Anyone ever had their basement waterproofed by a professional? I am in the process of getting bids for that work prior to a basement remodel and I’m starting to feel quite uncomfortable with the whole thing. There appear to be several methods of addressing basement water (ours is very minor hydrostatic pressure at the seams of the foundation and floor) and each company says their method works and the others suck. Its also VERY expensive- $9000-$27000 for 122 linear feet depending on method/company. I’m also starting to get the impression that this industry ranks very high on the scam-o-meter. Anyone have any experience with this and have tips/suggestions?
As someone with years of experience in construction I can safely say that the only way to 100% waterproof a basement is to do the work properly from the outside. If you have hydrostatic pressure building up at the base of your walls, where the block meets the foundations, you need to find a way to get rid of this water from the outside. This usually involves excavating along the entire wall, installing a waterproofing system on the outside of your block, installing a foundation drain along the outside bottom part of the wall/footer and then backfilling with a good washed gravel for about 1-2’ out from your wall. The washed gravel allows any groundwater to quickly run down to the drain and then leave via the drain. The waterproofing on the outside of the wall will prevent any water that gets to the wall from penetrating the block. A lot of people install the waterproofing and drain, but then don’t backfill with a good gravel, or use a gravel with a lot of sand/silt as it is cheaper to buy. Problem is this allows the backfill to hold water quicker than it can drain.
As for remedies on the interior, they either don’t work in my opinion or if they do they are not really fixing the problem. I haven’t heard or found any type of paint-on block filler that actually works. As for the systems that use a base-board drain that they install along the bottom of the wall and drill holes in your wall to let water into the base boards then channel it to a drain, they are not really fixing the problem of poor foundation drainage. Plus, over time, the drain holes can plug and the water pressure can build back up again.
It’s usually a mess and can be expensive, but find someone qualified to fix or look at the problem from the outside and you will be doing the right thing. I agree that all these inside fixes seem like a scam in my opinion.
C,
How old is the house? This is a subject i’ve researched again and again for my old house, and you are spot on - everyone has a fix, and many won’t be worth the money. I have two suggestions 1) Go get the Journal of Light Construction - Field Guide (there are two editions, an interior and exterior both great books to have around). 2) if the house is old, the original drain tiles around the house may need to be rebuilt, new PVC, new gravel etc.
You may already know about this, so please understand i’m not talking down to you, being an engineer I feel compelled to explain. The tiles surround your house and either carry water to the street storm drains and/or sump pit. this tile can be a 4" or 6" pipe with holes on either side near the bottom. The water level rises, leaches into the pipe and is carried away by the tile. The system should be packed in gravel and in some areas with a lot of sand, the gravel pipe combo wrapped in a landscape fabric/sediment filter. Over time, sand dirt rocks, tree roots, broken pipes etc, can destroy the drain tile system, cause the water table around the house to place pressure on the foundation.
That rebuild of the perimeter drain tile system would be expensive, but worth it and you’d use the JLC to ensure it’s done properly. My sump pump in my new house runs often, but the drain tile system was done properly and carries away the water. No issues.
Good luck.
Scott
Baxnelly is spot on. I had some issues with basement, and investigated inside waterproofing options and came away un-impressed. I have used hydraulic cement to fill holes, which will work, but maybe not a long term fix.
I ended up digging around the foundation, installing a barrier, then putting a pvc drainage system in, backfill with gravel, and then grade around the house to make sure water runs away from the foundation. Also check gutter function (keep them clean!), etc. This has worked quite well. In my case a DIY project that took awhile, but worth the effort. I hate paying people to do things I can do myself…
Thanks for your comments. I tend to agree that waterproofing should include an exterior solution. I have one company that wants to install an exterior drain tile and tar the foundation to depth of about 3 feet. This company also wants to do an interior system to include a trenching, interior drain tile and 2 sump pumps. Total cost= $15k. Company #2 wanted to replace the gutters, install new downspouts, and replace the clay tile downspouts out to the street. On the interior they want to do the trenching, drain tile and sump pumps. Total cost= $10.5K. Very different approaches, both make sense, and both address interior/exterior. Pretty steep price difference. Each company has a lifetime transferrable warranty. I am very conflicted because the 2nd company has excellent ratings on Angie’s list and no complaints in the better business bureau. What to do, what to do…