Basement Waterproofing

Basement Waterproofing is a big topic here at ranchero indebto. But for all the steps I've taken, our basement still isn't completely waterproof. When those big rains fall, I start to worry. Thankfully, I don't have much computer gear down in the basement (just a dusty old 386 tower that I use as the DOS-based timing system for Spaghetti Flats, our four lane 1/32 slot car track). But I'll bet that there are a whole lot of Gnomies that have a whole lot of hardware sitting in their underground home offices and dens of geek entertainment ...

Needless to say, that 386 tower doesn't sit on the floor.

I've learned a good bit about basement waterproofing over the years we've lived at the ranch. Tim Carter's AskTheBuilder.com is one of the best places I've found for basement waterproofing information. His articles on French Linear Drains are excellent.

Here are some of things I've done to make our basement drier:

• get the rainwater away from the foundation with extended drainage lines
• eliminate low spots next to the house by grading the dirt away from the foundation
• seal cracks and holes in the concrete block walls
• paint the basement walls with specialized waterproofing paint
• install a high-capacity sump pump
• optimize the sump hole liner for the high-capacity pump

All-in-all, our basement is much drier than it was. I've addressed most of the smaller issues--which (knock wood) keeps us high and dry for all but the biggest storms. But when the tropical storms and hurricanes take their runs up the coast each fall, I make sure the big squeegee and portable pumps stand ready ... now if I could just rig up a remote control webcam to watch the sump pump (and race track, I might be onto something ...