Basement wall water protection system

Abstract

A basement wall protection system has a plurality of plate members ( 24 ) with a short leg section ( 26 ) abutting a basement wall ( 12 ) and a shelf section ( 28 ) extending outward at about a 5° cant away from the wall and extending at least the length of basement wall below the plate member 24 times the tangent of 15°. The plate member ( 24 ) are connected together via watertight joints ( 39 ).

1 . A basement wall water protection system characterized by: at least one water impermeable flexible member having a short leg section that is abuttable against an upper portion of basement wall and a long leg section 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 water impermeable flexible member.  
   
   
       2 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 1  further characterized by: 
 said water impermeable flexible member having a first side edge and a second complementary side edge such that a first side edge of one water impermeable flexible member can snap fit into a second side edge of a second water impermeable flexible member to form a watertight junction.    
   
   
       3 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 1  further characterized by: 
 said water impermeable flexible member being made from a polyethylene plastic material.    
   
   
       4 . A basement wall water protection system characterized by: 
 a plurality of semi-flexible water impermeable overlapping plate members;    each plate member having a short leg section that is abuttable against an upper portion of a basement wall and a long leg section extending substantially away from said 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 said plate members having a first side edge and a second complementary side edge such that a first side edge of one plate member can join with said second side edge of a second plate member to form a watertight joint; and    at least one plate member having a short leg section that is abuttable against an upper portion of basement wall and a long leg section 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 plate member.    
   
   
       5 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 4  further characterized by: 
 said short leg being placed below ground level and free to move against said basement wall and held against said wall solely by ground pressure.    
   
   
       6 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 5  further characterized by: 
 each of said plate members being made from polyethylene.    
   
   
       7 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 6  further characterized by: 
 each of said plate members being positionable about 16 inches below ground level with the short leg member abuttable against said basement wall.    
   
   
       8 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 5  further characterized by: 
 corner members positioned at a corner of two basement walls and overlapping respective plate members abutting said respective basement walls.    
   
   
       9 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 5  further characterized by: 
 said long leg extending away from said basement wall at approximately a 5° downward slope away from said basement wall.    
   
   
       10 . A method of protecting a basement wall from water characterized by: 
 digging ground to form a trench on the exterior side of the basement wall with said trench being wide enough to receive a water impermeable semi-flexible member;    placing overlapping water impermeable semi-flexible members in the trench with a short leg of each respective 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 members.    
   
   
       11 . A method of protecting a basement wall from water as defined in  claim 10  further characterized by: 
 shaping the bottom of the trench to decline at a 5° slope away from the basement wall and extending horizontally in a direction parallel to the basement wall.    
   
   
       12 . A method of protecting a basement wall from water as defined in  claim 11  further characterized by: 
 interlocking adjacent water impermeable semi-flexible members to each other at the edges thereof.    
   
   
       13 . A method of protecting an existing basement wall from water as defined in  claim 12  further characterized by: 
 planting plants in the backfilled soil above the water impermeable semi-flexible members to use water retained above the water impermeable semi-flexible members.    
   
   
       14 . A basement wall water protection system characterized by: 
 a plurality of water impermeable semi-flexible plate members;    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 said basement wall a distance sufficient to keep water away as water seeps downward through the ground toward the basement wall at an angle; and    each of said plate member having a first side edge and a second complementary side edge such that a first side edge of one impermeable member can be connected with said second side edge of a second plate member to form a watertight joint.    
   
   
       15 . A basement wall protection system as defined in  claim 14  further characterized by: 
 said joint includes said first and second edges of two adjacent plate members is proximate to each other to form a seam, said two plates each having undercut grooves in proximity to each edge thereof and running parallel thereto; and    a first connector member having complementary undercut ribs slidably connected to said grooves to interlock the connector member with both impermeable plate members to cover said seam.    
   
   
       16 . A basement wall protection system as defined in  claim 15  further characterized by: 
 said first connector connecting said lower leg section;    a second separate connector having depending undercut ribs being slidably receivable in the grooves in the respective upper leg sections; and    one of said first and second connectors having a ribless section that is bendable over a radial section of said plate members to cover said seam at said radial section.    
   
   
       17 . A basement wall protection system as defined in  claim 14  further characterized by: 
 at least one plate member having its upper leg section being short and being abuttable against an upper portion of basement wall and its lower leg section being long and 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.    
   
   
       18 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 16  further characterized by: 
 each of said plate members and said first and second connector being made from polyethylene.    
   
   
       19 . A basement wall water protection system characterized by: 
 a plurality of semi-flexible water impermeable plate members;    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 said basement wall a distance sufficient to keep water away as water seeps downward through the ground toward the basement wall at an angle; and    each plate member having a first side edge and a second complementary side edge such that a first side edge of one impermeable member can be connected with said second side edge of a second plate member.    
   
   
       20 . A basement wall water protection system as defined in  claim 4  further characterized by: 
 said upper leg being placed below ground level and free to move against said basement wall and held against said wall solely by ground pressure.