Waterproof foundation penetration

When pipes are run through the walls of your foundation, they are typically sealed up with concrete, hydraulic cement, or caulk. Sometimes, they're not sealed at all! These penetrations are one of the weakest links in the foundation walls when it comes to holding back groundwater, and it's very common for them to leak water. To solve this problem, a series of solutions have been tried. All of them work at least some of the time.

Waterproofing is the process of making an object or structure waterproof or water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resisting the ingress of water under specified conditions. Such items may be used in wet environments or underwater to specified depths. Water resistant and waterproof often refer to penetration of water in its liquid state and possibly under pressure, whereas damp proof refers to resistance to humidity or dampness. Permeation of water vapour through a material or structure is reported as a moisture vapor transmission rate MVTR. The hulls of boats and ships were once waterproofed by applying tar or pitch. Modern items may be waterproofed by applying water-repellent coatings or by sealing seams with gaskets or o-rings. Waterproofing is used in reference to building structures such as basements , decks, or wet areas , watercraft, canvas, clothing raincoats or waders , electronic devices and paper packaging such as cartons for liquids.

There are different types of pipes passing through foundation walls that bring water, gas, waste, and electricity in and out of our homes. When the ground gets saturated, water fills the hole in the wall around the pipe and exerts pressure on the cement seal. Since exterior excavation down to the level of most of these pipes is cost prohibitive, many choose to try and fix it with more hydraulic cement, paint, caulking, or even spray-on coatings in a can.

Free Product Information from Rhino. Other than burning down, probably the worst thing that can happen to a residential structure is a foundation problem. The foundation is literally what the house is built on, what keeps the building where it was built, transferring the dead loads and the live loads into the ground. The source of the vast majority of foundation problems is water.