Do I Have To Waterproof The Footings?

Q:

We had the wall of our foundation replaced, they waterproofed the new wall but not the footing, I'm worried that this will cause the foundation to leak?

A:

You actually do not have to waterproof the footing of a foundation, you only have to waterproof the walls. The reason for this is because the footings are actually below the concrete  floor of your basement and below the concrete floor of the basement there is allowed to be water or moisture. The line in which you want to stop the moisture is the underside of the concrete floor, this line is actually four to six inches above the top of your concrete footings.

As long as the waterproofing is applied so that it stops where the block wall meets the footing or within an inch of it then you should be fine, the wall is waterproofed. If someone was to waterproof over the footing it wouldn't do any harm but it really isn't needed.

The level of the waterproofing should extend up the wall until it reaches the height of the backfill for the wall. The top soil that the landscaper puts over the backfill can be above it if you don't want to look at waterproofing line.

When you waterproof you need to make sure that you go around every pipe that comes out of the foundation, these are usually the area's that produce leaks, pipes actually proceed through the entire wall so if the waterproofing is not right then water has a path through the block wall right into the house.

Since you said that the wall of your foundation was replaced you also have to make sure that your waterproofing lapses over the older foundation a couple of feet, this will ensure that there is no other leaks in that area.

If there is a leak in your foundation it's not coming from the footing.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.