Water must flow down and away from foundations at all locations. Missing or improperly installed foundation drains are one of the leading causes of wet crawlspaces and basements as well as contributing to the excessive settling of foundations. What s worse is the fact that you can t see these drains once they are installed. They may be 8 feet underground or more when the house is finished. Inadequate foundation damp proofing for basements with useable or habitable spaces Vol.
Engineers consider concrete to be a rigid sponge.
It is not a waterproof material. Concrete will wick moisture if moisture is available. Dampproofing will provide somewhat of a barrier to this wicking action. Inadequate dampproofing will not. Waterproofers have lots of stories of dampproofing failures.