Hydrostatic water Pressure

Water will always find an opening. Hydrostatic pressure can easily drive ground water into the basement through gaps and cracks in the masonry. High water pressure also causes seepage through sold concrete.

“Hydrostatic Pressure” means water pressure, and it’s the major cause of basement water problems. During wet weather, the soil outside your basement becomes saturated with water. Exterior footing drains aren’t very effective at relieving this water pressure because they usually become clogged with silt or plant roots. With no place to go, hydrostatic pressure continues to build.

60 pounds per cubic foot puts tremendous pressure on your foundation Water weighs a little more than 60lbs. per cubic foot. If the soil around your basement is saturated with water, there could be tens of thousands of pounds in hydrostatic pressure on your foundation. With this much pressure, even the smallest crack or gap can admit plenty of water into your basement. Just as water leaks out of a punctured bucket of water, water can easily leak into your basement because water pressure always finds a leak.

Why not relieve hydrostatic pressure instead of fighting it?

Even a perfectly constructed basement foundation can’t provide a perfect barrier against hydrostatic pressure. Small cracks and gaps can allow a major volume of water into your basement. That’s why Basement Systems developed a waterproofing system that relieves hydrostatic pressure instead of allowing it to increase.

Proven in thousands of dry basements, our warrantied waterproofing system is based on concealed interior drains and a sump pump. With our system, water is collected along the major leakage area, where the basement floor meets the basement wall. Unlike exterior drains that can clog with silt or roots, our patented WaterGuard® interior French drains stay clear, working continuously to channel water to the sump pump. With a high-quality sump pump system, collected water is automatically ejected to the exterior.