Basement Waterproofing Photo Album: Waterproofing Before Finishing a Basement

Finishing a basement is a great way to add comfortable, usable space to a home and can increase a home's value substantially. But a finished basement that is not protected from flooding is at risk of needing costly repairs. Instead of shelling out money to redo damaged finished walls multiple times, it is better to install a waterproofing system first.    For this home in Glen Carbon, IL., WaterGuard™ was the right system to protect the soon-to-be finished basement. WaterGuard™ is a perimeter drainage system that gets installed along the foundation wall just beneath the floor. From here, WaterGuard™ is perfectly situated to collect water from where it leaks into the basement the most - through the walls and up through the gap between the walls and the floor. WaterGuard™ will channel any water that builds up beneath the floor into the sump pump system before it has a chance to rise above the floor. Because it has a built-in wall gap, WaterGuard™ will also catch any water that drips down the wall instead of allowing it to build up on the floor.    WaterGuard™ gets installed in a trench along the foundation walls. After installation, that trench is recovered with fresh concrete and the new, finished wall can be installed in front. Since WaterGuard™ will collect leaks from the wall and prevent them from below the floor, these finished walls will be protected from flooding that could severly damage the wood and drywall as well as the paint on the inside surface.    Rather than pay for repairs to flood damaged walls, install waterproofing systems like WaterGuard™ to protect the basement from leaks both through the walls and from below the floor.