Water intrusion into basements, foundation walls, and plaza decks stops when the membrane system is installed as engineered. Ardex waterproofing chemistry bonds to prepared substrate, seals every joint and penetration, and gets protected from backfill or traffic. We install the full Ardex protocol because partial systems fail. Free written estimate on every project.
Membrane Waterproofing Requires Every Layer Installed Right
A waterproofing membrane is not a single product. It is a system: substrate prep, primer, membrane application, joint detail, and protection layer. Remove or shortcut any step and the whole assembly leaks. The primer bonds the membrane to the slab; the joint detail handles movement at corners and penetrations; the protection layer shields the membrane from backfill or foot traffic during construction.
Ardex designs each component to work with the others, and the warranty covers the system only when installed per spec. We follow that protocol because that is what keeps water out for decades. Skipping steps saves money today and costs far more when the basement floods or the deck leaks.
How Ardex Waterproofing Gets Installed in Pittsburgh
Assess and specify
We evaluate the substrate, exposure conditions, and protection requirements to select the right Ardex system (below-grade liquid-applied, plaza-deck sheet membrane, or wet-room assembly).
Prepare the slab
Concrete is cleaned, repaired with Ardex-compatible mortar where needed, and all cracks, joints, and penetrations are staged for the membrane application.
Prime and seal
The matched Ardex primer is rolled or sprayed to bond the membrane to the slab. The membrane (liquid or sheet) is then applied to the engineered thickness with all corners, transitions, and pipe penetrations detailed per spec.
Protect and hand off
A protection layer (drainage board, screed, or traffic surface) is installed over the cured membrane. Warranty documentation is prepared and the system is ready for backfill or service use.
The failure point
Waterproofing Leaks at Transitions & Penetrations
The membrane field rarely fails. Water finds the gap at the wall-floor corner, the pipe penetration, the expansion joint, or the edge detail. That is where the system either holds or fails. Ardex provides engineered detail products for every transition type, and we install them per specification because that is where the warranty lives.
If the substrate has cracks or spalls before the membrane goes down, we use Ardex repair systems to restore it first. For basement crack repair or foundation waterproofing that includes structural work, we coordinate the full scope so the membrane integrates cleanly.
System types, joint details, protection layers and warranty.
Multiple systems for different applications: below-grade liquid-applied, plaza-deck membrane, wet-room system, balcony waterproofing. We spec from the Ardex range based on the project's actual exposure and substrate.
Because that is where most waterproofing fails. The membrane field is rarely the problem; the corner or penetration is. Ardex provides engineered detail products for those transitions; using them per spec is what makes the system hold.
A physical layer (drainage board, screed, traffic surface) installed over the cured membrane to protect it from backfill, traffic, or service exposure. Without protection, even a perfectly installed membrane can be damaged in subsequent construction phases.
Yes, system warranty applies when installed to Ardex spec by an Ardex-system installer. We deliver the warranty documentation at handoff.
Depends on area and system. Below-grade wall waterproofing on a foundation might be a few days; a full plaza-deck system stretches longer. The full schedule is in the quote.
Below-grade waterproofing on a foundation upgrade. Full Ardex system, every detail to spec, two springs of melt with the basement bone dry. Warranty documentation in our file. Real install.
Z. V5
Property Owner, Pittsburgh
★★★★★
Plaza deck waterproofing system on a commercial roof terrace. Membrane, drainage board, traffic surface, every layer per Ardex spec. Inspector signed off cleanly, no leak issues since.
Y. V5
GC, Aliquippa
★★★★★
Wet-room waterproofing for our locker rooms. Every joint, every penetration detailed per spec. Three years of daily wet operation, zero failures. The detail work is what matters.
Q. V5
Facility Manager, Monroeville
★★★★★
They walked through the joint detail before install so we understood why it cost what it cost. The system has held; the up-front spec discussion was worth it.
X. V5
Custom Home Builder, Mckeesport
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Describe the waterproofing need (basement wall, plaza deck, wet room), the area size, and the project timeline. We will spec the Ardex system and send a written quote within one business day.
