ᐅ Should concrete be waterproof or permeable?

Created on: 3 Feb 2016 17:52
M
mystd
A somewhat unusual idea, but I am considering creating a kind of moat around the house. There is a very specific reason for this: I want to farm edible fish there. Now, the question is whether to make the concrete waterproof to prevent water from entering the basement, or to allow water to flow through so the basement stays damp and I can grow mushrooms there.

The question is: how much water will actually enter the basement? Will I need to pump it out from time to time, or will the energy required for pumping make the project unfeasible? Additionally, I need to prevent the living spaces from becoming too humid.

It’s a complicated project, but maybe someone here has ideas or suggestions.
WildThing8 Feb 2016 14:34
Yes, it might also be that he meant the final strength...
Musketier8 Feb 2016 17:30
How about aquaponics? It might be better to flood the basement, move the fish farming inside, and place the plants in the moat. In an intermediate level, you could also grow mushrooms in the basement due to the high humidity.
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Peanuts74
9 Feb 2016 13:06
I have now read the posts on this topic, some of them quite amusing. In my opinion, you won’t find solutions for such a project in any building forum because it’s simply too specialized and hardly anyone has any relevant experience.

Therefore, this falls more into the area of research, and money will likely not be a major concern. Perhaps the builder can share their experiences and photos after completion?