At a high level of the location of water in the soil, it may be necessary to protect it from the inside. Basement waterproofing from the side of the room from groundwater is carried out both at the construction stage of the building and at already completed facilities. It is important to note that some internal measures are not enough, because with them the room is protected from moisture, but water does not prevent water from entering the foundation structures, which leads to their premature destruction.
Types of waterproofing
First, it is mandatory to determine the cause of the occurrence of water in the soil and the level of its location. In some cases, if the house is located on the bank of the river, a strong washing out of the basement during spring warming is possible. Sometimes water can be very close to the surface of the earth and serious protection will be required.
Basement waterproofing from the inside can be of two types:
- vertical
- horizontal.
Vertical is performed on the inner surface of the walls, and horizontal provides for the protection of the floor. There are many options for materials for waterproofing an underground building from groundwater. These include:
- roll materials;
- liquid formulations to protect against moisture;
- clay based insulation;
- bituminous compositions;
- penetrating compounds;
- injection protection;
- metal insulation.
The choice of method depends on the specific case. It is necessary to pay attention to the water level and their pressure.
Metal sheathing
In the most serious cases when it is necessary to reliably protect the basement from a large amount of groundwater, water insulation is used with steel sheets. This method is quite expensive due to the high cost of steel, but is very efficient. In the general case, it is necessary to create a caisson, protected from water from all sides.
Sheathing is carried out with steel several millimeters thick. The material is attached to the floor and walls with special anchors. The sheets provide for small holes into which, after installation is completed, a cement-sand mortar is driven, which acts as an additional obstacle to moisture and the fastening of the skin material. After completion of work, the holes are covered with small plates and welded.
In this way, the basement is internally waterproofed, which includes exterior walls and floors. If necessary, it is also supplemented by the protection of internal walls to a height of 1 meter from the floor surface.
Such water isolation is suitable only with good financial capabilities and difficulties in using other types of materials.
Liquid glass waterproofing
The method is in many ways similar to a penetrating view. The waterproofing of the basement with liquid glass inside is very durable. The service life of insulation from water can exceed the life of the building itself. In addition to increasing moisture resistance, liquid glass gives the structure increased strength by filling cracks and bumps on the surface.
The chemical composition penetrates the foundation body and forms crystals there that do not allow moisture to pass through, but leave the underground walls breathable. The work is carried out in the following order:
- pumping groundwater from the basement, if present;
- cleaning walls and floors from dirt or dust, old finishing materials;
- expansion of cracks to increase the penetration depth of the composition;
- if the composition is applied to wooden structures (this rarely happens in the basement room), sanding surface treatment is required;
- applying the mixture is carried out in one or more layers.
Penetrating insulation when applied in one layer is able to penetrate into the body of the structure by 1-2 mm. By applying in several steps, the composition can be penetrated to a depth of 2 cm. The advantages of water glass over other methods of protection against groundwater include:
- filling pores allows to increase the stability of the structure to mechanical loads;
- high level of protection against water in the walls and floor of the basement;
- reasonable cost;
- ease of preparation of the solution (dilution with plain water);
- resistance to harmful microorganisms;
- application prostate;
- fairly low material consumption per square meter of surface.
All these advantages make liquid glass insulation a serious competitor to all other methods.
Penetration insulation
According to the principle of action, the method is similar to the previous one. As a material, compositions are used that can reliably clog all pores of concrete and prevent moisture from penetrating through it.
The solution for application must be very liquid.
The composition enters into a chemical reaction with the structure and forms one with it, resistant to the penetration of groundwater through the surface of walls or floors.
Important points for indoor use are the following material qualities:
- environmental Safety;
- resistance to mechanical damage;
- antibacterial effect;
- high adhesion, over time, the composition will not begin to exfoliate or fall away from the underground wall.
Waterproofing the basement from the inside with your own hands is carried out in the following order:
- pumping moisture from the basement and removing groundwater to a distance of 3-5 meters from the walls of the building using a pump;
- providing ventilation and drying the premises by opening all doors and windows;
- waiting for time to completely dry the walls and floor;
- removal of old finishing materials from the walls, cleaning them from dust and dirt;
- expansion of cracks, deepening of joints between blocks;
- applying a mixture for waterproofing (Penetron composition is very popular);
- waiting for drying time (2-3 hours);
- applying a second layer.
Within 14 days, when using compounds on concrete substrates, surface care will be required. It is covered with dense polyethylene or burlap for uniform solidification and periodically abundantly moisten to prevent cracking. The above Penetron mixture can penetrate into the thickness of the underground wall by 50 cm, but some compounds can do this by only 10 cm. It is important to pay attention to this when buying. If penetrating insulation provides a deep penetration into the structure, expensive external protection may not be necessary.
Roll insulation
Roll materials are made on the basis of a bituminous binder. The scope of their application is very wide. The principle of operation of this type of waterproofing is to prevent the entry of groundwater into the room. When inside the sticker, the foundation is not protected from moisture damage.
Materials for this type of protection can be of the following types:
- roofing material (inexpensive, but ineffective way to increase resistance to water);
- hydroisol (has a higher cost, but the reliability of this method is increased);
- linocrom (another modern rolled material).
Gummy waterproofing is most suitable for protecting the floor from the inside. For the treatment of walls, the use is not recommended, as this may place the interior decoration device.
Liquid formulations
Liquid compositions for waterproofing are made from bitumen. Coating works prevent moisture from entering the room, but do not protect the foundations. It is more rational to use the same type as the previous one for outdoor waterproofing works.
Moisture Injection Protection
Injections protect not only the inner surface of the walls and floor, but also the supporting structure itself. The cost of events is quite high, but the method allows for high reliability. As mixtures for work can be applied:
- cement compounds, which in addition to increasing the resistance to moisture of walls and floors increase their strength and reliability;
- polyurethane compounds are easily distributed on the surface.
Another advantage of using the second type of material is that the composition is able to expand, pushing water out of the thickness of the structure. Injection insulation allows for high adhesion of the applied layer to the surface. For work, special devices are needed - injectors.
Proper protection of the walls and floor of the basement from the inside can solve the problems of violating the bearing capacity of structures. In addition, the constant presence of water in the underground building negatively affects the microclimate in the entire building. Carrying out these measures will increase the service life of structures and eliminate the need for repairs in the future.