If you’ve ever experienced flooding in your basement, you know how awful it is. Basement flooding creates a huge pile of problems — from just getting the water out of your basement, to cleaning up or dumping everything that got wet, and scrubbing the floor and walls clean. Countless hours and thousands of dollars can be spent cleaning up and repairing even minor flooding. A major flood can destroy the contents of your basement and turn your life into a cleanup hell for days or weeks!
Every flood-prone basement is different; there is no single easily identifiable cause for every flooding basement. Many factors can contribute to the problem. But at a basic level, the problem is pretty straightforward: water is getting into your basement, and it shouldn’t be. Water takes the path of least resistance. Even if your foundation walls and floors are in good condition, if your home is in a low-lying area or the lowest part of your property, when it rains a lot, there is the risk that water will end up in your basement.
There are various things that can contribute or cause foundation seepage such as: down spouts connecting to weeping tiles, old foundations or clogged weeping tiles to name a few.
Foundation wall and floor cracks are also part of the problem. Whether your home is one hundred years old or ten, cracked or improperly sealed walls and floors allow water to penetrate and end up pooled on your basement floor.
The only way to be certain that your basement will stay dry is to redirect the water away from your home’s foundation walls before it can can cause flooding. Protection and prevention are key. There are two common, proven approaches: interior waterproofing and exterior waterproofing.
Interior waterproofing approaches the problem from the inside of the basement. No intrusive changes to the outside of your home are needed. Along the basement wall, a thin trench is dug by breaking through the slab floor and exposing the base (footer) of your home’s foundation. A drainage tiling system is installed in the trench, along with a waterproof wall conduit on the interior of your foundation wall that directs any water that seeps through the foundation wall into the tiling system. The water is then carried away, often using a simple sump pump.
The dual approach of the tiling system and the waterproof wall conduit provides both protection and prevention. Using this system, it is virtually impossible for water to every flood your basement again.
Exterior waterproofing uses a similar system, but with a few key differences. A trench is dug around the home’s foundation, and soil is temporarily moved away to expose the foundation wall. The tiling system sits along the footer outside your foundation wall, rather than inside. In addition, since the outside of your foundation wall is exposed during the process, any cracks or other noticeable deficiencies are fixed. Finally, multiple layers of waterproofing material are applied to the wall.
Both of these waterproofing methods are effective, tested, and proven to repair and prevent flooding to protect your basement — and your home — from the awful effects of basement flooding.
Both interior and exterior waterproofing are common, everyday tasks performed by professionals. You might be surprised by how cost effective a repair job is — especially when considering the cost (in time and money) of cleaning up after repeated flooding. An straightforward cost calculator is available at Cost Calculator to help you estimate the cost of ridding your home of its basement flooding problem once and for all.
Waterproofing service is a widely used basement waterproofing service that is well-known and highly recommended. It has even been featured on HGTV’s Holmes on Homes and Love It or List It! The best part about Waterproofing service — aside from its effectiveness and professional endorsements on HTV — is its unmatched 25-year “stay dry” guarantee! It is a warranty that company and its employees stand by, and is transferable if you ever sell your home.
Try our free Online Estimate Tool to calculate the cost of waterproofing your home.
