By Jacques Bouchard
For some homeowners keeping the basement dry has become a relentless, ongoing battle.
Coating after coating of waterproof paint peels off the basement walls, while the humidity just never seems to stop.
Mold grows on everything, and you lose an entire floor’s worth of possible storage or living space to the elements.
If you’re a homeowner in Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah and this sounds like your basement, then it’s time to make a change.
Give up on those waterproof coatings, paints, and cements, and mechanically attach a plastic vapor barrier to the basement walls - one that will never chip or flake off.
Why Waterproof Paints and Cements Fail
The goal of waterproof paints and coatings is to create a coating that adheres to the basement wall, sealing all cracks and crevices to create a complete vapor barrier on the concrete surface. And it works- for a few months. Sometimes it works for much longer than that.
However, moisture is still trying to pass through the walls, and it’s pushing on the backside of the paint. Along with it, it brings a white, powdery substance called efflorescence- which you probably already see on your basement walls.
As this moisture and efflorescence builds up behind the waterproof coating, it undermines its bond with the concrete wall. Eventually, it will force it to blister, flake, chip, or peel off.
Once you have a mess on your basement walls from waterproof coatings gone bad, you’re stuck with it. There’s no safe, effective way to completely remove the coating, and future coatings will be even less likely to work.
This is not what you want!
Installing a Moisture Barrier on the Concrete Walls
The best way to protect your investment is to take a plastic basement wall covering and mechanically attach it to your basement walls- rigid for nice, straight walls, flexible for uneven walls or irregular surfaces.
This creates a sturdy, strong vapor barrier on the walls, and it can even be tucked into a perimeter drain to direct leaking basement wall cracks into your basement waterproofing system, if you have any.
If you’re interested in truly installing a vapor barrier on your basement walls, you should also consider waterproof basement floor tiles that can seal away moisture rising up from the floor.
Utah Basement Systems of Salt Lake City, Provo, and Logan in the Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming area can provide you with a wide selection of basement wall products, that are designed to make any basement more beautiful while also preventing basement humidity from passing through the walls.
Our products are all provided with written warranties, and they offer free, no-obligation estimates for all their work.
Utah Basement Systems is part of the world's largest and most reputable basement waterproofing network, with over 300 dealers across the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Ireland. If you live outside their dervice area, click here to locate a dealer in your area.
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