When you are remodeling a basement space, one of the first things you want to keep in mind is you want it to be a dry living area. To do that you will need to install a waterproofing system before construction. This needs to be done prior to construction even if you might not be experiencing a water problem currently. You may not have a problem now but this doesn’t mean you are out of the woods. Just remember Atlanta, if its below grade or underground, it will leak if not protected. To prevent future headache and thousands of dollars lost to an expense which could have been prevented, you might want to consider waterproofing your home before doing anything.
First off, you need to determine if there are any problems your home may have. Starting outside with your gutters is the first step. Water infiltration from the exterior is something of a common occurrence when you have gutters. When the gutters get dirty or when the conductor pipes get clogged, you have water logging in the soil around the house. So it would be a good idea to install water shoots at the base of the house or extend gutters away from your homes foundation. After diagnosing any further problems outside then you are truly ready to begin the interior waterproofing process.
The first part of constructing an interior waterproofing system is digging a perimeter trench around the whole slab of the problem area. Next would be installing a type of vapor barrier on the actual foundation wall which leads down to the trench to act as a moisture barrier. This keeps any moisture that tries to filter through the foundation behind the barrier and down into the waterproofing channel. The channel is set to elevation and is backfilled with drainage stone. This will make sure all the proper elevation will take the water from the walls and from underneath the floor drains all around to a sump or gravity exit line.
An important key to your new water guard system is an installation of a water port or access clean out. This will serve for a couple different reasons. One is its an inspection port so you can see what’s going on inside the system after it is installed. Also it provides an ideal exit for a dehumidification system if added during or after the installation is complete.
The most important component to a water management system in Atlanta is the Sump Pump. This is where all the water is collected, which is the lowest point of the system. There are many types of pumps which can be installed to pump out the water. However it is important that your pump be installed with a backup pump. This will eliminate risk of flooding during pump failure. In some cases your basement may get a lot of water. So if one pump can’t keep up then both pumps will operate simultaneously getting over double the amount of water out.
A battery backup supply is also a great feature to add to the pump installation, insuring your basement system is still working properly during a power outage. Making sure your pump is equipped with an air tight lid, so that evaporation in your basement doesn’t take place is important as well. If all else fails your sump pump needs to have an alarm which will alert you if anything stops working or goes wrong. These tips will insure a healthy Atlanta waterproofing system. Now your basement remodeling can begin, and once it is complete you can sleep well knowing that your new basement is protected from any possible future water damage.
