Do-it-yourself waterproofing of the basement: why is it important, what mistakes should be avoided and for how many years it will last

I purchased a plot with an unfinished basement floor, for the completion of which I had to buy additional foundation blocks. After the basement box was erected, on its surface I equipped an armored belt, on top of which I laid the floor slabs. The next step was to waterproof the basement.

Due to the fact that I carried out all the work on my own, as finances appeared, I did not complete this stage in time. I had to re-excavate all the walls of the basement right down to the base. After that, I plastered all the places that were between the foundation blocks made of bricks, using cement mortar for these purposes. He also filled up all large cracks, seams, pits and other holes through which moisture could seep into the premises with a concrete mixture.

After the grout had completely solidified, I primed all the outer walls of the basement floor three times. Thanks to this mixture, an invisible film is formed on concrete surfaces, which provides a better adhesion to any finishing material, in my case, waterproofing.

When choosing an insulating material, I considered all the options available on the market. Having studied all their characteristics, I preferred water-based bituminous waterproofing. It is quite easy to work with it, you do not need to involve auxiliary workers and special equipment.

Using a flypaper, I applied the mixture to the walls, making sure that it completely fills all the voids. Once the first coat was cured, I applied the waterproofing one more time. After solidification, a black layer has formed on the concrete base, which does not repel water even in the spring flood season. At the final stage of work, he covered all the trenches with earth.