguished:

• horizontal waterproofing of the foundation inside the house;
• creating a blind area.

Foundation waterproofing materials for construction are different. There are such bases that several types of protection are used in combination to protect them:

• Cut-off foundation waterproofing is used for foundations on pillars and strip foundations.
• Horizontal foundation waterproofing – suitable for all types of foundations. With its help, the influence of moisture in the interlevel space is limited. This insulation is made from different materials, depending on the construction budget.
• The blind area is constructed to protect the base from rain or melt water. It is advisable to make the structure wide enough, otherwise moisture will penetrate to the base and put additional stress on other types of insulation.

Horizontal and vertical waterproofing

These two types of foundation protection should be examined separately; the materials for waterproofing the foundation are very different from those used in the construction of the blind area.

Insulation of the buried part of the support is carried out by several types of protection:

• by coating;
• pasting;
• plastering;
• penetrating compounds;
• performed by installation;
• structural;

You need to understand which foundation waterproofing materials to use for a certain type of foundation and how horizontal foundation waterproofing is constructed.

Coating method in isolation

Coating waterproofing of the foundation is carried out with bitumen-based mastics. Two-component and one-component compositions are used to coat part of the base located in the ground and the walls of the building. In addition, many new, modern and high-quality insulating materials have recently appeared:

• polymer-based and bitumen-polymer resins;
• bitumen and rubber mastics.

Thanks to additives in bitumen, the material tolerates low temperatures well and does not crack like regular bitumen when frozen. The disadvantage of modern materials is their high cost, so private developers use the foundations of the house as insulation.

Pasting

How to waterproof a foundation using adhesive compounds? A popular and frequently used type of protection is the use of various materials in rolls mounted on a binder layer of bitumen, for example hydroglass insulation. The adhesive protection can be installed in two ways – gluing or fusing.

Welded waterproofing involves the use gas burner, with the help of which the top layer will be heated to a viscous state, after which the material is glued to the plane of the base. If there is no adhesive base on the roll insulation, then mastic is used as an external adhesive. It is necessary to choose the right material.

Before installing insulation, the surface is primed.

Pasting materials are:

• Roofing felt is considered an obsolete insulation material, but is still widely used. Due to its low cost and the ability to quickly recover if damaged. This is cardboard, the surface of which is treated with bitumen;
• glassine is a good waterproofing material based on thick construction cardboard, treated on both sides with bitumen. This cannot be said to be reliable insulation, but the cost of roll coating allows you to save;
• roofing felt is a leader among insulating materials, has good insulating characteristics and affordable price, makes the material in demand among developers. But it is worth noting that the service life is short;
• materials based on polymers, with bitumen impregnation, the base of which is fiberglass or polyester. There are several common insulation options: “Gidrostekloizol”, “Linocom”, “Tekhnokol”, “Bikrost” and so on.

The most reliable options for foundation waterproofing are the materials listed in the last list, but often their use entails additional costs. Hydroglass insulation is especially in demand, its technical characteristics and Newest technologies during production, it allows you to insulate the foundation inside an old house for a period of 30 years.

But it is worth noting that these materials last quite a long time, which allows you to save on the frequency of repairs. Another positive point is the ability to use hydroglass insulation for any building materials:

• metal;
• concrete;
• tree;
• asphalt concrete;
• hydrostekloizol is used for repeated and restoration of waterproofing without dismantling the old coating.

Plaster protection

Waterproofing the foundation with your own hands on piles using plastering or painting is impractical and unreliable. Such insulation lasts only five years, after which repair work will have to be carried out.

Penetrating insulation

An excellent way to treat the base to protect the base from moisture, penetrating foundation waterproofing can clog all the pores of concrete, while increasing the resistance of the material to a humid environment. Typically, this protection is used in combination with other types of insulation - pasted or coated. Excavation was previously used as penetrating waterproofing.

The penetration depth of insulation reaches 25 cm, but more expensive materials are buried a meter deep. The disadvantage of this method is that it is limited in use - it is only suitable for concrete foundations.

There are the most popular compositions used to treat foundations for waterproofing:

• "Penecritus";
• "Penaplag";
• "Hydrohit";
• "Penotron".

This insulation is most effective on new buildings, since the surface must be clean, free of grease and smooth.

Recently, many construction companies have been offering a service such as foundation waterproofing with polyurea. This innovation in the arrangement of pole insulation is produced by spraying and guarantees high-quality protection.

Mounted insulation

This insulation method is used when the bottom water level is high and puts a lot of pressure on the foundation. Equipped on strip-type foundations with. For mounted protection, various materials are used, for example, sheet steel, which is used to cover the base from the inside. The metal should be 6 mm thick. This method is used very rarely due to its high cost.

Brickwork is erected on the outside along the perimeter of the foundation.

It is erected after insulation work has been carried out using coating or pasting methods. In this situation, the waterproofing between the foundation and the masonry will be protected from mechanical damage.

Structural waterproofing of a foundation slab involves adding special insulating additives directly into the concrete. It is used very rarely due to its high cost, so it is better to choose more economical materials.

Injection insulation

This method is used for injecting foundations that are in operation when repairs to foundation waterproofing are needed. This technology helps protect the base from moisture without developing the soil around the perimeter. Injectors are connected to the base and are capable of delivering insulating material.

The following compositions are used:

• resin;
• rubber;
• foam;
• acrylate gel;
• polymers;
• cement mortars.

This method involves the use of special equipment and a professional approach, so it is impossible to perform injection isolation with your own hands. But at the same time, you can easily waterproof the existing foundation of an old house.

Arrangement of the blind area

When using external waterproofing to protect the base, the following materials are used:

• sidewalk tile;
• concrete;
• diffusion membrane for waterproofing the foundation;
• asphalt concrete.

The choice of material for arranging a blind area depends on the foundation, availability of material, financial capabilities, preferences of the owners and the design of the building. If we are talking about savings, then the best option would be to lay asphalt or concrete. Typically, this option is used to protect foundations in apartment buildings, industrial facilities and administrative buildings.

Builders recommend using a waterproofing membrane for the foundation for private houses, as it is the most reliable protection option.

Technological features of waterproofing different types of foundations

Different types of building foundations require individual species isolation. Before pouring, you need to determine what measures to take for high-quality waterproofing.

Strip base insulation

For prefabricated and monolithic options, waterproofing strip foundation has distinctive features. The prefabricated type of base requires the following steps:

• waterproofing industrial foundation slabs and concrete walls the basement requires the installation of a high-quality, reinforced seam connection;
• waterproofing of foundation walls with rolled material is laid from the first seam located at the lower level of the basement flooring;
• at the junctions of the foundation structure and walls, along the edge of the foundation, insulating material is installed;
• external waterproofing of the foundation of the recessed part is carried out vertically;
• installation of blind area.

Bitumen waterproofing of the foundation is not used to isolate seams, as it can lead to displacements structural elements grounds. In this case, you need to install a full-fledged, thickened concrete joint.

The foundation edge is insulated to completely protect the base material from destruction under the influence of moisture. The foundation waterproofing is glued, made with rolled materials, glued type.

Vertical waterproofing of the new strip foundation is carried out along the outer perimeter of the building, this helps protect not only the support structure, but also the interior of the basement.

Coating and pasting waterproofing of the foundation can be used. The inner side is isolated when finishing work is carried out; it is permissible to use injection and penetrating types of protection.

To waterproof a monolithic tape, the following measures are required:

• vertical protection;
• base edge insulation;
• arrangement of the blind area.

The sequence of work is carried out in the same order as when protecting a prefabricated type of base.

Pile and column base - waterproofing

These types of bases do not require complex insulation from the influences of a humid environment. The main work will consist only of measures to protect the edge of the foundation with a priming solution. The main attention should be paid to the grillage; the location of the waterproofing depends on the material of its manufacture.

If the grillage and supports are monolithic, then the protection is laid at the points of contact between the walls and the base. If a basement is equipped, it is waterproofed from the outside and inside from groundwater.

When using a screw base, on pillars of which the first row is immediately laid wooden house, insulation is installed waterproofing between the foundation and the wall.

Slab foundation protection

Do you need moisture? The answer is yes. For high-quality protection, you need to provide the following:

• footing made of depleted concrete to isolate the slab support from bottom waters;
• waterproofing the concrete base, it is treated with mastic;
• external waterproofing.

When arranging the second layer of the slab, it is necessary to carry out high-quality insulation using the most modern materials. It is worth understanding that just as the waterproofing under the foundation slab will be incorrect, restoring the waterproofing of the foundation if it is destroyed will be impossible.

If the building is small and has a low specific gravity, you can use a simple polyethylene film in two folds, which is laid on the concrete base.

After the slab is ready, it is worth taking care of its external insulation using rolled material. Particular attention should be paid to the connections between the base and walls of the house.

Now you understand how to properly waterproof a foundation.

In custody

To the question of whether it is necessary to waterproof the foundation or not, you can safely answer - yes, it is necessary to carry out work to protect the support from moisture. Which waterproofing is better for protecting the foundation from the inside can only be determined by studying all the rules of arrangement and the material from which the building’s support is made.

The stability and integrity of the entire structure directly depend on the strength and durability of the foundation. erected on this basis the building, and even, to a certain extent, the safety of the people living in it. That is why special attention is always paid to the process of constructing the foundation part of a building, and only the best building materials are used for this.

However, no matter what high-strength materials have not been used at the “zero cycle”, they all have a common ruthless “enemy” - water, in one or another state of aggregation. Moisture can reduce the strength of the structure being created in a relatively short time, so do-it-yourself waterproofing is the most important stage self-building your own home is something that should never be overlooked.

Why is moisture dangerous for the foundation?

The water that is familiar to all of us, seemingly completely harmless to an amateur’s eye, can cause a lot of trouble to the foundation of a building:

• Firstly, it is known that water has the ability to significantly increase in volume when it transforms into a solid state - when it freezes. Penetrating into micropores and cracks of even the most durable structure when temperatures drop below 0º C, it is capable of expanding them, increasing in size, and sometimes literally tearing them into separate fragments.

• Secondly, water on the surface of the earth, contained in the upper layers of soil and even drop-down in the form of precipitation is never clean. It is always saturated in one concentration or another with very aggressive chemical compounds - industrial emissions, agricultural chemicals, waste oil products, car exhaust, etc. Such substances cause surface erosion of concrete, from which it loses its strength and begins to crumble.

• Thirdly, these same chemical compounds plus dissolved In water, oxygen activates corrosion processes on the reinforcement grid. Not only does the inherent strength of the entire reinforced structure decrease, it leads to the formation of internal cavities in the thickness of the material and ultimately ends in delamination of the upper layers of concrete.
• And fourthly, we must not forget that What water has a pronounced leaching property (how can one not remember the proverb - « water wears away stones). Constant exposure to even pure chemical water is always associated with the gradual washing away of foundation material particles from the surface, the formation of surface sinks, cavities, etc.

Water in the soil adjacent to the foundation can be in different layers and in different states:

• The upper, so-called filtration layer is water that falls with precipitation, formed from melting snow or simply from an external spill (usage water for domestic and agricultural purposes, accidental bursts of highways, etc.). Sometimes, if a high-lying waterproof layer gets in the way of absorption, then in a certain limited area a fairly stable horizon can form - perched water.

The saturation of the upper filtration layer of water is always highly dependent on the time of year, established weather, and amount of precipitation and is not a constant value. In addition to high-quality waterproofing, a well-thought-out storm drainage system will play an important role in reducing the impact of moisture from this layer on the foundation of the building.

• The upper layers of the soil always contain soil (ground) moisture, which is constantly retained there due to capillarity or the adhesive properties of the soil. Its concentration is quite constant and depends very little on the level of precipitation, time of year and etc.. It does not exert any dynamic, leaching loads on the foundation, and its negative impact is limited to capillary penetration into materials and chemical “aggression”.

To counteract ground moisture, a waterproof layer of waterproofing is sufficient. True, in excessively wet areas of the area, with a tendency to waterlogging, it will be necessary to provide a water drainage system.

• Underground groundwater is the upper aquifers characteristic of a particular area and its topography. The depth of their occurrence depends on the location of the water-resistant soil layers, and the filling capacity is quite strongly influenced by seasonal factors - abundant snow melting, prolonged rains or, conversely, established drought.

Smartly the depth of these aquifers and its seasonal fluctuations can be observed in the nearest well - conventional or technological drainage. In addition to direct penetration into the thickness of the foundation material, these waters can also exert hydrostatic pressure on the buried part of the structure. If such layers are located at a high level, the maximum amount of waterproofing work will be required, with the obligatory installation of an effective drainage system around the building.

What types of waterproofing are used to protect the foundation?

In order to prevent the negative impact of moisture on the foundation, the following types of waterproofing and other construction and installation works are used:

• Giving construction materials with additional water-repellent properties.
• Creation waterproof coatings on the vertical walls of the foundation, from its base to the top edge of the base.
• Reliable waterproofing of horizontal interlevel seams, preventing capillary upward penetration of moisture.
• Reliable protection of the waterproofing itself from external mechanical influences.
• Measures to reduce the negative impact of negative temperatures.
• Installation of a drainage system around the house.
• Creation of a reliable system for draining rain and melt water - drainage and storm sewerage.
• Ensuring reliable ventilation of basements and basements.

The proposed figure shows, as an example, a possible general scheme waterproofing the building foundation:

The diagrams are marked with numbers:

1 – the base of the foundation, which usually rests on a compacted sand and gravel bed. Between it and the vertical wall of the foundation (2) there must be a cut-off horizontal waterproofing (4), which overlaps with the insulating layer arranged in basement floor rooms (4) between the base and the screed.

The outer vertical wall has a coating waterproofing coating (5), additionally protected by a waterproof membrane (7) and covered with a layer of geotextile (8), which protects against abrasive and other mechanical effects.

The upper edge of the plinth (foundation wall) is also necessarily covered with waterproofing roll material (6), on top of which further construction of the walls and ceilings of the building will be carried out.

To remove moisture, a drainage system is provided - pipes (9) laid around the perimeter at the level of the base of the foundation in a gravel cage. For more reliable protection against water from precipitation entering deep into the soil, it is advisable to build a clay castle around the house (10).

In areas with a harsh climate, severe freezing of the upper layers of the soil, or in the case where residential or utility premises are planned to be located in the basement or basement, the waterproofing system of the foundation and basement is complemented by a system for their insulation:

The diagram in general terms repeats the one posted above, so the main numbering of parts and assemblies is preserved. In addition shown:

1.1 – sand and gravel cushion under the base of the foundation. This layer can also be made of lean concrete with coarse-grained filling.

12 – insulating panels made of extruded polystyrene foam, installed externally on top of rolled waterproofing along the entire height of the foundation and basement walls.

13 – plaster layer of the basement finishing. Currently, special base thermal panels are often used instead - they provide both insulation and reliable protection from direct exposure to water.

14 – wall of the building being erected. The figure clearly shows that it begins to be laid from the layer of horizontal cut-off waterproofing of the foundation.

The choice of a specific type of waterproofing, and therefore the materials used for it, largely depends on the specific purpose of the room located in ground floor. The existing classification (according to BS 8102 standards adopted in Europe) divides them into four classes:

• The first, lowest class is utility or technical premises that are not equipped with electrical networks. They tolerate wet spots or even small leaks. The wall thickness must be at least 150 mm.
• The second class also includes technical or utility rooms, but already equipped with ventilation, in which only wet fumes are allowed, without the formation of damp spots, with a wall thickness of at least 200 mm. It is already permitted to install electrical appliances of standard mains voltage here.
• Third class is the most common, and most of all of interest to individual developers. It includes all residential buildings, offices, retail outlets, and social facilities. The thickness of the walls should not be less than 250 mm; a natural or forced ventilation system is required. No penetration of moisture is allowed.
• As a rule, you don’t have to deal with the fourth class of premises when building your own home - these are objects with a specially created microclimate - archival storage facilities, libraries, laboratories and others, where special requirements are imposed on a constant, clearly established level of humidity.

The table below shows the recommended types of waterproofing and the materials used for its installation, indicating its degree of strength, the protection created from one or another effect of groundwater and compatibility with the classes of equipped premises:

Type of waterproofing and materials used	crack resistance	degree of protection against water			room class
		perched water	soil moisture	ground aquifer	1	2	3	4
Modern adhesive waterproofing using polyester-based bitumen membranes	high	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Waterproofing installed using polymer waterproof membranes	high	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Coating waterproofing using polymer or bitumen-polymer mastics	average	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Flexible coating waterproofing using polymer-cement compositions	average	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Coating rigid waterproofing based on cement compositions	low	Yes	Not	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Impregnating waterproofing that increases the water-repellent properties of concrete	low	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

After viewing the table, one can make a very erroneous conclusion that, for example, for a residential building, just one type of insulation will be sufficient. Practice shows that this may clearly not be enough, and most often an integrated approach is used, when one type, combined with another, creates a truly reliable waterproof barrier for the foundation.

Horizontal waterproofing of the foundation

It is advisable to start the review with horizontal waterproofing. The fact is that it can be carried out exclusively during the construction of the building. If the vertical can be carried out even on a fully constructed building, for example, after purchasing finished house, then it is almost impossible to draw a horizontal line that has been overlooked - it is always planned in advance. There are, however, modern methods of injection waterproofing, but they are very expensive and still remain only a half-measure aimed at minimizing previously made miscalculations.

• The first unique waterproofing level is a compacted sand and gravel cushion under the foundation soles being laid or under the monolithic structure being poured.
• If it is planned to pour a concrete slab in a basement or basement room, then its first layer is also made over such a backfill, so that the level is equal in height to the top edge of the laid soles or the first layer of “tape”. Made from lean concrete. This is where the first layer of horizontal waterproofing is laid - the room is completely covered from below from the penetration of soil water. In addition, a barrier is created against the capillary rise of moisture along the walls of the future foundation.

• Waterproofing is carried out using roofing felt, adjacent sheets of which are laid with overlaps of 100 - 150 mm, with the obligatory “boiling” of them using a gas burner. If layers of roofing material are combined, laid on the floor and on platforms for further pouring of the foundation tape, then the overlaps are increased to 250 — 300 mm.
• It is recommended to spare no expense and perform such insulation even in two layers. In this case, the stripes of the second layer should be oriented perpendicular to the first.

The second “line of defense” against the capillary spread of moisture should be organized at the transition point monolithic foundation(after pouring it) into the basement part, if this is provided for by the project. The importance of this waterproofing layer is clearly demonstrated in the diagram presented:

Location of “boundaries” of cut-off horizontal waterproofing

For such waterproofing, the same roofing material is used, laid on a completely hardened and strengthened concrete base, cleaned of dirt and dust and carefully primed tar mastic. The material is laid in at least two layers by gluing them together with mastic or using a thermal method (fusion).

If the project does not provide for a separate base, and its role will be played by the protruding above-ground part of the monolithic foundation, then this step is understandably skipped. But in any case, exactly the same actions are taken along the upper edge of the foundation or plinth, regardless of whether floor slabs are laid on this basis or walls are built from any material.

Sometimes work on waterproofing the upper horizontal plane of the foundation is combined with similar operations on vertical walls, thereby obtaining one monolithic insulator surface.

Vertical waterproofing of foundation walls and plinth

Vertical waterproofing of foundation walls is a prerequisite for long-term trouble-free operation of the building. When building a new house, it is thought out in advance. It is also carried out on houses that have been built a long time ago - if there are obvious signs that the old waterproofing is clearly not coping with its functions - there are pronounced traces of moisture penetration into the premises, or if when purchasing a house there is no certainty that such work was carried out previously.

Spots like these are a clear warning sign

• To carry out such waterproofing work, it will be necessary to expose the foundation walls to the maximum possible depth - right down to its base. During construction, this factor is usually taken into account immediately, leaving the necessary trench around the perimeter - it will be needed both for waterproofing and for installing a drainage system.
• On an old building you will have to start with excavation work. First, the concrete blind area around the base is dismantled - using a hammer drill or manually. Then they dig deeper, going deeper to the bottom of the foundation. The width of the trench can be any - the main thing is that it allows you to freely carry out all the necessary actions. Usually a width of up to 1 meter is sufficient.
• The walls are thoroughly cleaned of soil residues and inspected.
• All loose areas, peelings, and unstable areas must be unconditionally removed. The surface must be cleaned to a monolithic structure.
• If a layer of waterproofing is applied to the walls, but its functionality is questionable, then it is also better to completely remove it.

Repair of wall surfaces and their impregnating (penetrating) waterproofing

• All cracks and cracks on the surface are cut into rectangular grooves measuring 25 × 25 mm along the entire length. Similar operations are carried out in places of vertical and horizontal joints of reinforced concrete blocks with the removal of old mortar. If the foundation is block or made of brick, the seams are cleaned to the same depth - up to 25 mm.

• As a repair composition, we can recommend the specialized waterproofing dry construction mixture “Penecrete”, which is used in combination with the deep penetration primer “Penetron”.

- "Penecritus" has good plasticity, high adhesion to almost all building materials, and after complete hardening it becomes reliable waterproofing agent, firmly “sealing” seams and cracks. It is important that after filling the seams the material does not shrink.

— “Penetron” or other primers of similar action penetrate deeply into the thickness of concrete, forming additional crystalline bonds there, which significantly strengthens the material, and firmly closing the pores, preventing capillary penetration of moisture.

The advantage of these materials is that they are applied to a wet surface, thereby reducing the time required for work - during construction there is no need to wait for the concrete to dry completely.

“Penecrete” is prepared in the usual way - like any dry construction mixture, using a construction mixer or drill with an attachment, in strict accordance with the instructions supplied with it. "Penetron" is sold in a ready-to-use form.

• So, all cut cracks, joints and seams are first moistened with ordinary water, and then primed"Penetron".
• Then, they are filled as tightly as possible, without leaving air “pockets”, with a repair composition - “penecrete” to the general level of the wall.
• After setting of the repair mortar over the entire surface The outer wall of the foundation must be moistened (you can use a hose with a spray nozzle) and covered in two layers with the same deep penetration soil.
• If possible, then That Exactly the same operations are carried out on the internal walls of the foundation.

The created system of protection against moisture penetration is quite effective. There is even an opinion that she can single-handedly cope with the tasks of foundation waterproofing, and, carried out even on one side of the wall. Nevertheless, it is still better to use such an impregnation technology as the main one only from the inside and on the part of the foundation or plinth protruding above the surface of the earth. On the outside, it is still worth playing it safe and protecting the walls in the area of ​​their direct contact with the ground with additional waterproof layers.

Video: using penetrating waterproofing of the Penetrat system

Coating vertical waterproofing of foundation

Coating waterproofing of foundation walls is perhaps the most common technology among private developers. It is quite simple to implement - almost anyone can do it, does not require excessively high material costs, and does not take much time.

To work you will need:

— Bitumen primer - it can be purchased in a ready-made form at the store (bitumen primers). It is not difficult to make it yourself - bitumen heated to a fluid state is mixed with a solvent, which is most often used as gasoline. The weight ratio of gasoline to bitumen should be approximately 1:3 ÷ 1:4. It is important that when preparing the primer, bitumen is poured into gasoline, and not vice versa. The composition should have an even liquid consistency, similar to regular paint.

Prices for waterproofing for foundations

Waterproofing for foundation

Step-by-step instructions for waterproofing a foundation with self-adhesive bitumen-polymer material “Technoelast-Barrier (BO)”

The table below provides illustrated step-by-step instructions for performing waterproofing work on the foundation using rolled self-adhesive material on a bitumen-polymer base "Technoelast-Barrier (BO)" of the well-known Russian manufacturer"TechnoNIKOL".

This roll material(standard release form – roll 20×1 m) is designed for waterproofing concrete slab foundations, floors, and plinths, with a depth from the ground surface of up to 3 meters, and the absence of highly located groundwater. The convenience of “Technoelast-Barrier (BO)” is that its use does not require additional equipment, is not associated with “hot” processes, that is, there is no stage of melting using a gas burner - work can be carried out even on a flammable base, in enclosed spaces and limited spaces.

Prices for Technoelast-Barrier

TechnoNIKOL technoelast

Illustration	Brief description of the operation being performed.
	The material itself is a baseless structure, consisting of a top layer - a dense polymer film with the TechnoNIKOL logo printed on it, and a second layer - a bitumen-polymer viscous composite material that has excellent adhesion to prepared substrates. Before installing the material, this adhesive layer is covered with a special protective film backing, which is removed immediately before installation.
	The adhesive bitumen-polymer layer does not need to be subjected to thermal effects - the material is simply glued to the treated surface, and then straightened and rolled using wide brushes, rubber or silicone rollers, or hand rollers. Other tools you will need are a knife for cutting the material, a tape measure, a ruler, a square for taking measurements, marking and cutting, a roller and a brush for preliminary priming of the surface.
	Let's start our consideration with horizontal waterproofing. As already mentioned in the article, this could be, for example, slab foundation or the floor in the basement or basement. First of all, you need to make sure once again that there are no gross defects on the surface - potholes, cracks, sagging of hardened mortar and other serious flaws. All this must be eliminated - removed or repaired, achieving a flat surface, otherwise the chosen waterproofing method may become ineffective. The rolled material should adhere tightly to the surface over its entire area.
	It is easy to check the evenness of the surface for waterproofing by applying a long rule to it.
	Perfect evenness is not required - it is quite enough if the differences in a two-meter area are no more than 5 millimeters.
	In order for the primer to lay well and evenly on the surface, it must be cleared of small construction debris and dust. To do this, it is carefully swept...
	... and ideally, it is best to clean it and completely remove dust using a powerful construction vacuum cleaner.
	The next step is to apply a primer, that is, a special bitumen composition - a primer. However, there are certain restrictions on the use of various primers, depending on the moisture level of the concrete surface. Residual moisture is measured using a special device - a moisture meter. It is clear that not everyone has such a device. You can get by with a simpler solution - put a 1000x1000 mm polyethylene film on the fully matured concrete surface, gluing it around the perimeter with tape. If after 24 hours there are no drops of condensation on the film, then the concrete can be considered dry, with a residual moisture content of less than 4% by weight.
	In such conditions, you can use TechnoNIKOL primers No. 01 and No. 03 on an organic basis.
	If the residual moisture content of the concrete exceeds 4%, then you can use the water-soluble primer “TechnoNIKOL” No. 04. But even in this case, the humidity cannot be more than 8%, that is, the concrete must fully gain strength and mature. It makes no sense to carry out any waterproofing work on a foundation that has not met the entire period required for maturation.
	The primer is spread thickly and sparingly over the surface using a roller. A consumption of 300÷350 ml per square meter of area is considered normal.
	It is necessary to ensure that the distribution of the primer over the surface is uniform, without “bald spots”. In hard-to-reach places, especially at the intersection of vertical and horizontal surfaces, you cannot do without using a brush.
	It is recommended that after applying the primer there is no long pause before laying the main waterproofing material. The only thing you need to wait for is for the applied primer to dry completely. It’s easy to check - press a regular paper napkin onto the treated surface, which already seems dry. If black marks remain on it, it is too early to proceed to further operations.
	But if the napkin remains clean after such an “experiment”, we can assume that the concrete surface is ready for basic waterproofing work
	The waterproofing roll is delivered to the work site. On a horizontal surface, you can mark a line along which the first strip of material will be laid.
	The outer packaging of the roll is opened and removed as unnecessary.
	The next step is to roll out the Technoelast-Barrier (BO) roll along the entire length of the area to be waterproofed. At the same time, it is necessary to adjust its position so that the spread canvas lies exactly along the intended line. Naturally, the rolling is carried out so that the polymer layer with the logo is at the top, and the protective film backing is at the bottom.
	After rolling out, the sheet is cut in place. It is best to do this along a ruler, using a sharp construction knife.
	After trimming, the canvas spread along its entire length must be carefully rolled from both sides to the center without moving its position. It is more convenient, of course, to perform this and all further operations together, together with an assistant.
	In order to prevent distortions in the direction and creases of the waterproofing material itself when rolling, it is recommended to use old cardboard sleeves as reels for these purposes.
	Now the final laying of the material begins. First, you need to cut the film backing material along the transverse line along the entire width of the roll. This must be done carefully, without pressing the knife, so as not to accidentally cut through the canvas.
	After this, along the cut made, the substrate is separated in a narrow strip from the adhesive surface of the waterproofing, also along the entire width of the roll.
	Now, gradually pulling out the backing film, the roll is finally laid out from the center in one direction. The adhesive bitumen-polymer layer comes into adhesive contact with the concrete surface coated with a bitumen primer.
	It is more advisable to do the work together: one worker, pulling out the film backing, gradually unrolls the roll. The second, without hesitation, immediately smoothes the laid canvas, expelling possible air bubbles from under it. The most convenient way to do this is to use a wide brush with a long handle, as shown in the illustration. Then the same operation is repeated in the other direction from the center. As a result, the first sheet is laid. For the central areas of the glued sheet, pressing with a brush (with a well-prepared concrete surface) is sufficient. But it is advisable to also roll the edges, in a strip of approximately 150 mm on each side, with a heavy metal or rubber roller.
	When gluing the next sheet lying parallel to the first, observe the following rule - the overlap should be at least 100 millimeters. The overlap strip is rolled with a roller to ensure complete sealing of the sheet joint.
	Of course, when laying waterproofing, they try to use entire sheets along the entire length. But sooner or later a situation arises when you have to join two strips along the end edge. There are also certain standards here.
	Even at the stage of “trying on” the next canvas, the necessary margin for overlap is immediately laid down.
	The minimum width of the overlap strip should be 150 millimeters.
	But that's not all. If you get a T-shaped joint, that is, two sheets laid and connected along the end side simultaneously overlap along their long side with the previously laid sheet, it is recommended to perform another operation. On the sheet that ends up in the middle (that is, the edge lies on the previously laid sheet, and then overlaps at the end with the next one), it is necessary to cut off the corner.
	The dimensions of the legs of this removable triangle correspond to the above parameters for the overlap of the canvases along the length and at the end. A rigid lining is placed under the edge of the sheet, and the corner is cut off with a knife.
	After this, the final “assembly” of this connecting unit is carried out, which is then necessarily rolled with a heavy roller for reliable sealing. The cut of the middle sheet in the joint turns out to be “packed” between the upper and lower sheets, so that the tightness is fully ensured.
	If similar T-shaped connecting nodes are found on adjacent strips, then the distance between them should be at least 500 millimeters. By the way, in this illustration you can clearly see the same cut corner, covered with the top sheet and rolled with a roller (shown by the red arrow).
	The work continues in the same manner until the entire horizontal surface requiring waterproofing is covered. The waterproofing layer itself also needs protection. If it is not intended to be backfilled with soil (for example, it is the floor of a basement or basement floor or a monolithic foundation slab), then a reinforced concrete screed (the so-called screed without connection to the base, on a separating layer), with a thickness of at least 50, must be installed over such waterproofing. millimeters.
	Now we move on to vertical waterproofing of the foundation. This is usually a more complex operation, since the surface often has many intersections of planes both vertically and horizontally. Work is always carried out in sections from bottom to top, that is, the upper canvases overlap the lower ones, allowing free drainage for moisture (the sequence and direction are shown schematically in the illustration). But before this, it is necessary to carry out a whole series of preliminary operations - surface preparation, formation of transition fillets, priming and creation of a reinforcement belt. Let's talk about everything in order.
	They begin again by checking the condition of the waterproofed surface. There should be no high sagging, bumps, dips, cracks and crevices, that is, anything that can interfere with the tight fit of the Technoelast-Barrier (BO) fabrics over its entire area, without leaving air voids.
	The requirements for level differences are the same as on a horizontal surface, that is, within 5 millimeters over a two-meter area.
	When vertically waterproofing the foundation, sharp fractures from top to bottom are completely unacceptable, that is, pronounced horizontal internal angles, which can become an area of ​​moisture accumulation. That is, along the line of intersection of the vertical and horizontal planes, it is necessary to take measures to straighten the fracture as much as possible. This is done by laying out so-called transition fillets. The cross-section and dimensions of such a fillet (at least 100 millimeters along each leg) are shown in the illustration.
	To lay out fillets, you can use a regular cement-sand mortar, for example, in a ratio of 1:3. But in this case, you will have to wait for the concrete to completely harden “in full,” that is, within 4 weeks. So it is better to lay out the fillets immediately after removing the formwork from the foundation slab and discarding the soil from it. The optimal solution would be to use a special polymer-cement based building mixture, intended specifically for waterproofing work - it will create a reliable barrier against moisture in this vulnerable place, and it hardens and gains strength very quickly. The composition is diluted and kneaded in accordance with the instructions attached to it.
	The dry mixture is poured into the required measured volume of water and mixed until completely ready - obtaining a homogeneous plastic consistency.
	Then, using a regular spatula, fillets are formed, adhering to the dimensions indicated above.
	The laid fillets are left until they dry completely and gain strength.
	This illustration clearly demonstrates that fillets are laid out at all internal corners of the transition from the vertical to the horizontal plane. After the fillets are completely ready, they move on to the next stage of work.
	The next step is to thickly coat the entire surface for waterproofing with primer. On large areas it will be more convenient to work with a roller.
	But that's it difficult areas surfaces - external and internal corners and fillets - must be coated with a brush, so that not the slightest gap remains untreated with primer. Subsequent operations are carried out after the primer has completely dried - how to check this has already been described above.
	Next comes the most important stage - the creation of the so-called reinforcement belt. Its essence lies in the fact that all “problem” areas, without exception, are initially covered with strips of material, and only then, on top of the reinforcement, will the main waterproofing layer be installed. As already mentioned, the work is carried out from the bottom up. It often happens that work starts from an already waterproofed horizontal base. Another option is that the lower part of the structure consists of a concrete foundation preparation. It will have to be covered with material along its entire width, while adhering to the rules that apply on horizontal surfaces (see above). The illustration, just as an example, shows a belt of horizontal waterproofing 300 mm wide - it is assumed that the surface of the concrete preparation of the foundation has been covered. In the event that such a structural element is not provided (the tape was poured directly onto the sand and gravel bed), then the task is simplified. Our example shows probably the most complex option, with two fractures of the waterproofing surface at different levels.
	When creating reinforcement on any of the fillets, cut out a sheet of such width that there is a strip of at least 100 mm wide on both the top, on the vertical plane, and the bottom, on the horizontal plane.
	As a rule, all elements are cut out and tried on manually, directly at the site of future installation. After adjustment, the fragment is immediately glued to the specified area.
	The scheme of actions is simple: the protective backing is removed from the cut fragment sequentially as it is glued. Any glued element of the reinforcement belt is immediately rolled with a rubber or silicone roller.
	Further, the illustrations show some techniques for gluing waterproofing on various parts of the reinforcement belt. The strip is glued to the outer vertical corner. The rule is still the same - when moving to different planes, the minimum strip width on each of them should be 100 mm.
	"Sole" of the outer corner.
	The inner vertical corner is covered. Naturally, work on creating reinforcement from below should already be completed.
	The upper protruding part of the strip, covering the inner corner, is cut in two, and the “petals” are spread apart.
	The remaining gap between them is sealed on top with a small square fragment of waterproofing.
	Following the basic rules, they waterproof all “problem” areas. Of course, a certain amount of intelligence will be required, making decisions that apply to specific conditions carrying out work. In the example under consideration, the finished reinforcement belt looks like this.
	After this, they proceed to gluing the main layer of waterproofing. It is recommended to adhere to the rule - no glued canvas should have more than one change in direction, otherwise it may become deformed with the appearance of voids. The work is carried out according to the same principle - from the lower sections to the upper ones: fitting, cutting, and then the final gluing of the fragment are carried out. The overlap on the end part of any fragments should be, as with horizontal waterproofing, at least 150 mm, on the side - 100 mm.
	In this case, the lines of vertical joints at adjacent levels must be spaced at a distance of at least 300 mm.
	The illustrations below show examples of gluing basic waterproofing. The sheet is fitted and cut to cover the horizontal “step” and the vertical wall of the foundation slab located below.
	Unlike the technology of gluing waterproofing using the fusing method, in this case each of the canvases will be attached after fitting from top to bottom. At the top, the protective backing is removed and the canvas is fixed to the surface.
	For secure fixation top part You can immediately roll it with a roller.
	Then, carefully removing the protective film sequentially, gluing the rest of the cut out fragment is carried out.
	They move to the next section of the same level - and continue in the same sequence.
	In areas of large overlap of sheets at the bottom at the inner corners, trim the top sheet diagonally, as shown in the illustration.
	Then this unit is glued, followed by rolling with a roller.
	After complete completion of work at this level, they move higher - to a vertical straight section of the foundation strip. Waterproofing is carried out in compliance with the same rules and technological techniques.
	The glued waterproofing sheets must be fixed along the top edge. For this, an aluminum fixing profile is used, which is attached to the foundation strip with dowels through the holes on it. There is a bend on the profile - it should be located on top in the direction from the wall.
	The profile is tried on and cut off at right size, then holes are drilled in the wall, dowels are driven in and screwed in. Two dowels are placed along the edges of the profile, that is, in the first two holes in a row. Further installation proceeds in increments through one hole.
	If joining of two profiles is necessary, then a compensation gap of about 8 ÷ 10 mm must be left between them.
	After all the planks around the perimeter of the foundation are secured, the gap between the bent edge and the profile wall is tightly filled with polyurethane sealant using a construction syringe.
	As a result, the completely waterproofed surface of the strip foundation looks like this. However, it must be protected from mechanical damage when backfilling the soil.
	For this purpose, extruded polystyrene foam boards can be used. It is rigid and strong enough to withstand mechanical loads, and the foundation strip, among other things, also receives good insulation.
	Another option, when insulation is not required, is to use a special profiled membrane “PLANTER - standard”. It is characterized by high strength, elasticity, and raised “bosses” provide the necessary damping effect when backfilling soil.
	This membrane is attached to the vertical surface of the foundation strip immediately before backfilling the pit. In this case, its relief protrusions should be facing towards the waterproofed surface. At this point, the work on waterproofing the strip foundation can be considered complete.

There are other methods of waterproofing foundation walls - cement-polymer plasters or coating compositions, solid polymer membranes, bentonite mats, similar in principle to a “clay castle”, fusing. However, in the conditions of individual construction, those mentioned in the publication are more often used.

Video: waterproofing the foundation by fusing rolled materials

And lastly, waterproofing the foundation will be effective only in those conditions where a well-thought-out management of storm and melt water is provided - drains from the roof, ebbs on the base, ground or underground storm inlets and drainage channels, etc. If water has direct access under the walls of the building, then sooner or later it will “do its job” and the reliability of the foundation’s waterproofing will be compromised.