Drylok (& similar) for Basement Interior?
Slowly coming to grips with issue left behind after prior owner sold us the house we’re in now.
One was basement suffering water intrusion almost every time it rained.
Raising sump pump float so tiles weren’t always half-filled with water was a big step. Simpson’s Crack-Pac Flex-H20 proved worthwhile for sealing some cracks left when backfill likely happened too soon after foundation was poured. Now I’m applying coved Sikaflex 1a to seal perimeter seam (after vigorously wire-brushing both wall and floor surface, then vaccuming) between floor slab & walls that sometimes still weeps small quantities of water in a few spots.
I know the exterior was never waterproofed so next I’m looking to determine whether something like Drylok is worthwhile rather than latex interior wall paint for brightening up the bare concrete walls.
I’ve secured polyethylene sheet pieces to the interior wall surface for a few days in several spots, haven’t seen condensation forming that would indicate water vapor intrusion. Maybe temperature differential’s too small to reveal?
Drylok claims to stop water intrusion yet still be ‘breatheable’ allowing water vapor to migrate through, so as I don’t plan on doing anything more extensive requiring insulation + vapor barrer, as it’s not too much more expensive than regular wall paint is it worth the extra cost to mitigate something I’ve not yet considered?
Replies
I've never been convinced that Drylok is very effective. You need to address the water intrusion issue from the outside.