# Should I use drylock on my basement walls?



## diy'er on LI (Jul 6, 2009)

first off, I'm jealous you regrated your yard and have a dry basement! This is on the top of our "to do" list, but will be too $$$ for us until next year (must also demo/replace a large patio, and put up a small retaining wall to accomplish this goal). But I digress....

Why drylock something that really is fine? It's a lot of work, and not very pretty. 25 years ago, our basement was waterproofed with some (much earlier generation) drylock-like material... and it actually came off of the wall due to water coming through the window... now the wall under the window is a total mess.


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## Leoskee (Dec 19, 2007)

I have something similar on my walls. It looks like they painted the cement and it flaked off during the years. I would have to scrape all of this stuff off of the wall before I use the drylok. My main reason for wanting to do it is because once the remodeling work is done I will not have the opportunity to. If it helps keep things dry I would go through the trouble. 

The reason that I am asking is because I have heard mixed reviews and wanted to get some more feedback from people that have used it or are familiar with the product.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

If waterproofing, do it to the outside walls, not inside. Read this on moisture in the basement, and the solution: 
http://www.buildingscience.com/docu...rol-for-new-residential-buildings?full_view=1

Be safe, G


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## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

If you don't have major water infiltration it would help, at the very least, the humidity level in your basement. ALL basements are going to be a little more humid than the rest of the house. You could lower this a bit by using dryloc.

Oh, and don't do the floor unless you plan on covering it with finish flooring or something else. Drylock is not rated for horizontal surfaces the get foot traffic.


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## diy'er on LI (Jul 6, 2009)

Leoskee said:


> I have something similar on my walls. It looks like they painted the cement and it flaked off during the years. I would have to scrape all of this stuff off of the wall before I use the drylok. My main reason for wanting to do it is because once the remodeling work is done I will not have the opportunity to. If it helps keep things dry I would go through the trouble.
> 
> The reason that I am asking is because I have heard mixed reviews and wanted to get some more feedback from people that have used it or are familiar with the product.


ugh, so you're in the same boat as us... that's a big job to scrae all of that  If you're going to finish the basement, you might as well do everything you can.... either drylock or another product someone might recommend here....


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

ALL basements leak because water rush's to fill a void & soil acids have yrs to attack foundations,,, speaking of boat, think of your bsmt as a ship's hull below the waterline,,, we're not meant to live in bsmts, either,,, UNLESS your home's blt by a few hi-end outfits, look for problems down the road.

cmu block walls're ESPECIALLY subject to leakage,,, decent conc fnd walls're MUCH easier to repair - otherwise, its the french drain approach,,, i have drilok-something ) on my bsmt wall - it still leaks, looks horrible, & grows mold but we live upstairs,,, i need to practice what i preach, too :huh: since i did this work professionally in ny-nj-ct, it'll get done the right way before damage when we sell,,, waterproofing a bsmt is impossible UNLESS you excavate the total wall perimeter,,, otherwise you only manage the problem !


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## woobiken (Jul 28, 2009)

So I'm not alone out there? Well I surface prepped the Hell out of the walls making sure no salt formations exist as well as any cracks, etc. Then I used the oil based UGL product "THICK" on the walls....Twice!!! Only one corner needed an extra spanking due to salt formations. My basement floor is currently undergoing an industrial epoxy coating but in the end it will be just fine for me. I'm fortunate with sand all around the house making hydraulic issues minimal at most. But the walls have looked great for 5 years or more and way less humidity so I may not have to run the dehumidifier once my floor is done!


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## framer52 (Jul 17, 2009)

cmu block walls're ESPECIALLY subject to leakage>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>........

No more than any other material if the proper precautions are followed on the outside.

Read the whole post now, you should know better. A cmu wall is fine and you know it if the waterproofing is done on the outside!!


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## Leoskee (Dec 19, 2007)

I have a poured concrete foundation. Im going to go ahead and use drylok on the walls. Would it be worth the trouble of using it on the concrete slab?


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## framer52 (Jul 17, 2009)

Leoskee said:


> I have a poured concrete foundation. Im going to go ahead and use drylok on the walls. Would it be worth the trouble of using it on the concrete slab?


Not to be used where you walk, and since you walk on the slab, it is not to bew used>.:no:


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## Leoskee (Dec 19, 2007)

What can be used on the floor. Woobiken mentioned an industrial epoxy coating.


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## Leoskee (Dec 19, 2007)

I take it back!!! I will not, and I repeat, NOT be using drylok on my basement walls. I just spent the last hour trying to clean off all of the crap that is on a 3x7 portion of a wall and I feel like I didnt even make a dent. First I used a deck brush to scrape off as much stuff as I could. Then I used a paint stripper wheel attached to my drill. My arms are killing me. I too a break towards the end and looked at how much more square footage I had to do that I decided right there that it was not worth it. Like I stated before, I do not have any major issues in my basement anymore. If I am going to frame the walls and cover them in sheetrock why do all of the work if no one will see the walls?! 

Thanks for all of the input and comments. I'll keep posting questions as I go along with the project. As a matter of fact I am going to take some pics right now to document my project and create a thread.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

if its tight, don't worry,,, the fail'd stuff falls off soon enough by itself,,, sand soil's good for drainage but framer's got 'canisteo loam' for the most part,,, MUCH different stuf,,, cmu's are fine BUT the waterproofing's done OUTSIDE before backfilling,,, the building code's specs suck & are minimal therefore of no use,,, bldrs offer a 1yr warranty on bsmt leakage knowing it takes longer to show up 

do a moisture test 'fore investing in wood 2x4's & drywall & screws & jnt compound & labor


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## Leoskee (Dec 19, 2007)

Im putting down a dricore subfloor w/ PT wood as the base plate. Using regular 2x4 for top plate. I spent the extra $ and will be using purple board (moisture resistant sheetrock) along the perimeter of the basement and also in the bathroom. The rest will be in regular 1/2" sheetrock.


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## woobiken (Jul 28, 2009)

Do your self a favor and place a 12" x 12" piece of plastic on the basement floor, duct tape it good all the way around and check it for condensation in 24-48 hours. If ya find moisture after that test, take a step back from your project for a moment! Remember there's no need to piss up a rope! And there's no need for a basement to smell like a stinky stanky wet nasty sock sitting since sat began either! Try to remove gobbed up construction adhesive off the walls that some onionhead slapped on the wall just to keep some cheap styrofoam tacked up so he could blindly nail the whole basement with pretty plywood! Oh did I forget to mention a sheet of poly....nope! This prior homeowner not only busted his ass finishing the basement but probably couldn't quite figure out why the stinky stank even stunk! And I still have one more wall caked with adhesive to tackle! The real trick is getting the waterproofing the adhere in those areas after all is said and done! I'll have over 20 gallons of waterproofing on my walls, and 8 gallons of 2-part Sierra polyacrylamide slapped on my floor. The funny thing is I'm too freaking stubborn and flat out refuse to fire up my kick-ass homebrew system I bought for 6 grand over 3years ago until I get off my dead ass and finish the floor! There! So take a small step back from your project and do a simple moisture test on the floor! That little corner can be fixed and waterproofed in no time with a 41/2" disc grinder and a good ol' superdeluxe fat rope wire disc, a smidge of sulfamic acid dash of bleach and a splash of alcohol....


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