Foundation Repair & Waterproofing

In most cases, the need for foundation repair becomes apparent when you start seeing leaks in your basement, and in most cases is the result of your contractor cutting corners during the initial construction of the footer, slab, and foundation.

Many homeowners first attempt foundation waterproofing, or foundation crack repair, from the inside of the basement to save in the cost of waterproofing the basement. However, this rarely is effective. If it works at all, these types of “repairs” are just a bandaid delaying the inevitable future leaks.

Foundation Repair – The wrong way

Any fix that starts inside the home is not the best option. Water pressure below the slab and around the foundation is in a constant attempt to be relieved. Although you may try to fix a crack where the water is coming in today, tomorrow it may come through another crack or pushing up through the slab, or where the slab meets the footer and foundation.

When this is realized, many people turn to systems like “B-Dry”, and although this may be effective in getting the water out of the basement, you are essentially letting the water, and mold causing moisture, into your basement and then trying to control it afterwards.

Foundation Repair – The right way

To properly fix your foundation, you need to start outside the home. We need to relieve the water pressure pushing against your footer, foundation, and slab, with proper drainage and waterproofing to seal the foundation. The combination of drainage and waterproofing is what will prevent the water from entering the basement all together.

This is what we’ll do:

Excavation

We’ll excavate around the perimeter of your home, unearthing the foundation and footer. Whenever possible, we will actually dig down lower than your footer so that water pressure that may be pushing up below your slab can be relieved, so that you are less reliant on your sump pump.

Drainage

With the footer exposed we will begin filling the void with crushed stone, then perforated drain pipe, followed by more stone. The stone and pipe provides air spaces for the water, and in turn relieving the pressure. This ditch, stone, and pipe will be run to a low spot in your property where it can run away from your home. In the scenario where there is no low spot, the water can be run to a tank, and pumped off the property. Related to the drainage at the footer, we also need to get water from your roof and gutters away from the house. Although we don’t suggest doing this in the same pipe as your foundation drainage, we can lay a separate pipe to get this water away from the home as well.

Waterproofing

Proper drainage alone will make an enormous difference, but to provide an extra layer of protection we always recommend installing a waterproof membrane. This is not just tar which will break down over time. It is an impermeable layer of protection that covers the entire portion of the foundation which is below grade, all the way over the footer to where our drainage system will be laid. This membrane will last for the lifetime of your home and provide insurance from water ever entering your home.

Grading

With waterproofing and drainage in place, we need to finish the job off by backfilling the dirt around the foundation, and grade the ground so that it slopes away from the home. Once complete will get the stones raked up and ground seeded so that your grass can grow back.

The above approach will repair any leak you have in the basement, and give you the reassurance necessary to store your belongings or to create extra living space by finishing it out.