Mineral wool's definitely a step up from fiberglass, but yeah, if you get standing water, nothing's really happy down there. I tried rigid foam boards once—XPS, I think—and they held up better, but they’re not cheap. Waterproofing paint is pretty much a band-aid; learned that after scraping flakes off my basement wall for weeks. Sump pump backup is a must, though. Lost power during a storm and ended up with a mini swimming pool... not fun. If you can manage it, good drainage outside makes all the difference.
Waterproofing paint is pretty much a band-aid; learned that after scraping flakes off my basement wall for weeks.
Couldn’t agree more. I made the mistake of trusting that stuff on a rental property—looked good for about a year, then it started bubbling and peeling. Ended up having to re-do everything with exterior grading and a French drain. I know XPS isn’t cheap, but it’s saved me a ton of hassle where water’s an issue, especially in older basements. Backup sump pump’s saved my butt more than once, too… nothing like getting that dreaded call from a tenant during a downpour.
Yeah, waterproofing paint is just a temporary fix—learned that the hard way too. I’ve had better luck with rigid foam like XPS, but honestly, nothing beats dealing with the water outside first. French drains are a pain to install but they actually work. I’d add that sealing up any cracks with hydraulic cement before insulating helps a ton. Sump pumps are great, but I always worry about power outages... battery backup is a must around here.
Couldn’t agree more about waterproofing paint—it’s like putting a band-aid on a leaky pipe. I’ve seen folks spend a fortune on that stuff, only to have water sneak right back in after a big storm. XPS is solid, but if you don’t stop the water outside, you’re just trapping moisture behind the foam. French drains are a pain, yeah, but I’ve yet to see a better long-term fix for a wet basement.
One thing I’d throw out there: don’t overlook grading around your foundation. Even a couple inches of slope can make a huge difference in where water ends up. And those battery backups for sump pumps? Worth every penny—especially if you’re in an area where storms knock the power out. I’ve had clients who lost finished basements because the pump quit during a blackout... not fun.
Hydraulic cement in the cracks is a must, but I usually recommend checking back every year or two. Foundations shift, new cracks show up, and it’s way easier to catch them early.
Not sure I’d call French drains the “best” fix every time. I’ve seen a few jobs where they just moved the problem around, especially if the soil’s heavy clay or there’s nowhere for the water to go. Sometimes exterior waterproofing membranes do more than folks give them credit for—if you can get to the outside wall, that is. Grading’s huge, though. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve fixed a wet basement just by reshaping the yard a bit. Sump pump backups are a no-brainer, but I wish more people would just keep an eye on their gutters and downspouts... half the time, that’s where it all starts.
