By Stephani L. Miller
As the push to control moisture intrusion continues, it's important to remember that what's under the house is just as important as the house-wrap and the window flashing. Basements are prone to dampness, mustiness, and mold growth due to moisture intrusion, but can be protected—and made into comfortable living areas—with a variety of waterproofing solutions.
Foundation cracks, created as the concrete shrinks, cures, and settles, can allow water to easily infiltrate the structure, undermine the foundation, and spur the growth of mold. The biggest step in protecting below-grade spaces from moisture damage is to waterproof the foundation—walls and slab—during construction. Below-grade waterproofing has not received as much focus in the residential segment over the years as above-grade moisture intrusion remedies, but as the industry continues to study the entire building envelope for solutions to moisture woes, new technologies trickle down from commercial building, and builders look to prevent mold liability, below-grade waterproofing is gaining ground. “The waterproofing market continues to grow as a result of consumer demand for improved below-grade living space,” says Scott Young, senior North American residential market manager for Dow Building Materials, maker of the Styrofoam Perimate moisture-resistant exterior insulation, which installs over waterproofing membranes.
A variety of waterproofing barriers can be applied to the exterior of the foundation walls and under the slab, including spray-applied membranes such as Mar-Flex's QuickSeal and Tremco Barrier Solutions' Tuff-N-Dri Basement Waterproofing System; self-adhering membranes such as Grace Construction Products' FlorPrufe; and mechanical sheet systems that require fasteners such as Cosella-Dörken's Delta-MS or Armtec Ltd.'s System Platon.
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