My basement is 8 ft, with 6 feet below ground level. I am in an area with poor drainage, a fairly high water table and clay soil. My basement has flooded once when the power was off. I am thinking of waterproofing my walls with a cement based product. Then covering the walls with tarpaper that would allow me to install R20 insulation without the insulation touching the concrete. I plan on using metal 2x4 studs , then insulate and vapour barrier, and use cement board on the lower half and normal drywall on the top. I want to cover the floor with bubble plastic in case of any water in the future. How is not insulating the lower portion of the wall going to keep the drainage tile free? The frost line is 3 feet, below that shouldn't freeze and the drain tile is outside the footing, not the wall.
Answer:
No interior waterproofing for basement walls I've heard of works becasue they all protect from the wrong side of where the hydrostatic pressure is. I've never seen any use for the tarpaper on the concrete walls behind the insulation and don't really understand the reason for he cement board. Again, as long as water poses a problem, the bubble sheet will only keep it under the floor until mold starts to form and then your problems have just begun. The frost line may be only three feet but during a harsh winter, frost will migrate to much greater depths than that.
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