Sure placing a waterproofing system on your foundation is great practice; however no waterproofing system is designed to work without a proper drainage system. Without relief, water can build up tremendous pressures and if a form of drainage doesn’t exist, you can almost guarantee your foundation will leak or structural damage will occur, resulting in costly repairs. The minimum drainage for any structure is a perimeter footing drain as well as making sure you have positive drainage away from your structure.

Mostly all manufactures in today’s waterproofing market will not warrant their system if proper drainage doesn’t exist. The systems installed by Aqua Seal which are manufactured by Tremco require a positive drainage system with a perforated drain pipe concealed with gravel. They also call for the gravel to be placed over the footing and at least 10″ up the foundation wall. All in all, your foundation drainage system is not a spot to overlook or pinch the project budget as they can become very expensive if not treated properly.