Basement Waterproofing in
Long Island, NY
Before
After
Basements are built out of imperfect concrete structures and laid in soil that varies depending on the location of the foundation. Wet basements have been the source of woes for homeowners for more than 100 years, with water leaking in through foundation wall cracks, basement flooring, the foundation wall floor joint, and through basement windows. Gradually, home improvement contractors, foundation contractors, and basement specialists have developed a variety of methods and tricks to help keep basements dry. Many of these work, but very few will work all the time or for very long.
There are many possible solutions, including:
- Exterior Excavation
- Negative-side Sealant
- Interior Subfloor
- Interior Baseboard System
Exterior excavation requites extensive and damaging excavation of the entire perimeter of the house and the removal of steps, foliage, porches, gardens, and anything else located against the house. If you ever need to perform maintenance on this system will need to be repeated, and in a year, the soil will settle and need to be regraded.
Negative-side sealant attempts to coat the inside wall of the basement with a waterproof paint, coating, or seal. This solution will generally work very well for about six months to two years (check the warranty), and then the product will begin to respond to hydrostatic pressure and will blister and peel, soon spalling from the wall completely.
Of these options, the basement waterproofing method that works most effectively is to either install an interior subfloor drainage system or a baseboard drainage system along the perimeter of the floor. There are a few challenges to this method:
- Drains clogged by mud: Many homeowners may enjoy a dry basement for years before a water problem develops and the existing sub-floor and sub-surface drains clogging with mud.
- Large unsightly gaps: Many subfloor drainage systems are set up to accept water from the walls by allowing a large open ditch to run around the edge of the floor. This easily collects dirt and debris from the floor, which can easily clog the drain and possibly the sump pump
Healthy Basement Systems uses the patented WaterGuard perimeter drainage system with a Zoeller sump pump system to meet the challenge of effectively keeping your basement dry permanently. Sign up for a free inspection and estimate in Dover or Salisbury today!