One of the biggest areas for confusion for many home owners is the issue of clarity between what exactly the difference between waterproofing and damp proofing is with regards the residential home. This is one of the reasons that the International Residential Code was established, in order to shed some light on this important issue.
According to the International Residential Code the guidelines pertaining to when an installed drainage system is not required is quite simply when the foundations o the residence is situated on well drained or a sand gravel mixture that offers good drainage. From this exception one can then deduce that waterproofing in this case is in actual fact damp proofing since there is no drainage system installed and no need for one as the ground itself drains adequately to negate the need for waterproofing.
It is also law that all concrete or masonry foundations of a residence or inhabitable or usable space must have drains installed, this is again according to the International Residential Code and also stipulates the same for areas that enclose habitable spaces such as those located below ground, in other words basements and cellars need to have adequate drainage on their exterior walls and foundations.
A multi functional product such as Super seal Dimpled Membrane can be used or either dam proofing applications or indeed waterproofing applications depending on the need and the situation. The main difference in these applications arises when a membrane is used in conjunction with a perimeter drainage system; in that instance it is classified as waterproofing. When it is installed without any perimeter drainage systems in place it is more often referred to as damp proofing. It is important that your home be able to allow internal moisture to escape while ensuring that external moisture remains outside, this is especially important for a basement since a wet or damp basement can cause foundation problems and can also devalue your home.