Help With Deciding Between Exterior Or Interior Waterproofing
When water starts showing up inside your home's basement, you'll need to find and seal all cracks in the foundation. In most situations, fixing these cracks will stop water from entering your basement and keep it dry. Unfortunately, it may need a more professional waterproofing solution if the water keeps coming in. There are both exterior and interior drain tiles that can help keep water out of your home, with each one having their own advantages. Know the difference to decide on the best one for your house.
Interior Waterproofing
When you have waterproofing done from the inside, the purpose will be to reduce the hydrostatic pressure on your home's foundation. While a foundation is built to withstand this pressure, over time, even a great foundation can become weak because of it.
Using drain tiles helps relieve pressure on the foundation. It does this by giving water under the house to go somewhere else and not build up against the foundation. It keeps the water out of a basement, and relieves that hydrostatic pressure that can cause damage.
Many homeowners like this type of waterproofing because it doesn't require tearing up the paved surfaces and landscaping around their home. The drain tiles can also be installed at any point during the year, since weather conditions are not an issue.
Exterior Waterproofing
Performing waterproofing outside of your home doesn't relieve the hydrostatic pressure, but simply keeps water away from the home entirely. Drain tiles are used to collect water from a heavy rainfall, and then divert the water so it goes far away from the foundation. Exterior waterproofing is much more expensive, but the method of waterproofing is highly effective. It keeps your foundation walls strong since water is not putting pressure on them.
If you have a finished basement, exterior waterproofing may be preferred since it will involve tearing up that landscaping rather than your interior basement finishings. Unfortunately, exterior waterproofing may not be possible if your home is located too close to a property line and would require disrupting the neighbor's yard, or there is an additional structure on your property that is in the way for the installation.
Either method should do a great job at waterproofing a home, so it is really up to you to decide which method is preferable. If you still have questions, speak to a waterproofing contractor in your area, like Safe-Guard Waterproofing. They can provide a price quote for both services as well to help you decide.
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