A home's basement can be waterproofed either when the house is built or later using a few different techniques. During construction, waterproofing is accomplished by installing a rubber membrane barrier on the outside of any below grade parts of the basement walls. After construction, waterproofing can be accomplished by applying a wall sealer and French drain on the interior of the basement.
Sand Blaster
You must apply an interior wall sealer directly to the bare walls for the sealer to work, whether the walls are made of poured concrete or concrete blocks. Use a sand blaster to completely remove paint from the wall. Paint strippers fail to completely remove paint that has penetrated into the smaller crannies of the concrete.
Concrete Saw
Even with waterproofing applied to the walls, water can leak through. A French drain system is often installed along the interior of the perimeter basement walls to address this problem. Use a concrete saw to cut the amount of required jackhammer use by neatly cutting a line along the perimeter around 6 inches from the wall. Once the concrete is removed, install a specially designed PVC pipe in the drain. The perforations in the pipe allow groundwater to seep into the pipe, which carries the water to a sump pump that then pumps the water into the home's wastewater system and out to the sewer. After installing the drain, cover it with gravel and then concrete to match the existing floor.
Painting Tools
You can apply most waterproofing materials designed for basement walls with basic paint tools, such as brushes or rollers. Use a concrete trowel to apply some waterproofers. For other waterproofers, spray them onto the wall using an airless paint sprayer, although it is a good idea to back roll with a paint roller once the material is on the wall to force the material into the cracks and crevices of the wall.
A paint brush or roller can also be used to apply adhesive when using an exterior rubber waterproofing membrane or to spread the liquid rubber base coat.
Backhoe
The only way to guarantee a dry basement is to excavate around the exterior of the home, using a backhoe, and apply a specially designed rubber membrane over a coat of liquid rubber to the outside of the basement wall. Once adhered, this membrane will keep water out of the home permanently.
Construction Hand Tools
To apply the membrane, use a tape measure, utility knife and gloves.
Digging Tools
You will need shovels and rakes to remove loose dirt from the trench when applying the membrane or to smooth out the replaced dirt once the membrane is complete. A shovel can also come in handy when cleaning up the debris from cutting a drain trench inside the basement.
Wheel barrows can be used to haul gravel or dirt while installing a waterproofing membrane as well as for removing concrete debris from a drain trench.
In the absence of a concrete mixer, you could use a shovel to mix concrete in the wheelbarrow as well.
Jackhammer
Use a jackhammer to break concrete from the newly cut trench for the French drain in pieces small enough to be handled.
Masonry Tools
No matter which waterproofing system you choose, you will need to make concrete repairs--whether filling in above the French drain or patching any exterior foundation cracks with hydraulic cement. You will need basic tools such as trowels, floats and a concrete mixer to get the job done.
