Is tar, plastic, and river gravel the most effective materials to use to seal basement walls?

Answer 1

It depends upon what you are trying to achieve. Do you want waterproofing? Do you want insulation (R value)? Or are you looking for something else?

We spread tar on the outside of our basement walls and then put a foam board insulation on top of the tap. Gravel and a drain was placed in the trench before the trench was back filled to drain water away from the basement walls. The back fill was sloped away from the house to encourage drainage.

We had a couple of minor leaks where the ties on the concrete form were located, We filled those with a tar like sealer that was kind of like using caulk and a caulking gun.

Answer 2

The tar and plastic are the waterproofing for the basement walls. The gravel is to promote drainage away from your basement walls. This method is the most cost effective for mast homes. If you are in an area that has drainage problems, you may need to do additional work to keep your basement dry.

Answer 3

Is this new construction? If so use tar on the outside then for extra insurance you can place 15 lb felt (roofing) paper over the tar (in case there should ever be any cracks on the wall).

Answer 4

Try spray poly-urathane foam. It not only seals but it also insulates better than anything on the market.