You Can't Avoid Hydrostatic Pressure

What is hydrostatic pressure?  It is pressure that comes from a body of water at rest.  The weight of the water itself is what causes the pressure, so there’s no escaping it.  The more water that is present, the higher the pressure will be.

For example, picture a water bottle that is half full of water.  If you poke a hole below the water line on the side of the water bottle, the water will slowly trickle out.  However, if you poke a hole at the bottom of the water bottle, the water will quickly gush out because of the hydrostatic pressure that is pushing the water out of the space it’s in.

So what does this have to do with you and your home?  This is an important principle to understand as a homeowner because the dirt and soil around your home is like one big “water bottle.”  If the void spaces in the soil surrounding your foundation are filled with water because of rain, hydrostatic pressure will cause the water to be pushed into your basement by any means—small cracks, holes, etc.  The more rain and water there is, the higher the pressure will be, and the more likely you are to have a wet basement.

Your basement is a hole in the ground built on an imperfect structure—a porous material with cracks, holes, and joints in it.  A leaky basement is a result of hydrostatic pressure.  In order to ensure that water will not enter your home, you basement needs to be permanently waterproofed with a product such was WaterGuard.

WaterGuard is a better option than other waterproofing systems because it will not clog.  It is installed on top of the footing rather than beside it, so mud and dirt cannot build up inside of it.  It has large holes in the back to accept water that may leak through the walls and carry it elsewhere.  It also catches this extra water seepage without allowing dirt and debris from the floor to enter.  The WaterGuard system can be used with all types of foundations including block, poured concrete, and stone.  The WaterGuard, along with the TripleSafe, is the best defense against hydrostatic pressure in your home.