To DryLoc or not to DryLoc....
#1
01-31-02, 12:17 PM
To DryLoc or not to DryLoc....
I've been kind of sifting through some of the threads on this board and can't seem to get the answer to the above question.
I am about to finish the basement in my house and was going to DryLoc....then use a vapor barrier and then insulate. Is this overkill?
My house is only 2 years old. Seems to be dry and in reading some of the posts, the DryLoc only lasts for about 5 years. Is it worth spending the time and $$$ on this? I mean if in 5 years it is no longer effective than what are the benefits of using this? If I weren't sheetrocking and insulating and such I could see doing this every 5 years or so, but the walls will be covered and I will not have access to them once this is completed.
Thanks in advance for any and all opinions on this.
Flip
I am about to finish the basement in my house and was going to DryLoc....then use a vapor barrier and then insulate. Is this overkill?
My house is only 2 years old. Seems to be dry and in reading some of the posts, the DryLoc only lasts for about 5 years. Is it worth spending the time and $$$ on this? I mean if in 5 years it is no longer effective than what are the benefits of using this? If I weren't sheetrocking and insulating and such I could see doing this every 5 years or so, but the walls will be covered and I will not have access to them once this is completed.
Thanks in advance for any and all opinions on this.
Flip
#2
01-31-02, 04:04 PM
In my opinion I wouldn't drylock. There are a lot of reasons for moisture in a basement and causes. The foremost reason is hydrostatic pressure. Basically what that is, water freezing. When water freezes, it expands approximately 12% in volume, this is where the pressure comes from. This applies only above the frost line in your area.
The way this causes water to enter the basement is the ground around the basement wall becomes saturated. The water in the ground that is above the frost line, when the temperature drops below 32 degrees F. freezes the water. The water next to the basement wall fills every nook and cranny in the wall. As it freezes, it expands and makes that nook or cranny larger. This process is repeated until you have a crack in the wall for water to enter the basement.
What this all comes down to is the source of the water in basements come from the outside. Drylock does not address that. Spend your time and money on drainage on the outside. Landscaping, the house looks better and you keep your basement dry.
Water will always seek the path of least resistance. Decorative drainage systems. This is used when you have a poor grade towards the house. Basically all it is a 18 inch ditch with 6 inches of gravel then a drainage pipe laid over that, then covered with decorative stones. The drainage system is installed around the perimeter of the house and led to an area where the water can't migrate back to the house.
The way this causes water to enter the basement is the ground around the basement wall becomes saturated. The water in the ground that is above the frost line, when the temperature drops below 32 degrees F. freezes the water. The water next to the basement wall fills every nook and cranny in the wall. As it freezes, it expands and makes that nook or cranny larger. This process is repeated until you have a crack in the wall for water to enter the basement.
What this all comes down to is the source of the water in basements come from the outside. Drylock does not address that. Spend your time and money on drainage on the outside. Landscaping, the house looks better and you keep your basement dry.
Water will always seek the path of least resistance. Decorative drainage systems. This is used when you have a poor grade towards the house. Basically all it is a 18 inch ditch with 6 inches of gravel then a drainage pipe laid over that, then covered with decorative stones. The drainage system is installed around the perimeter of the house and led to an area where the water can't migrate back to the house.
