Waterproofing for Mortar Joint Leaking
Champion Provides Your Reliable Solutions for Leaky Mortar Joints and Bowing Masonry Walls in Kentucky and Southern Indiana
Mortar joints are parts of masonry foundations, which is just about every type of foundation other than poured concrete. Masonry foundations– block, brick or stone — are held together with mortar. Over time, mortar can deteriorate, allowing water to seep through the open joints and into your building. Sometimes the masonry itself is also porous, which can allow seepage.
Other than seepage, bowing walls are also a problem with masonry walls over long periods of time. Masonry walls can bow inward due to pressure from the surrounding earth. Left alone, bowed walls can lead to potentially serious structural problems.
Mortar Joint Seepage Solutions
Seepage problems can be addressed from the exterior or from the interior.
Exterior Waterproofing: Sometimes it is impractical or undesirable to waterproof a basement from the interior. Common examples include seepage over the top of the foundation or instances where the basement is highly finished. Exterior waterproofing involves addressing the problem from the “positive side” by excavating and applying a membrane to the foundation wall. Depending on the situation, it also may involve adding a perforated drain pipe surrounded with washed stone at the base of the trench to get rid of the excess water. Potential obstructions such as additions, garages and decks need to be taken into consideration. We can remove items such as concrete, asphalt and pavers. In most instances, digging is done by hand to minimize disruption to landscape.
Interior Waterproofing: Interior Drain Tile is most commonly recommended to address seepage through the cove joint (where the floor and wall meet) or through floor cracks. It is also commonly used as a complete solution to control and prevent just about any type of seepage. The procedure involves opening the floor along the perimeter foundation wall(s) and installing a perforated drain pipe surrounded with washed gravel at the base of the wall. The system collects water from multiple sources and empties it into a sump pump, where it is them pumped up and out to a drain that flows away from the foundation.
Champion’s Ultimate Drain Tile System is unique in that it doesn’t require maintenance and comes with a transferable lifetime warranty to the homeowner.
Bowing Wall Solutions
Solutions for bowing masonry walls could be interior or exterior, and could involve drain tile systems or other solutions. In the case of bowing walls, the solution requires a thorough examination of the cause or causes of the problem, which Champion provides at no cost, with a proposal of your solution options and costs.