12/11/2018 Installing Basement Waterproofing from the ‘Negative’ Side - GreenBuildingAdvisor

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Installing Basement Waterproo ng from the

‘Negative’ Side
Of course the best way to waterproof any below-grade assembly is from the
exterior — but what if you have to work from the interior?
By Peter Yost | May 18, 2017

View Gallery 8 images

Negative-side waterproofing (NSW) is a tough topic that I have frankly been

dancing around for quite some time. Manufacturer claims and homeowner
anecdotes of successful interior waterproof solutions for basement walls and slabs
did not completely add up. But I did not think that I understood the topic or the
physics well enough to challenge the claims or explain my skepticism.

But I finally got the adult supervision that I needed, mostly from The Manual of
Below-Grade Waterproofing (2nd edition, 2016) by Justin Henshell.

Key takeaways from the Henshell manual

Reduce first. Always start by assessing and identifying surface water
problems and by implementing management approaches that ease or eliminate
the load you are trying to address from the interior of existing below-grade
structures.
“Membrane waterproofing is unsuitable for negative-side
waterproofing [emphasis added] because the external water pressure can

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easily disbond the membrane from the wall.”

There are three generic types of negative-side waterproofing but the most
common today are the crystalline coating materials such as Koster NB1,
Tremco PQ200, and Xypex. (See Image #2, below.)
The standardized test used for NSW is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
CRD C48-73, Permeability of Concrete. Six-inch diameter, six-inch long
cylinders are coated to ½-inch thickness and subjected to a hydrostatic
pressure of 200 psi (about 460 feet of head).
Crystalline coatings penetrate the concrete and build crystal lattices
within the concrete such that they can resist water pressure from the opposite
side.
“Crystalline coatings can close hairline cracks – i.e. cracks up to .012
inches wide. Moisture reactivation of the sealing process gives the coatings the
ability to self-seal, according to manufacturers. But no negative-side
waterproofing system can bridge dynamic cracks and reseal
ruptures [emphasis added].”
“Although it is effective as a waterproofing coating, the higher vapor
permeability of negative-side waterproofing is a drawback in
underground structures with occupancies and materials sensitive to
high humidity [emphasis added].”
Henshell cites and reprints a useful waterproofing selection procedure
from U.S. Navy publication NAVFAC DM-14 (see Image #3).

Key takeaways from other sources

RELATED ARTICLES
NSW crystalline coating systems can
Fixing a Wet Basement be successfully applied to
flowing water leaks. (See the
Preventing Water Entry Into a Koster YouTube video).
Home NSW crystalline coatings should
NOT be considered primary
All About Basements
waterproofing when a permanent
How to Insulate a Basement Wall cover eliminates ready inspection and
maintenance needed to address new
Ground Gutters crack formation. (See Tremco

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12/11/2018 Installing Basement Waterproofing from the ‘Negative’ Side - GreenBuildingAdvisor

Inground Gutters Technical Service Bulletin No. S-08-31

and Image #4, below).
Underground Roofs
On the other hand, Koster’s NB1
Basement-to-Living-Space system addresses one very
Moisture Problems common trouble spot with a cove
detail at the cold joint formed between
the foundation wall and slab. (See
Image #5.)

A best-practice primary waterproo ng solution NOT relying on NSW

Hammer and Hand (a builder with headquarters in Portland, Oregon)
generously offers and thoroughly details their existing basement approach here.
(See also Image #6.)

“Curtain wall” injection

There is an approach you can take for primary waterproofing from the interior of
existing basements or other below-grade structures: chemical injection or
“curtain wall” injection.

Injection holes or ports are drilled into an interstitial space or right through to the
exterior of foundation concrete, typically spaced 18 to 24 inches on center. A
slurry about the consistency of water is then injected so that it can set up and
form a continuous water barrier. There are at least five types of injection
materials:

Bentonite injection grout

Sodium bentonite clay
Epoxy
Urethanes
Acrylate polymers

Perhaps most famously, Koster’s injection system was used on two different
below-grade walls in the Empire State Building, one a 36-wythe brick wall (see
Image #7) and the other concrete block (see Image #8).

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12/11/2018 Installing Basement Waterproofing from the ‘Negative’ Side - GreenBuildingAdvisor

Henshell cites ASTM WK50244 “New Guide for Waterproofing Repair of

Concrete by Chemical Grout Injection” as the reference that guided these
systems. As you can imagine, the injection approach is not inexpensive, but when
you have little to no tolerance for moisture intrusion in a below-grade space, it’s
good to know that the space can be waterproofed.

Conclusions
Topical coatings are subject to blistering and failure if you try to use them to
repair basement water leaks.
Penetrating crystalline systems must pass the rigorous USACE CRD C48-73
waterproofing test.
If you bury your waterproofing treatment behind finished floor and walls such
that they cannot be inspected for new cracks, there is no guarantee that your
waterproofing system will stand the test of time.
True interior waterproofing systems exist — for example, the Hammer & Hand
approach and the injection approach described above — but the systems are
invasive and expensive.

In addition to acting as GBA’s technical director, Peter Yost is the Vice President
for Technical Services at BuildingGreen in Brattleboro, Vermont. He has been
building, researching, teaching, writing, and consulting on high-performance
homes for more than twenty years. An experienced trainer and consultant, he’s
been recognized as NAHB Educator of the Year. Do you have a building science
puzzle? Contact Pete here. You can also sign up for BuildingGreen’s email
newsletter to get a free report on avoiding toxic insulation, as well as regular
posts from Peter.

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More Wingnut Testing of Basement
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Fixing a Wet Basement

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