As a rule, all underground premises, whether it is a vegetable storehouse, a basement of a residential building, an underground garage or an ordinary cellar, are made of ordinary concrete mortar. And this material, as you know, is not an obstacle to water and even moisture, which enters the structure in the form of droplets.
That is why the waterproofing of underground structures is the first task that must be dealt with after the completion of the main construction works. Otherwise, the foundation of the building will be gradually washed away by underground and meltwater, and ultimately the whole building will be in disrepair.
Most often, in large quantities, water penetrates precisely into the basement of private houses or cottages. Under multi-storey apartment buildings, the foundation and basement are arranged in a slightly different way, so moisture accumulates there much less often, which avoids unnecessary repairs. If we return to private buildings, then they are mainly waterproofed from groundwater, since it is these reservoirs that constantly wash houses, flood the basements and disable any structures. Sometimes similar incidents can also be found in high-rise buildings that were built in an “unsuccessful” place, where the level of underground rivers is too high and sometimes water can spill, flooding the basements of houses.
The most dangerous time for any basement is spring, when snow disappears from the roads and melt rivers can flood any unprotected structure.
If the accident has already occurred, the waterproofing of underground structures will be a very problematic procedure, requiring the hand of a professional. However, many modern materials that are used in this case are applied precisely to the moistened concrete surface, so you only need to pump out water from the cellar and process the walls and ceilings. However, it is worth noting that in such cases, the waterproofing of building structures requires relatively high temperatures in the room. Frost or minimal plus indicators will significantly reduce all the technical qualities of the waterproofing.
Recently, such material as Penetron has been very popular. It is thanks to him that the waterproofing of underground structures, even after water gets into them, passes quickly and simply. It is mounted on a moist and perfectly even surface, dried and then serves a very long time. An important property of this material is that it is built into the concrete floor and thus not only repels moisture, but also increases the water resistance of the concrete itself. However, as mentioned above, Penetron does not tolerate low temperatures both during installation and being already in its place, so the basement will have to be equipped with a heat source.
It is clear that the waterproofing of underground structures should be done by craftsmen who have experience in this business. All seams of the protective material must be mounted clearly and correctly, without gaps and gaps. And then any basement or basement of the building will not cause an emergency condition of the entire structure.