Another method of redirecting water away from a leaky basement is an interior waterproofing solution.
Exterior waterproofing is always the best way to go, but some homes might be located too close to neighbouring houses, making exterior waterproofing (involving major excavation work) impossible.
For wet basements, Interior waterproofing doesn’t cost as much. Some homeowners opt both for interior and exterior waterproofing – they don’t want to take any chances with water leaks or flooding and want that extra layer of protection.
It could be a problem where constant rain or snowmelts over-saturate the soil and apply pressure to the foundation walls. Or it could be a situation where the water table below the concrete basement floor is rising, in part because of more substantial rainfall. That in turn puts pressure on the floor, causing water leaks through the floor or the area where the floor meets the wall.
Water and moisture in the basement will only get worse if it’s ignored. Over time it will lead to mould and mildew, and with that severe health issues – headaches, fatigue, coughing, throat and eye irritation, nasal congestion, skin problems, and fever.
Like with exterior waterproofing, building that layer of protection inside the home is labour intensive. It requires expertise. It needs to be planned and executed properly.
This method pushes water that has already entered through the foundation walls or from under the footing away from the finished interior. So the homeowner is re-directing water away, which is good, but it isn’t tackling the problem at its source.
Interior waterproofing is a drainage system located along the inside wall of the home and involves a multi-step process, according to professional home waterproofers:
How easy is waterproofing a basement
Again, you can do it yourself. There are DIY “Dry Systems” out there involving a chisel, grinder, dust mask, knee pads, high torque drill, adhesives and sealers for the foundation walls and concrete floor, directing water via a plastic pipe system into floor drains or sump pumps. That process is detailed and comprehensive to make sure the system works effectively, especially during heavy, steady rainstorms to prevent a wet basement.
However, there are no guarantees on how well-sealed the concrete walls are in any house – especially older homes. Water stays up against the foundation walls for a long time.
If the homeowner has invested money in creating a living space in the basement, perhaps an entertainment area for the family, a workspace, or even a revenue-generating basement apartment, peace-of-mind when talking about putting in place a waterproofing system becomes more of a factor.
If the space feels humid or smells musty, or there is mould present, and water stains, then that’s a sure-fire sign there is a water seepage problem. Water pressure on the foundation of the home, and the effects of that, is a constant issue for homeowners unless there is an effective waterproofing system in place installed by experienced professionals.
Foundation cracks are repaired with a waterproof cement compound, this is the first step in a waterproofing process.
Delta ms-drainage membrane installed
A membrane is installed onto the wall to direct water to the weeping tile
Gravel to cover weeping tile pipe allowing more drainage
A layer of gravel is installed around the weeping tile to allow water to enter the weeping tiles
Concrete finish with a trowel finish
Concrete is installed on top of gravel and then finished with a 25mpa concrete finish
Weeping tile installed and connected to a sump or storm line
Interior weeping tiles are a great way to collect gorund water and direct them to the sump pump or storm drain
Holes are drilled into the blocks to allow water to escape
Holes are drilled only when the foundation is made up of concrete blocks, as the blocks are hollow they allow water to accumulate inside them and eventually damage the walls.
Slava and his team came in, gave a fair price and did the job on the day they said they would. They were quick. They had to dig a trench through the concrete in the basement and when they were done, they cleaned up so all you could see was the fresh concrete. Strongly recommend.
Fantastic and knowledgeable service. We got a number of quotes for our external job but Andrew and his team left us feeling confident he would do the best job for the best price.That confidence was met with action as they completed the job exactly as they said they would, cleaned the site perfectly, and fixed our water leakage issue.I highly recommend this team for any waterproofing needs.
Had a Bosch dishwasher and a toilet replaced by Valentyn. He did an outstanding job. His quote was reasonable. He was punctual, clean and very organized. He was aways available and informative regarding the replacement items. I would highly recommend Valentyn for any plumbing work. 👍👍
It was a great experience working with Canada Waterproofers. We found mold on our baseboard in the basement and call them right away. Carl came in the morning right on time, found the problem right away. One of the drain pipe wasn’t connected properly. Carl corrected it and made a few suggestions. He is very professional and friendly, and left without changing anything. Amazing experience! Highly recommended.
The price was reasonable, the staff went a little bit beyond to put back some plants in my garden that had to be dug up and left the property neat and clean. I highly recommend them.
We've been extremely happy with Canada Waterproofers on a variety of small jobs--each of which they have treated with as much care as a big one! We have been very pleased with the scheduling availability, clear explanations, fair pricing, and reliable work. Today in particular, Peter came in to do a faucet replacement and discovered that our Rona-purchased faucet was missing a piece. He took the faucet back apart, put it back in the box (complete with carefully restoring the plastic around each piece!), and, when I called back to say we'd been able to quickly exchange it for one without a missing part, he was back at our home within an hour--exactly as he'd estimated he could!--to finish the job. The invoicing process was easy and our new faucet looks great and works even better. We will absolutely be hiring Canada Waterproofers again.
Val did a great job at installing our vanity, changing the plumbing so it worked with the drawers in the IKEA cabinet, and shortening the water supply for the toilet so our new toilet fit. He was very professional and quick and clear in communication from the first contact.
Where to start.... This is the second time we have worked with Carl and his team at Canada Waterproofers.Several years ago we searched for a company who could waterproof the foundation of our house (built circa 1950's). We selected Canada Waterproofers and they did a wonderful job.The crew that arrived was professional and polite.At the time we opted to do three sides of the house as we figured the garage side wouldn't need it. Well fast forward to the fall of 2024, and a flood of the intersection in front of our house spilled onto the driveway and into the garage. Since the foundation is cinder block the basement got wet to say the least.We called Carl and he was very prompt in coming over to our home. He assessed the work required and provided us a quote within a couple of days. We made our decision and pulled the trigger. Once we were able to clear the garage the team arrived and were able to complete all the work within two days. The weeping tile was tested to ensure there were no blockages and was draining to our sump. Very happy with the prompt service.The team that arrived this time was fantastic to work with. They were very knowledgable, polite, and have an amazing work ethic.Additional interior waterproofing was also done on the inside of the house under the front stairs as this was not as easy to accomplish from the outside. The guys made short work of this job while making sure to do a thorough and complete job. After they were done you would not know they were there. Very happy!If we ever need waterproofing again (hopefully not) I wouldn't hesitate to hire Carl and his team at Canada Waterproofers.
Slava,your crew did a great job on the installation of our sump pump.We had been flooded twice before you came and the installation has kept us safe from flooding.Your service call this week ensured us that our unit is working properly.Thanks again.
Canada Waterproofers replaced weeping tile for my house, it was an incredible experience with them, the team was very knowledgeable. They found the issue where other teams could not. It was related to hydrostatic pressure that water was entering my basement. They were quick and resolved the issue at a very minimal price. Thank you again Canada Waterproofers for such an amazing job.
Excellent work done by Andrew and his crew! Canada Waterproofers waterproofed my basement and I would highly recommend! They were extremely quick and efficient and left the basement clean. Overall great job.
We were very happy with our experience doing indoor waterproofing with Canada Waterproofers. Like many other homeowners, we had some flooding in our basement after the big storm last summer. Carl was communicative and kind throughout the process answering our questions thoughtfully and helping us figure out how best to prevent future flooding for our specific scenario based on our property, grading etc. His team were also great, they were very respectful of our space and time and you can tell they take a lot of pride in their work. In addition to the waterproofing they also did demo of our bathroom and some other interior walls ahead of a renovation we are planning. During the job they found some messed up and outdated pipes and were able to replace and repair them quickly as well. The price was also competitive and they have a warranty. I'd highly recommend Canada Waterproofers for any waterproofing needs.
I had Canada Waterproofers complete waterproofing in my house. I called a few contractors that provided me a quote, but I got the best offer from them. Andrii responded quickly to my request and provided a reasonable quotation and a solution to my basement waterproofing issue.I had another contractor do the work before I called Canada Waterproofers and they didn’t do the work properly, but Andrii reassured us that they will do a great job and they really did. He is really knowledgeable and has great communication skills.Vasyl and Alex were very organized and meticulous with the work they did. After completing the job, they cleaned the work area. I give them 10/10 and would recommend them to my friends.
Andrii was incredible. Incredible!! We had a seepage leak in our basement and couldn’t find the cause after asking multiple people to come and take a look at it. After just 30 minutes he found the issue and we now have a plan in place. Would recommend him to anyone and will for sure keep Andrii and Canada Waterproofers in mind for future jobs!! Thank you SO MUCH!!
Remove any wall coverings needed to gain access to concrete, cinder block or brick wall
Excavate and open a trench against the interior wall and dispose of the excavated soils and debris
Drill blocks if present and install Delta MS drainage membrane on to walls up to grade level, and fix the wall with delta clips. Water that makes it way through the wall will drop down into the basement’s drainage system
Install four-inch “Big O” weeping tile with filter cloth and connect to the drainage system (ideally a sump pump). Weeping tiles are porous pipes made of plastic used to discharge water from the foundation of the property
Install sump pump. Encase tank with clear gravel. Water flows via the weeping tile incline to the sump pump where it is pumped to a location outside the home
Test the sump pump to make sure it’s operating as it should
Encase weeping tile with clear gravel, then back fill and re-cement the floor with a trowel finish
Clean up the work areas and remove all the debris from the site
Why waterproofing wet basement from inside?
Interior waterproofing is an effective way of redirecting water away from your basement, allowing you to enjoy a space that is warm and dry.
There are many reasons why you may choose to do waterproofing from inside. Here are just a few examples:
Very tight space between houses
Extremely wet soils that will collapse if excavated
Delta-ms drainage membrane is the final layer of protection that is applied when waterproofing your basement from the outside, This product is amazingly high quality that all other products try to simulate.
