What types of basement waterproofing systems are sold which don work and why don they work?
The materials commonly used by new homebuilders are tar or clay based substances or other poor quality liquid coatings that age quickly and become rigid and brittle – materials that quickly break down and fail to stop water from infiltrating through the wall on the exterior side. Tar and clay are inexpensive by-products and quite profitable for new homebuilders who only want to pass inspection of old building codes which do not protect the homeowner. After all, they only have to last for a year, due to the federally mandated one-year warranty on new homes. Another common and outdated method of ‘waterproofing’ basements is to install plastic panels around the inside of the basement walls to channel the water dripping down the walls into a sub-floor drain system. With this system, it is impossible to get rid of basement humidity and mold will continue to proliferate.
