Addressing the High Failure Rate of Residential Building Basements due to Water Damage

The failure of residential basements occurs at a rate that is much higher than any other house component. It has spawned a massive basement restoration industry. Water is always the culprit. The causes can be summarized as poor foundation construction and/or drainage, high water table events, or blocked sewer laterals. For existing houses, the three main solutions include applying sealants to the interior of the basement walls, adding an interior perimeter drain and sump pump, or applying exterior waterproofing. For new construction, exterior waterproofing of basements is not required by the building code, except in high water-table situations. This would be houses next to lakes, or the ocean, for example. The code requirement is damp-proofing. Based on the authors review, waterproofing should become the default option in the building code. This paper discusses the issues surrounding basement water damage, including the causes, the building code, and options for addressing the situation.