03Services
Five services. One objective.
Keep water on the outside of the building, and give whatever gets past the grade a route away from it. Everything below is a different answer to that same problem — chosen for the wall in front of us, not sold from a catalogue.
—Specification
Not sure which one you need?
You do not have to work it out yourself — that is what the assessment is for. But these are the questions that decide it.
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Q1
Is there standing water, or is it just damp?
Damp soil and water under pressure are different conditions. The first can often be handled with damp proofing; the second calls for a full exterior system with a drainage plane and a working perimeter drain.
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Q2
Is the wall accessible, or already backfilled?
On new construction the wall is open and protection is at its cheapest. On an existing building, excavation is part of the work — which changes the sequence, the timeline and the reinstatement.
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Q3
Is it below grade, or exposed concrete?
Below-grade walls are about barriers and drainage. Exposed slabs, floors and hardscape are about absorption — water, salt and freeze-thaw — which is what concrete sealing addresses.
—Next step
Get the system specified properly.
Send the details of the building and what you are seeing, and you will get a clear answer on which of these five is the right one — and why.