Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BASEMENT WALL
WATER PROTECTION SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
s The field of this invention relate to a system for maintaining a dry
condition for basement walls.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Basements are often built into a building because foundations
need to be built anyway. It is a relatively easy step to empty the interior of
1o the foundation walls and provide a cement floor for a basement that
provides for storage and often extra useful rooms in both commercial and
residential buildings. Extra useful rooms such as a utility or laundry room,
and or living quarters such as a den or extra bedroom may be placed in a
basement. However, the basement walls are most commonly made from
15 concrete or cement block and are inherently porous to water which may
allow leakage and provide for water seepage. While most basement walls
and floor are built above ground water levels, rain water and water runoff
may be at heights up to ground level. If this water leaks and seeps into the
basement walls, the basement may become undesirable. Even if the water
2 0 leakage is not visible, the walls may provide excess humidity to the
basement which often gives the basement the undesirable dank and musty
feeling to any occupant. Certain humid conditions may also allow mold to
grow on the interior walls which may pose a health risk.
There are three different methods which are commonly
2 s employed either separately or in conjunction with each other to attempt to
keep a basement dry from outside rain and runoff water. The first method is
to seal the exterior of the basement walls. The exterior is made waterproof
on the outside with a tar or other hydrophobic and impermeable sheet
coating. In this way, water cannot enter the wall. It is most efficient to
3 o waterproof the walls during initial construction. As the building ages,
the
integrity of the water proof layer may degrade to eventually allow leakage
through a developed crack or hole. Once the water is past the water proof
layer, the water is then free to diffuse through the concrete and or cement
block to cause water, seepage and/or humidity problems. Repair to the
t
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waterproof layer can be expensive due to the fact that the exact location of
the crack or hole is usually not known. Thus, the entire area is usually dug
out and resealed. Due to the expense, many people will thus needlessly
tolerate leakage to a certain extent before paying for such repairs.
A second method involves the ability to drain away water and
prevent hydrostatic pressure from building up about the exterior of the
building. Hydrostatic pressure can push more water into the crack or hole
and through any porous section of the wall. Often the drainage is in the
form of subterranean piping surrounded by gravel positioned at the base of
1 o the cement wall that leads to remote location such a storm sewer system,
dry well or nearby lake or stream. Again, drainage systems are most
efficiently installed during initial construction. As the building ages, the
integrity of the drainage system may degrade due to obstructions such as
dirt and roots which restrict the removal of the water. The drainage pipe
may also collapse from ground pressure or by growth of nearby roots. If
the restriction is severe enough, the hydrostatic pressure can build up
about the exterior of the basement walls. In order to repair the drainage
system, it is often necessary to dig out the entire area to lay new piping
under the bottom of the basement wall which results in great expense.
2 o Thus, many people will thus needlessly tolerate leakage to a certain
extent
before paying for such repairs.
A third method is to prevent water from approaching the
basement wall area in the first place. Often the ground is sloped away from
the building to allow initial rain water to run down away from the building.
Gutters are often installed to capture the roof water and direct it away from
the building. Other systems such as second vertical walls have been
proposed to provide empty space between the exterior of the basement
wall and the second wall to maintain the basement wall in a permanently
dry condition. Again, these secondary walls are best installed during initial
3 o construction because retrofitting them in place is an expensive
proposition.
What is needed is an improved system for directing water away
from a basement wall that is inexpensive to install and can be retrofitted to
existing buildings without great expense.
What is also needed is a basement wall ground water protection
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system that takes into account soil movement during freeze and thaw
cycles to maintain its integrity in the ground.
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SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a basement wall
water protection system has at least one water impermeable flexible
s member having a short leg section that is abuttable against an upper
portion of basement wall preferably below ground level and a long leg
section extending substantially away from the basement wall a distance at
least as great as the tangent of 15° times the height of the basement
wall
below the impermeable flexible member.
1 o Preferably, the impermeable flexible member has a first side
edge and a second complementary side edge such that a first side edge of
one impermeable member can snap fit into a second side edge of a
second impermeable member to form a watertight joint or junction. The
impermeable water flexible member is preferably made from a polyethylene
15 plastic material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a basement
wall water protection system includes a plurality of semi-flexible water
impermeable overlapping plate members with each plate member having a
short leg section that is abuttable against an upper portion of the basement
2 o wall below ground level and a long leg section extending substantially
away
from the basement wall a distance sufficient to keep water away as water
seeps downward through the ground toward the basement wall at an angle.
Each of the impermeable flexible members has a first side edge and a
second complementary side edge such that a first side edge of one
25 impermeable member can fit with the second side edge of a second
impermeable member to form a watertight joint.
At least one water impermeable flexible member has a short leg
section that is abuttable against an upper portion of basement wall below
ground level and a long leg section extending substantially away from said
3 o basement wall a distance at least as great as the tangent of 15°
times the
height of the basement wall below the impermeable flexible member.
Preferably, the short leg is free to move against said basement wall and
held against said wall solely by ground pressure. Preferably, each of the
flexible water impermeable members is made from polyethylene. It is
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desirable that each of the water impermeable members is positioned about
16 inches below ground level with the short leg member abuttable against
said basement wall. It is preferable that the water impermeable members
are stackable for ease of storage and transportation thereof.
It is also desirable that corner members are positioned at a
respective corner of two basement walls and overlapping respective water
impermeable members abutting the respective basement walls. It is also
desirable that the long leg extends away from the basement wall at
approximately a 5° downward slope away from the basement wall and
1 o extends at least approximately the height of the basement wall below the
leg times the tangent of 15°.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a basement
wall water protection system includes a plurality of semi-flexible water
impermeable plate members with each plate member having an upper leg
1 s section that is abuttable against an upper portion of a basement wall and
a
lower leg section extending substantially away from the basement wall a
distance sufficient to keep water away as water seeps downward through
the ground toward the basement wall at an angle. Each of the
impermeable flexible plate members having a first side edge and a second
2 o complementary side edge such that a first side edge of one impermeable
plate member can be connected with the second side edge of a second
impermeable plate member to form a watertight joint.
The joint preferably includes the first and second edges of two
adjacent plates in proximity to each other to form a seam. The plates have
25 undercut grooves in proximity to each edge thereof and running parallel
thereto. A first connector member has complementary undercut ribs
slidably connected to said grooves to interlock the connector member with
both impermeable plate members to cover the seam.
In one embodiment, a first connector connects the lower leg
3 o section of the plate members and a second separate connector having
depending undercut ribs is slidably receivable in the grooves in the
respective upper leg sections of the plate members. One of the first and
second connectors has a ribless section that is bendable over a radial
section of the plate members to cover the seam at the radial section. 1t is
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desirable that at least one water impermeable flexible plate member has its
upper leg section being short and being abuttable against an upper portion
of basement wall and its lower leg section being long extending
substantially away from said basement wall a distance at least as great as
the tangent of 15° times the height of the basement wall below the
impermeable plate member. The plate members and other connectors are
preferably made from polyethylene.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a basement
wall water protection system includes a plurality of semi-flexible water
to impermeable plate members with each plate member having an upper leg
section that is abuttable against an upper portion of a basement wall and a
lower leg section extending substantially away from the basement wall a
distance sufficient to keep water away as water seeps downward through
the ground toward the basement wall at an angle.
Each plate member has a first side edge and a second
complementary side edge such that a first side edge of one plate member
can be connected with a second side edge of a second plate member.
The upper leg is placed below ground level and free to move against said
basement wall and held against the wall solely by ground pressure.
2o In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of
protecting a basement wall from water includes the steps of digging ground
to form a trench against the basement wall with the trench being wide
enough to receive the plate members; placing overlapping water
impermeable semi-flexible plate members in the trench with a short leg of
2 s the member abutting against the basement wall and having a long leg
extending substantially away from the basement wall; and backfilling the
trench with soil above the water impermeable plate members.
The method preferably includes the step of shaping the bottom
of the trench to decline at a 5° slope away from the basement wall and
3 o extending horizontally in a direction parallel to the basement wall. It is
also
desirable to interlock adjacent members to each other at the edges of each
member.
It is also preferable to plant plants in the backfilled soil above the
water impermeable members to use the water retained above the water
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impermeable members.
In this fashion a relatively inexpensive method to repair and
water leaks and keeping basement walls dry from rain and run off water as
it seeps into the ground is provided which can be easily installed in either
s new construction or retrofitted to existing basement walls.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference now is made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a segmented elevational view of a basement wall
protection system including a plate member installed against a basement
wall;
Figure 2 is a plan and schematic view showing three basement
walls with plate members installed about the outer sides of the basement
walls and corners;
1 o Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of several plates
assembled together as shown in figure 2;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of one plate member taken
along line 4 shown in figure 3;
Figure 5 is an enlarged end view taken along lines 5-5 shown in
figure 3 illustrating the joints between adjacent plate members;
Figure 6 is a view similar to figure 1 illustrating the digging of the
trench and placement of the plate members in the trench;
Figure 7 is a front end view taken along lines 7-7 shown in figure
6;
2 o Figure 8 is a view similar to figure 5 illustrating a modified joint for
the basement wall protection system;
Figure 9 is a view similar to figure 8 illustrating a further modified
joint for the basement wall protection system;
Figure 10 is a view similar to figure 9 illustrating yet another joint
2 5 for the basement wall protection system;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of another joint for the basement
wall protection system;
Figure 12 is a exploded view of the joint shown in Figure 11; and
Figure 13 is a side elevational and exploded view of the joint
3 o shown in Figure 11.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to figure 1, a building 10 with a conventional
basement wall 12 and floor 14 is usually submerged in the ground 13 below
ground level 15 approximately 6 feet. A conventional drainpipe 16
surrounded by gravel 18 is positioned below the bottom 19 of basement
floor 14 about the walls 12 to direct water away from the basement wall 12.
Often, the layer of gravel 18 extends vertically upward along wall 12 as
shown in figure 1. The exterior 20 of the basement wall 12 may have a
1 o conventional water proofing layer 22 such as tar or other hydrophobic
layer.
This layer 22 in an aged building 10 may have degraded and have a hole
or crack which may let water there through and through the basement wall
12.
A plate member 24 is positioned about 16 inches below ground
1 s lever 15 and abuts against the wall 12. The plate 24 has a short leg
section
26 of about 12 inches in height that abuts against the wall 12 and a long
shelf section 28 or also called a long leg section. The long shelf section 28
is about approximately 32 inches long and has a 5° tilt from the
horizontal
extending away from the short leg section 26 and wall 12. The radius
2 o section 29 between the short leg section 26 and long shelf section 28 is
about 4 inches in radius. The plate member 24 is about 16 inches in width.
The plate member is made from commercially available polyethylene. The
shape of the plate members allows them to be stacked together for ease of
storage and transportation.
25 As shown in figure 2, a number of the plates 24 are connected
together or overlap each other to provide a continuous water shelf 31
directing water away from the basement wall 12 before the water is free to
diffuse back down through the ground 13. A corner member 30 triangular
in shape overlaps two end plate members 24 at the corner 32 of two walls
30 12.
The length of shelf 31 is sufficient to keep the water away from
the basement wall section 34 below the plate member 24. It is recognized
that free water diffuses through the ground 13 at an angle. For example,
sand allows the water to angle as it drains downwardly about a 15°
angle.
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It has been found that more compacted types of soil or ground provides for
more vertical angles. As such, the length of the shelf 31 needs to be a
minimum of the height above the bottom floor 19 times the tangent of
15°.
When the wall extends 6 feet below ground level 15, and the plate member
is placed 16 inches below ground level. That leaves 4 feet 8 inches of wall
below the plate member. As such the tangent of 15° times 4 feet 8
inches
equals approximately 14.5 inches. For commercial purposes, the shelf
section being 32 inches long is sufficiently long for most commercial
applications and most deeper basements. As such, normal rainfall entering
1 o the soil above the plate member is directed away from wall 22. Once the
water clears shelf leg 28, the water angles back at a maximum of 15°
and
clears wall 12 such that the wall section 34 remains dry.
As shown in figure 3, each plate member 24 is connected to an
adjacent plate member 24. The left edge 35 as shown in figure 3 and
figure 5 has a J-hook trim piece 36 that can be connected to right edge 37
with a larger encapturing J-trim piece 38 to form a watertight joint 39. The
water draining onto the two plate member 24 cannot seep in between the
finro plate members 24 because the J-trim pieces interlock in a watertight
relationship.
2 o The installation of the plate members 24 commences with the
digging of a trench 40 about the wall 12 being 16 inches deep and wide
enough to receive the plate member 24 as shown in figure 6. The trench
should be at least 1 '/Z feet wide and preferably in the illustrated case at
least 32 inches wide to receive the plate member 24. The bottom 42 of the
2 5 trench 40 should have a 5° slant away from wall 12 to complement
the
shape of the plate member 24. The plate members 24 are placed in the
trench as shown in figures 6 and 7. Sequential plate members 24 are
placed in the trench with the right and left edges 35, 37 with the
complementary J-trim being snap fitted together.
3 o Soil 44 removed to form the trench 40 is then placed back in the
trench 40 to fill it up. Flowers and other plants 44 may be planted in the
soil
above the plate members 24 as shown in figure 1. The plate member leg
section 26 is not attached to the wall other than by pressure due to the soil
placed back into the trench. The plate members are also free to move with
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the dynamics of the soil during freeze and thaw cycles.
As can be seen from the above description, a relatively easy
installation can be accomplished for pre-existing buildings that need a
repair that has a water problem in the basement. The plates are made
s from a polyethylene plastic that is crack resistant and keeps its suppleness
even during cold winter months in temperate climates. The plate can be
joined together against water penetration therebetween. The basement
walls are provided with a system that reduces humidity and mold growth
and thus reduces the degradation of interior painted walls as a result of
1 o these undesirable elements. It is further noted that the system deters
underground root growth adjacent the basement wall because of the
created dry zone. The hydrophobic layer of tar or similar material,
therefore, lasts longer due to the reduced root growth. Furthermore, a nice
exterior garden may be promoted about the walls 12 due to the captured
15 water that is retained above the plate members 12 before the water is
directed away from the basement wall.
A durable system is maintained because the plates work with soil
pressure to keep it abutting against the basement wall and even with soil
movement, it still maintains its joint 39 with adjacent plate members. The
2 o polyethylene plastic retains its flexibility and suppleness to prevent
cracking
even undergoing subterranean motion.
By only digging 16 inches down below ground level, a home
owner can install this system by oneself without the expense of digging 8
feet down to the drain pipe or hiring professionals.
2s While one joint 39 has been shown and described, other joints
are possible and foreseen as illustrated in figures 8-10. Figure 8 shows
modified plate member 124 with a joint 139 formed by straight left edge
135 having a forked right edge 137 enrapturing the left edge. A seal
gasket 141 may be interporous therebetween to prevent leakage. Figure 9
3 o discloses modified plate member 224 with a modified joint 239 formed by a
left edge 235 having an enlarged bead 236 that engages a right edge 237
with a forked pincer 238 that may cover the enlarged bead. Figure 10
discloses a plate member 324 with modified joint 339 formed by a left edge
335 and right edge 337 that lays over the left edge 335. The left edge has
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a raised rib 336 that prevents leakage into the joint.
Referring now to Figures 11-13, plate members 424 with a joint
439 formed therebetween by left edge 435 of the one plate member 424
that overlies the right edge 435 of another plate member to form a seam
431. Each plate member 424 has an undercut tapered groove 441 in its
upper surface in proximity and parallel to each edge 435 and 437. A joint
connector strip 443 has two depending undercut ribs 445 that can slide into
and interlock with the grooves 441 in the abutting plates 424.
As more clearly shown in Figure 13, joint connector strip 443
to overlies only the lower longer leg section 428. A second joint connector
strip 447 has similar ribs 449 that slide in groove 441 at the upper shorter
leg section 426. The ribs 445 thus do not need to flex but remain relatively
straight as it follows the straight leg sections 426 and 428. The seam 431
at the radius section 429 of the plate 424 is covered by a ribless section
451 of strip 447. Both connectors 443 and 447 are also made from
polyethylene to be flexible. The ribless section 451 is essentially flat and
thus can easily flex to conform to radius section 429 as strip 447 slides into
place. The ribless section 451 makes it feasible to easily slide the
connector 443 and 447 into the lower and upper longer sections 426 and
2 0 428 and also cover the entire seam 431 from the lower by section, up
through the radius section 429, and up through the upper shorter leg
section 426. The undercut ribs 441 and ribs 445 interlock the two plate
members together against independent lateral as well as vertical motion to
retain a waterproof joint with structural integrity.
2s It may be desirable to add a thin impermeable liner of
polyethylene against the wall 12 overlapping with the leg section 26 and
extending up to the ground level 51. This extra liner may be needed to
meet certain local codes that require liners to extend up to the ground level.
Other variations and modifications are possible without departing
3 o from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the
appended claims.
