Waterproofing Exterior: Basement Foundation
Hello everyone. I’m Caleb with Dansie Design Build. Today, we’re waterproofing exterior wall for a basement walkout entry in Herriman, Utah. I will show you its process and why this is essential for building a basement walkout entry. So let’s check it out.
Why We Do Foundation Waterproofing
The first thing to note here is that waterproofing a basement walkout entry is not required by code. The only areas that need waterproofing are the living spaces (i.e., your basement and your main house).
Because this is the exterior, and it will get rained on both sides, you don’t need to waterproof exterior foundation. But we will be doing it today because we want to ensure that no extra water comes through the foundation. After all, this is a pretty wet area here.
Step 1: Prepare Waterproofing Tar
The tar can be applied using a roller or a sprayer when waterproofing an exterior wall. But because this is a small foundation, we’ll roll it on the foundation.
Step 2: Apply Tar on the Exterior
The tar should cover this whole thing from top to bottom. So we’ll go about six inches beneath the grade where the soil will end up being so that it won’t be visible after the landscaping.
Step 3: Inspect Your Work
Now, we’ve got the entire exterior of this basement walkout entry waterproofed. So what we did here is we kept it down the six inches below the grade where the actual dirt will end up — just a little bit higher so we don’t have to look at any of that tar afterward when we get the area landscaped.
Step 4: Waterproof All Cracks
Another important thing is to waterproof the crack between the house and the new foundation wall. We overlapped six or eight inches and got the gap waterproofed well. This way, water cannot go into the basement walkout entry area.
Need Remodeling Help?
You can request a project consultation on our website if you need help waterproofing basement walls, walkout entry, or remodeling your home. Thanks, and have a great week.