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Foundation Repairs and Waterproofing

A Damaged Foundation Leads to Structural Failure and Wet Basement  

Small or large cracks in a foundation , improper drainage around the home collectively leads to structural failure and water entering the basement of the home. 

In order to understand how water can enter your home through your foundation, it is important to know how a foundation is designed. 

The fallowing  pictures  shows a typical foundation. In it you will see that the foundation is built on a stone base. Around the outside of the home below the level of the foundation is the weeping tile. Weeping tiles are perforated pipes that collect excess water. Generally these pipes are connected to your sump pump which pumps excess water buildup  out of the home or to a stone pit . 

On the exterior side  of a concrete foundation is a waterproof membrane. In older homes the waterproof membrane was tar. Newer homes have plastic solutions such as Platon Foundation Wrap or Bleu Skin . Platon Foundation Wrap, is a hard plastic membrane , with its  three dimensional profile it  keep the membrane away from the foundation wall.  This reduces  hydrostatic pressure, caused by the surrounding soil expansion in winter due to frost. 

 Blue Skin is a solid piece of rubber that adheres to the side of the foundation using a primer/glue. Blue Skin is a rubberized asphalt compound on a polyethylene film. These are  high performance waterproofing barriers that can be use separately or combined. 

Diagram of a Foundation Wall

exterior_excavation_of_concrete_block_wall

How does water enter through the foundation?

Water collects close to the foundation  for a variety of reasons. 

The grade of the soil around your home could have a  negative grade, meaning sloping in toward your house, causing rainwater to collect around the foundation.  Many foundation fail in the Ottawa region in late winter when the temperature suddenly rise  . The melting snow turns into a liquid form and collects between the frozen ground and the foundation wall. Hydrostatic pressure force, drives the liquid through the fissure on your foundation wall . 

Downspouts cause substantial losses to home owners.  The primary function of a gutter and downspout is to collect and channel water away from the foundation. But many home owners think that their gutter system ends at the 6″ side elbow at the end of the down spout. This is not the case, the  extender is the final and most important accessory to your gutter system , an appropriate  extender  will deliver the water at less 4′ to 6′ feet away from the home .In Ottawa , on your average rainy day  the skies  discharge on a  1200 sqft section of roof , 748 gallons or 2992 L of water. All this water will converge  at the end of the downspout, without an extender this water settle’s at the corner of your home or garage. 

By not having an extender on their downspout ,water will seeps in  the ground, subsequently the wet  ground freezes around the foundation. When the surrounding  ground freezes, Heaving occurs .Heaving is a phenomena that occurs  when the  temperature of the earth cools  causing the ground  moisture to  freezes and expands. Clay being prevalent in Ottawa does not help , due to its ability to retain water ,make it  especially prone to heaving.  

Now that the soil is frozen to your foundation the force created by the heaving process will crack your foundation.   

It can start with a small crack behind the downspout. Every year the crack gets larger and larger. The  liquid collects in the crack, freeze ,expand, melts, freezes again over and over year after year. These forces  keep on separating the foundation wall , subsequently it will  start  pulling the bricks apart, creating large crack in your brick wall. 

The constant  repetition of the  freezing and thawing cycles  cause the crack to grow exponentially. This action is the most destructive factor in the weathering of a home. 

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Construction Outlet
Pillar Cracked Wall Cracked Wall 1 Excavation Excavated Soil Foundation Crack Repair Work Floor Repair Construction Soil Excavation Repair Base Mason on site Side Trench Foundation Foundation Repair Construction site Sweet Home Home

Do you have a cracked foundation or leaking basement? Canadian Masonry Services is your solution.

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Call Us Today at 613-286-1113
Email: [email protected]
200-100 Metcalfe St. Ottawa , On K1P 5M1

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