We've been living in our house for around seven years, and the previous owner had waterproofed the basement walls with a cement coating. It held up pretty well until this past winter when we noticed some water seeping in and found that parts of the original coating are starting to deteriorate. We're thinking about reapplying a waterproof cement coating to the entire basement wall, but we're unsure if we need to strip off the old coating completely or if we can just apply the new coating on top. If removing the old coating is necessary, what's the best approach? Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful!
2 Answers
Before worrying about recoating, it's crucial to address the source of the water. Ideally, you want to ensure water isn't pooling against your foundation. That usually means doing some landscaping work like grading or adding drains. If you address the external water issue, you might not even need to reapply the waterproofing.
You can apply a new coating over the old one if the old coating is still structurally sound and compatible with the new product. But bear in mind, this might just be a temporary fix. You should definitely figure out why the previous coating is failing. If it’s an internal issue leading to water ingress, that needs to be sorted out first.
Exactly! It's about tackling the root cause. Directing water away from your foundation can save you a lot of trouble in the long run.