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Foundation waterproofing standards?

2K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  ms bliz 
#1 ·
Is there a standard for how high the waterproofing on the outside of a poured concrete foundation should be, for example, 6 inches above grade or below grade?

I'm buying a house in NE Pennsylvania and the builder is claiming it only has to be 4-6 inches below grade. Dirt has been pushed above the sealant and I would also need to add topsoil before I could plant anything. There is a lot of clay in the soil.

If anyone has the information from the International Residential Code I would appreciate it!
 
#2 ·
Forget about the code since that is only a minimum prescriptive standard.

what you should be concerned with is whether your basement will be dry. A code does guaranteee that.

The entire exterior of the foundation should be "waterproofed". Since he is quibbling about a few inches, he would probably just be using a damp proofer that is not effective and will deteriorate in a year or two.


I hope the home has drain tile (preferably both interior and exterior).
 
#3 ·
clarification

So you are saying that the entire exposed foundation should be waterproofed up to the siding? (this is a raised ranch with the basement/garage tucked under the living area.)

We've already had water leaking in the basement from a crack in the front. It's supposedly fixed, now the gutters are installed and my husband did mention something about drain tile. The basement is humid and the engineer said we should have a full time dehumidifer.

Thanks for your help.
 
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