What are basement waterproofing systems and how do they work? To answer that question, let's first look at historically conventional basement waterproofing and how it is supposed to work.

If you imagine how a basement is first built, when the house it is sited in was first conceived, then basically the following happens:

- a big hole in the ground is dug - the footer or foundations are laid - the walls of the basement are built - the rest of the house follows

The important point to note is the first one in the list above - that big hole in the ground. When the walls of the basement are built, there is always a gap left outside the walls which needs to be filled. This void gets filled with loose backfill. The problem here is that water looks for the path of least resistance, and you've just given it just that with a huge pile of loose backfill, no matter how well it's been compacted.

Water will continuously seep into this area. The conventional basement waterproofing provides some form of drainage pipe for this water to drain away, but the problem with this is that often these pipes get silted up. It's natural enough, the water is bringing all sorts of suspension with it. When these pipes get filled the system overloads and a lot of water pressure gets applied to the outside walls of the basement. So while the walls of the basement may be waterproofed in some way, water, as you probably already know, will usually find a way through the tiniest of gaps.

This type of problem doesn't usually go away because the pipes that are supposed to take away the excess water gradually worsen over time. Many times there is simply no access to these pipes which is a huge oversight. Basement waterproofing is also applied to the external walls of the basement to try and keep the water out. This is often referred to as a tanked system.

A better basement waterproofing system, such as the drained cavity basement waterproofing system, works by getting rid of the water pressure on the walls. Water is controlled, collected and allowed to flow through hidden drainage channels either to natural drainage or to a sump pump where the water is removed away from the property.

Basement waterproofing systems are reputedly a better system in that they are installed internally, have easy access ports for removing any silt and can be applied to basements where traditional tanking or other methods have failed but with minimal disturbance to the original basement.

So to summarise, a good basement waterproofing system will:

- usually be a permanent or long-term solution - stop both ways by which water can enter through the walls and up from the floor - not disturb landscaping, decks, patios, driveways, etc - usually be an approved waterproofing method for home loans - often be substantially cheaper than other waterproofing methods

Choose a reputable basement waterproofer when protecting your home, remember it is economically foolish not to waterproof, because the increased value from waterproofing will definitely exceed the cost of the waterproofing. You should look at waterproofing not as an expense but as an investment in the value of your home.