An affluent city, Naperville in Illinois has evolved from being a quaint farming town into “the second-best place to live” according to Money magazine. The wealthiest city in the Midwest, the city has a population of about 142,000 and is the fifth-largest city in the state.
While it might be the richest city in the area, it still has its share of household issues, namely wet basements. Wet basements don’t choose a home’s size or its owners’ social standing, it just happens, especially if the basement isn’t properly waterproofed.
But there are two kinds of basement waterproofing: interior and exterior. So what are the differences between the two, apart from the obvious inside/outside factor?
Interior waterproofing involves two basic methods, crack injection and the use of an interior drain tile. Crack injection is when polyurethane is injected into cracks in the walls to prevent water from seeping in.
Interior drain tiles handle seepage that comes from under the floor due to hydrostatic pressure by easing the pressure and carrying the water to a sump pump.
Exterior waterproofing, on the other hand, also has two basic methods: simple crack repair and the use of a membrane with drain tile. Cracks that can’t be injected with polyurethane from the inside are repaired on the outside by filling it with dry sodium bentonite clay. Once water permeates it, it becomes hard and plastic-like that prevents further seepage.
An exterior waterproofing membrane with drain tile stops water from coming in through the foundation walls by acting as a seal against water using asphalt-modified polyurethane. The drain tile then catches the water and drains it to a sump pump.
To find out more about the differences between interior and exterior waterproofing, call Perma-Seal – the best basement waterproofing contractors in the area. Offering free estimates, Perma-Seal can help you with all your basement waterproofing needs and ensure your home stays safe and dry, even in the harshest of weathers.