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Top of Foundation
At the time of construction, consideration should be given to the final grading
of a property, to ensure that the top of the foundation extends several inches
above ground level.
While making landscaping improvements, homeowners likely will want to add hard
surfaces (interlock, asphalt) and install planting beds for flowers and shrubs,
altering the grade around the foundation. These alterations may create a way for
water to seep through the brickwork or siding and flow over the top of the
foundation wall.
Water woes could also lay ahead for properties situated lower than their
neighbours as this scenario would permit water to drain from their properties to
yours.
Our estimator will likely recommend that the problem be fixed from the exterior.
This is usually accomplished by lowering the grade and sloping it away from the
house. It is a good practice to inspect your exterior cladding and windows
annually for signs of deterioration or moisture infiltration.
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Cove Joint
The place where your floor and wall meet is called the "cove joint". When we
have heavy rain for prolonged periods the weeping tile may not be able to handle
the volume of water, resulting in a backup of ground water under the basement
floor and along the foundation walls. This is referred to as hydrostatic
pressure.
Sealing the cove joint to stop the water from entering is not recommended as
this would only force the water to follow a path of lesser resistance and it
would find another entry into your basement.
Our estimator will recommend excavation and repair or replacement of the
exterior weeping tile or installation of an interior drain tile system. The
repair will be determined following investigation of numerous factors specific
to your property.
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Pipe Entry/Penetration
Gas, water, sewer and electrical lines are common examples of the types of pipes
which you will find penetrating your foundation wall from the exterior.
Typically, at the time of installation, these pipes are sealed with a patch from
the interior and the exterior. These patches often fail with time,
disintegrating or falling off, creating an easy entry point for water into your
basement.
Our estimator will recommend an exterior repair which includes excavation,
sealing the area with non-shrink grout and installation of Platon Foundation
Protector with clear stone backfill to create positive drainage to the weeping
tile.
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Foundation Wall Crack
The most common source of wet basements is leakage through a wall crack in a
poured concrete foundation These cracks occur often due to stress, settling
and/or shrinkage during the curing of the concrete.
The majority of these cracks tend to run from the top of the foundation to the
bottom of the wall. They usually penetrate all the way through the wall,
creating an easy point for water to enter your basement.
The crack will be obvious in an unfinished basement. If the basement if
finished, our estimator can usually find the crack on the exterior of your
basement wall.
We offer solutions from both the exterior and interior.
A Polyurethane injection process can be used to seal the crack from the
interior. This involves sealing the crack on the inside with a cement paste and
injecting a polyurethane material through the crack to the outside where it
meets soil. Polyurethane adheres to the concrete inside the crack, forming a
flexible, rubbery gasket that immediately stops water infiltration.
Exterior repair involves excavation (full-depth) to expose the footing, sealing
the area with non-shrink grout and installation of Platon Foundation Protector
and backfilling with excavated materials.
Either method of repair has proven to be effective.
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Tie Rod
Tie Rods are the pieces of steel used to hold together both sides of the
concrete forms when a foundation is poured. Upon removal of the concrete forms,
the ends of the ties are broken off, leaving the embedded steel rod in place in
the cured concrete. With time, these steel rods can rust, creating an entry
point for water.
Leaking tie rods can be repaired from either the exterior or the interior. Our
estimator will consider site conditions and recommend the most practical
solution.
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Floor Crack
Basement floor cracks are very common, usually resulting from shrinkage during
the concrete curing process. Other causes include soil settlement under the
floor and/or shifting of the foundation. Most of the time these cracks do not
leak water and present only cosmetic inconvenience . Unfortunately, if
hydrostatic pressure is present, water can be forced up from under the floor.
Sealing the floor crack to stop the water from entering is not recommended as
this would only force the water to follow a path of lesser resistance and it
would find another entry into your basement.
Typically, our estimator will recommend installation of an interior drain tile
system to relieve the hydrostatic pressure by draining the water under the floor
to a sump pump which will flush the water away from your foundation.
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Porous Concrete
Porous concrete can be found in new and older concrete walls. Honeycomb concrete
occurs when concrete is poured. It is often the result of poor consolidation and
can be identified by the separation of cement between the aggregate. Concrete
can become soft as it ages, resulting in crumbling and surface erosion. This is
called spalled concrete.
Our estimator will recommend an exterior repair as this is the most reliable
method to eliminate water seepage through porous concrete. This repair involves
excavation to expose the leaking areas and installation of Platon Foundation
Protector followed by backfilling with excavated soil.
We have products which are effective from the interior and may suggest them In
some situations.
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Window Wells
Water often accumulates in window wells. In situations where large amounts of
water have accumulated, it can pour through the window and/or window frame into
the basement.
Our estimator will recommend an exterior repair which includes excavation of the
window well and installation of Platon Foundation Protector with clear stone
backfill to create positive drainage to the weeping tile.
This is a good time to replace rusted or deformed window wells with a new
corrugated well or a ScapeWEL®.
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Mortar Joint
Block (masonry foundations) and stone foundations are constructed with mortar to
keep the masonry units in place. With time, this mortar can deteriorate,
permitting water seepage through the open joints and into your basement.
We offer both exterior and interior solutions to this problem. Exterior repairs
involve excavation (full-depth) to expose the footing. Once the foundation is
exposed, minor repairs to the surface may be required. Platon Foundation
Protector is installed with clear stone backfill to create positive drainage and
a new weeping tile system will be installed.
Our interior water control method is called an interior drain tile system. We
install Platon Foundation Protector and utilize the "air gap" formed by the
membrane to drain water to an under floor drain system which may be connected to
a sump pump depending on individual site conditions. The under floor drain
system is installed in a trench formed by breaking out existing concrete around
the perimeter. This trench is later sealed with new concrete.
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Sump Pump
A sump pump is an electrical devise which is installed at
the bottom of a pit below the basement floor. Its purpose is to collect
water which may be draining from an exterior or interior weeping tile system or
to relieve hydrostatic pressure under the basement floor.
If your house was built after 1950, your weeping tile is
most likely connected to the sewer system.
If your house was built prior to the 1950's, there likely
is no weeping tile system. In this case the sump pump would function to
release only hydrostatic pressure under the basement floor.
In the event of a foundation repair, a weeping tile
systems can be installed and connected either to a sump pump or directly to the
storm sewer. Battery back-ups are available to keep sump pumps working
during a power failure.
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Floor Drain
Floor drains are installed at the lowest point of the
floor in basements, to collect spilled water, i.e. washing machine overflow, and
drain it before it can accumulate.
Water coming up from the drain is usually not
waterproofing related and often indicates a problem with the sewer system, i.e.
sewer back-up.
See City of Ottawa:
Residential Protective Plumbing
Grant Assistance Program.
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