I called in to your show on Saturday, at that time you said to replace the clay tile with big O and a sock. What should I do? I am also unclear as to what a sheet material is. Are you allowed to name a brand on the internet? Would it be a good idea to put up some insulation before we backfill? By the way this is a block wall, the house was built in 1956.
Answer:
The most common sheet material used as an impermeable on basement walls is a dimpled product that you can see at any building materials outlet. There are though, others too that are just as effective. To add rigid foam exterior insulation to a wall you take it from the siding down to within a couple of feet of the footings. At that point, you introduce a sloped portion of the product so it sheds water away from the house. There should be at least a foot of gravel over your Big O and then backfill with sand so the sloped segment has something to rest on.
