Waterproofing membranes and soon-to-be cracked foundation
jdailyjr
| Posted in General Questions on
Hi all,
After absorbing the valuable resource that is GBA I’m wondering how effective peel & sticks or fluid applied water proofing are when all foundations will eventually crack.
Is the approach crack prevention? Would waiting x days for cracking before waterproofing work?
Does waterproofing have enough flexibility or give to account for eventual cracking?
Additional context: I’m in Zone 5 in the US Northeast and have been researching for a 3 story build with 2 stories below grade to daylight.
Thanks!
John
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Replies
John,
On properly built reinforced foundations, the (perhaps) inevitable cracks that occur should only be hair-line cracks. That is they are visible but there is no separation between the concrete. Bituminous damp-proofing, peel & stick and liquid applied treatments can all easily bridge these fissures. If the wall cracks such that they fail, you have bigger problems that will need dealing with than the water-proofing.
Thanks for the reply! Makes a lot of sense.
Good luck with your build!