Damp-proofing and filling your house foundations

Damp-proofing your foundations is not hard work, but essential work.

These operations can only te executed when the concrete is well dried and the formwork removed.
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1. Damp-proofing
2. Filling
3. Proceed with the concrete for the garage (if one)

1. Damp-proofing

To do this, you'll need to apply a thick coat of bituminous sealant to the outside of the foundations, from the footing to soil level, from bottom to top. That should be sufficient to waterproof your foundations against normal water infiltration resulting from rain, for example.

2. Filling

Once the foundation walls are erected, you need to provide for drainage and backfill. Drains are used to keep water from wetting the basement floor. In this section, you'll learn how to prepare and install drains for the garage (if one) and the basement. Once that is done, you can proceed with framing your house.

2.1 

It's now time for hooking up the fall pipe and the garage drain (if the house has a garage). You're now ready to install a 4" (10.16 cm) plastic drain tile around the outside perimeter of the footing. Once you have completed this phase, install the sump.

2.1.1 

Position the prefabricated sump in the centre of what will eventually be the garage floor (undisturbed soil).

Stretch a string between the foundation walls of the garage and hang a spirit level from it in such a way as to get a good level reading.

Position the drain over the ground, higher than the garage floor will eventually be, using the string as your reference.

Dig a sloped trench, running from the holding drain to the PVC pipe previously installed through the footing.

Connect the holding drain trench to the plastic drain tile through the drain hole (PVC pipe), then to a T-shaped connector. (See garage drain illustration).

2.2 

Once the sump is installed, cover the drain tile and the footing with a minimum 6" (15.24 cm), coat of type 3/4" (1.905 cm) gravel. Then backfill the entire area with the previously excavated soil.

The basement floor will only be poured when framing for the load-bearing walls and for the ground floor is in place. Before pouring the concrete, be sure that any plumbing that will run under the floor is in place along with any required access traps, plugs and floor drains.

2.2.1 

And note that you shouldn't walk on concrete floors until such time as the concrete has set and cured properly. This process takes a few days.

2.2.2 

Concerning the basement floor, it will only be poured when framing for the load-bearing walls and for the ground floor is in place. Before pouring the concrete, be sure that any plumbing that will run under the floor is in place along with any required access traps, plugs and floor drains.

2.3 

When preparations are complete for the basement, proceed as it is indicated below in section 3 for the garage.
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