Exterior waterproofing
Dig down to the footing, seal the outside of the wall, replace the drainage. See exterior basement waterproofing.
Basement Waterproofing in Brampton
Basement waterproofing isn't one product. It's a choice: stop the water outside the foundation wall, catch it inside before it reaches the floor, or both. The right answer depends on where your water comes from and what sits beside your house. It's the other half of what we do, alongside foundation crack repair in Brampton.
Basement waterproofingPage 11
What is basement waterproofing? Basement waterproofing is any system that keeps groundwater out of a basement. Exterior waterproofing seals the outside of the foundation with a membrane and new drainage. Interior waterproofing catches water at the footing inside and pumps it out through a sump. A backwater valve, which stops sewer backup, is often added at the same time.
Below: the types of waterproofing, interior and exterior side by side, how to tell which one your house needs, whether waterproofing paint works, what it costs, and what to ask any waterproofing company.
What are the types of basement waterproofing?
Interior waterproofing
A drain at the footing inside the basement, running to a sump pump. See interior basement waterproofing.
Sump pumps
The pump that empties an interior system, plus battery backups. See sump pump installation.
Backwater valves
Stops the city sewer backing up through your floor drain. Peel offers a rebate. See backwater valve installation.
Window wells and weeping tile
The drainage around your foundation. See window well drainage and weeping tile repair.
Crawl spaces
Damp crawl spaces under additions and sunrooms, sealed off from the ground. See crawl space encapsulation.
Interior or exterior waterproofing?
| Exterior | Interior | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the water is stopped | At the outside face of the wall | Inside, at the footing, before it reaches the floor |
| Digging | Outside, down to the footing | A trench cut along the inside edge of the floor |
| Does the wall stay dry? | Yes | No. The water is managed, not kept out of the concrete |
| What it relies on | Membrane and drainage outside | A sump pump that keeps working |
| Winter work | Depends on frozen ground | Any time of year |
| Tight side yard, deck or driveway | Hard, sometimes impossible | Not a problem |
| Finished basement | Untouched inside | Lower drywall along the walls comes off |
| Typical Canadian price (HomeStars) | About $100 to $300 per linear foot | About $70 to $230 per linear foot |
Neither is better in every house. Exterior is the more thorough fix. Interior is often the practical one, especially on semis and townhouses with no room to dig.
Which one does your house need?
- Water along the bottom of the walls, all the way around: interior waterproofing is usually the fit.
- Water through the walls in many places, or a concrete block foundation: exterior waterproofing stops it at the source.
- One leaking crack: you may not need a full system. A single crack is usually sealed from inside for far less. See foundation crack repair.
- Dirty water from the floor drain in storms: that's the sewer backing up. The fix is a backwater valve, not waterproofing.
- Damp and musty, but no running water: rule out condensation first with the free test on our wet basement repair page.
Not sure where your water is coming from? Start with basement leak repair. It matches each place water gets in to the fix for it.
Does waterproofing paint work?
Masonry waterproofing paints and sealers, brushed on the inside of the wall, can cut down dampness from light seepage. They don't stop water pushing through a crack or coming in under pressure where the wall meets the floor. Water behind the paint eventually lifts it off the wall.
It's a bit like putting a tarp on the inside of a leaking roof. The water is still getting in. You've just moved where it collects.
On the outside, check whether a quote is for waterproofing or dampproofing. They're not the same thing: see exterior waterproofing.
How does a waterproofing job run?
- Find the source. Where the water comes in, when, and how much. A system that fixes the wrong problem is money spent for nothing.
- Written quote. The method, how many linear feet of wall, what's included, and what isn't, such as landscaping or drywall.
- Locates and permits. Outside digging needs utility locates through Ontario One Call. A backwater valve needs a City of Brampton building permit.
- The work. Most interior systems take a few days. Exterior work depends on depth, access and the weather.
- Test it. Water goes into the system to make sure it drains and the pump cycles.
- Paperwork. You get the warranty in writing: 25 years against water coming through the walls the system covers.
What does basement waterproofing cost?
HomeStars puts interior waterproofing at about $70 to $230 per linear foot of wall in Canada, and exterior waterproofing at about $100 to $300. For a 1,000-square-foot basement with about 140 feet of wall, that's roughly $10,000 to $32,000 inside or $14,000 to $42,000 outside for the full perimeter. One or two walls cost proportionally less.
The full breakdown is in basement waterproofing cost. Our prices, plus HST: inside from $85 per linear foot for the trench and concrete (drain, membrane and sump pump extra), and outside from $120 per linear foot for backfill and regrading (digging, membrane and weeping tile extra).
The Region of Peel's backwater valve rebate pays back 60% of the invoice, up to $1,500. We haven't found a Peel rebate for waterproofing itself.
What should you ask any waterproofing company?
- Is the warranty transferable if you sell the house, and what voids it?
- Does it cover labour as well as materials?
- Is the sump pump covered, or only the drain?
- Who does the work: the company's own crew, or subcontractors?
- Are they covered by WSIB and liability insurance? Ask for proof.
- Does the quote list linear feet and every item? A lump sum makes quotes hard to compare.
Our answers: we carry $2 million in liability insurance. Our waterproofing systems carry a 25-year warranty that transfers to the next owner if you sell, and a sump pump carries its manufacturer's warranty.