If you want to know how sealing your basement wall floor joint will prevent water from seeping through your foundation, you’re in the right place. We’re going to teach you why a drain tile system is the only way to prevent water from coming up through your floor, what hydrostatic pressure is, and how to prevent water from building up outside your basement walls.
Sealing Your Basement Wall Floor Joint Using A Drain Tile System
There is only one way to seal your basement wall floor joint (also called a cove joint). That’s by installing an interior drain tile system. An interior drain tile system consists of a perforated pipe that’s laid in a bed of washed stone around the perimeter of your basement. This pipe will collect rising moisture that’s trying to seep through your basement wall floor joint. There are two types of drain tile systems: interior and exterior.
- Interior – An interior drain tile system sits inside your basement underneath your floor.
- Exterior – An exterior drain tile system sits outside your basement wall above your footer.
Other Ways To Seal Your Basement Wall
Experts can install two other fixtures in your basement that will stop water from seeping through your walls or floor joint.
- Vapor barrier – A vapor barrier is a thin polyethylene sheet that’s wrapped around your basement walls, channeling any water seepage into the drain tile system below.
- Sump pump – A sump pump is a fixture that sits inside a small well called a sump pit. Once water is collected in your drain tile, it’s carried and deposited into your sump pit. When the water reaches a certain level, your sump pump activates and ejects the water outside of your home using discharge lines. The discharge line will transport the water at least 20 feet away from your home in order to prevent further water seepage.
Why Is Water Coming Through Your Basement Wall Floor Joint
The main reason water is coming through your basement wall floor joint is due to hydrostatic pressure. This is when water builds up in the soil outside your basement walls or floors and pushes against them. Water weighs around 60 pounds per cubic foot, making it a very heavy force if it’s outside your walls or under your floors.
The most common place water enters your basement is through the floor joint (cove joint). This space exists because your basement walls and floors were poured separately, leaving a gap in between. The only way to counter basement wall floor joint seepage is by installing a drain tile system.
How To Prevent Water From Coming Through Your Basement Wall Floor Joint
The best way to prevent water from coming through your basement wall floor joint is by controlling how much moisture saturates your soil. Here are a few ways you can do that.
- Add a French Drain – A French drain is similar to a drain tile system. But, instead of being placed under your foundation slab, it’s placed just under your yard. The perforated pipes will collect water in areas of your yard prone to pooling.
- Clean and extend your gutters – Gutters can be overlooked when it comes to water buildup. If your gutters are dropping water too close to your basement walls, the soil could become saturated with moisture. We recommend cleaning your gutters regularly and extending them by at least 20 feet.
- Grading – If water is draining toward your basement walls, we recommend grading (sloping) your property away from your home. Otherwise, moisture will keep building up in your soil.
Is Water Actually Coming Through Your Basement Wall Floor Joint?
There’s a chance your basement walls and floors might be experiencing “sweating.” Sweating is when condensation sticks to your walls and floors, appearing as if water is seeping through. Here’s a simple way you can test whether or not your basement walls and floors are sweating.
1. Tape an aluminum foil over any damp spots in your basement.
2. Wait at least one day.
3. If water is sticking to the outside of the foil, you have a condensation problem.
4. If water is sticking to the inside of the foil, you have a seepage problem.
Covering your walls with a vapor barrier and installing a dehumidifier will help prevent moisture from building up in your basement. But in order to prevent water seepage, you need a drain tile system.
Who’s Sealing Basement Wall Floor Joints Near Me?
If you have an issue with water coming through your basement wall floor joint, who should you call? Get in touch with Foundation Professionals Of Florida! We’re an award-winning and top-performing company servicing Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virgin Islands, and the Florida Keys. We also provide foundation repair, concrete leveling, and more.
