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The Mount Eden home’s older foundations had no functioning waterproofing system in place, allowing groundwater to affect the basement areas. Because the property had established gardens and limited access around the foundation, the excavation and waterproofing works needed to be carried out without unnecessary disruption to the surrounding landscaping while still reaching the full depth of the affected foundation walls.
BlastOff hand excavated to the foundation while taking care to protect the surrounding gardens and access routes around the property. The exposed foundation walls were primed before a torch-applied membrane tanking system was installed, with a protective layer placed over the membrane ahead of backfilling. NOVAFLO drainage coil was connected to the stormwater system to redirect groundwater away from the foundation, and the excavation was backfilled with clean scoria to complete the free-draining system around the new membrane.
Groundwater was redirected away from the Mount Eden foundation, and a membrane barrier now provides protection where the older home previously had no functioning waterproofing. The surrounding gardens and access were preserved through the works, giving the homeowner a foundation waterproofing system built to protect the basement areas going forward.
Not every waterproofing job is about repairing a system that has failed, sometimes there was never a functioning system there at all. That was the case at an older Mount Eden home, where the original foundations had no waterproofing in place and groundwater was steadily affecting the basement areas. With established gardens and limited access around the property, the works needed a careful touch rather than heavy machinery.
BlastOff hand excavated to the foundation, taking care to protect the surrounding gardens and access routes as the dig progressed, then primed the exposed walls ahead of installing a torch-applied membrane tanking system. A protective layer was placed over the membrane before backfilling to prevent damage, NOVAFLO drainage coil was connected to the stormwater system to redirect groundwater away from the foundation, and the excavation was backfilled with clean scoria to finish the free-draining system. The sequencing matters just as much as the materials here, since protecting the membrane through backfill and giving groundwater somewhere else to go are what keep a foundation dry for the long term rather than just after the work is finished.
Owners of older villas and bungalows around Auckland, many of which predate any real waterproofing standard, should take basement dampness or a musty smell at ground level seriously rather than assuming it is unavoidable in an older home. A proper scoping conversation should weigh up access constraints, the condition of the existing gardens and paths, and how excavation can be managed without unnecessary disruption.
This Mount Eden project is a good example of exterior below-ground waterproofing being fitted to a site’s constraints rather than the other way around, giving a previously unprotected foundation a proper long-term barrier.
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