Exterior waterproofing can be done at the surface or at the footer level. Surface waterproofing is much less expensive and can be done to prevent the water from reaching the walls, but will not deal with hydrostatic pressure if it is present. Waterproofing at the footer level requires the installation of footer drain tiles which are usually connected through the wall to the sump pump on the inside of the home. This however requires digging a trench about 4 feet wide and 8 feet deep all around the home. This is often complicated by plants, patios, sidewalks, etc. which must be removed first. It requires a great deal of labor and is very expensive and is usually only done as a last resort.

Exterior basement waterproofing is covered in Section O – Page 42 and Section R – Pages 46, 48 of The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z. Remember: in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most salesmen get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low-cost, they won’t mention it, but will talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to panic you into signing a big contract.

You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first. Often what looks like an expensive and serious problem may not be. Once the problem is explained, solving it is just common sense. I’ve used the knowledge I’ve put in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too.

But remember, when dealing with salesmen, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, or one that has a simple solution, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.