Wednesday, 24 August 2011

What is Negative Side Waterproofing?


What is Negative Side Waterproofing?
A typical case of negative side waterproofing is where water penetrates the walls of a basement and the waterproofing is carried out from the inside.

In general, negative side waterproofing is applied to the side of the construction opposite to the
side with direct contact to the water.

Negative side waterproofing is more difficult than positive side waterproofing because the water penetrates through the construction member (e.g. walls) and tries to push the waterproofing off the surface.

Ideally waterproofing materials are applied to the positive side of a structure (i.e. the side the water is coming in from), however, if this is not accessible, then negative side waterproofing is necessary.
When to use Negative Side Waterproofing
Examples of negative side waterproofing include application of  a waterproofing layer to the:-
♦  inside of a basement.
♦  outside of water tanks or silos.
♦  inside of lift pits/ inspection pits.
♦  inside of tunnels.
♦  exposed side of a retaining wall.

♦  underside of a leaking ceiling.
Product properties for successful negative side waterproofing

To successfully waterproof a structure from the negative side the products used should have the following properties:-
 ♦ be mineral based just like the brick or concrete structure - they have to become part of the substrate.
 ♦should ideally penetrate a little into the substrate - this way they can't be pushed off by the water pressure. 
 ♦be breathable so water vapour can penetrate the surface. 
 ♦be free of sodium so they don't harm steel reinforcement. 
 ♦should resist high water pressure from the negative side. 
 ♦should be easy to apply. 
 ♦should display self sealing properties to avoid leakages from minor cracks.

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4 comments:

  1. Roney12 December 2025 at 00:18

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Sarah12 December 2025 at 00:50

    Your explanation of negative side waterproofing is excellent! Most homeowners don't realize how different it is from positive-side applications. At LeakFoe, we use proven negative side waterproofing methods to control seepage when external access isn't possible. Very helpful post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Roney12 December 2025 at 01:05

    Great explanation of negative side waterproofing — crucial for basements, retaining walls and areas where external access isn’t possible. At Wet2Dry Solutions, we address negative side waterproofing failures caused by poor membranes or hydrostatic pressure. Very educational post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jason Miller21 December 2025 at 01:13

    This reminds me to check the vapor barrier in our crawl space. Hanover Basement Waterproofing Pros installed ours last spring.

    ReplyDelete

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