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Wet Basement Repair: Why it floods, and how to fix it

Basement Waterproofing

11/12/2010

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Serving the Triad, Triangle and Eastern North Carolina
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Any good basement waterproofer knows that wet basements come in all shapes and sizes, and no two basement repair jobs are exactly the same.

Fortunately, nearly all basement waterproofing repairs can be accomplished by a professional in a single day, or sometimes two.

Regional Waterproofing of North Carolina is your local source for professional basement waterproofing contractors in the area. We service Asheboro, Burlington, Havelock, Jacksonville, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Sanford, and all surrounding areas. For a FREE wet basement repair quote, call or contact us online today!

The most common way basement water leaks into a home is through the basement wall-floor joint.

Stop the water right at the point where it’s causing the problem- along the perimeter of the basement floor. Regional Waterproofing does this by removing a portion of the basement floor, creating a trench, and filling it with clean stone. On top of this stone, the patented WaterGuard system, an innovation on old-fashioned French drains and Drain tile, is laid. The floor is restored flush and an extending wall flange creates a built-in 3/8″ wall drain to receive water from the basement walls.

The drain leads the basement water to a sump pump system, which will then discharge it outside through a buried PVC pipe and away from your home.

If there is leaking from a crack in the basement floor, a drainage system and a sump pump is still the answer.

A lateral line can be installed along the crack, collecting the water and directing it to your sump pump system. A full perimeter system will be able to prevent most water from entering through the cracks in the first place- your waterproofer may not recommend a lateral line for smaller cracks in the floor for this reason.

A perimeter drainage system can also address water leaking in through basement hatchway doors.

This is a common issue with homes, especially if water is pooling outside of the hatchway doors, and the hatchway doors are not waterproof.

If water leaks in through the hatchway stairs, it will reach a grated drain that extends along the opening and be carried away to the sump pump.

This is also popular just inside garage doors, where water floods in from outside.

If you have a window from which water has leaked in, a drain called WellDuct should be installed that will capture the water as it pools below the basement window and directing it into the perimeter drain.  If replacing the basement windows is an option, you may be interested in new, energy-efficient basement windows as well.

These can be combined with a covered basement window well that will deflect rain, water, and debris from the basement window opening, as well as cold winter wind. The SunHouse Basement Window Enclosure, recommended by Regional Waterproofing is also designed to reflect as much daylight as possible from the outside into your basement space.

The natural curing process of concrete can easily create cracks in even new home foundations. When holes are drilled in basement walls to allow access for pipes, wires, and cables, they often leave an opening large enough to allow water access.

Regional Waterproofing solves the problem of leaking wall cracks and pipe penetrations by repairing the opening with the FlexiSpan system. First, the wall is prepared by scarifying and cleaning the area. Scarifying the wall ensures a fantastic bond between the sealant and the wall.

The crack is then sealed with a special polyurethane sealant. This sealant can flex with the basement wall as it moves through wet/dry and freeze/thaw cycles, ensuring that your basement wall crack never leaks again.

A secondary drainage strategy is applied on top of the first sealant and run down either into a drywell under the floor or into the perimeter drainage system. This secondary layer of protection is then covered over with another layer of our flexible sealant to give it a very clean and neat finished appearance. If a drywell beneath the floor was made, then the floor is restored flush.

Water heaters can be expected to fail approximately every 7 years. When they do fail, the water often leaks directly on to the basement floor, sometimes in very large quantities.

If your basement is finished or used to store items, this water can be a damaging threat.

Regional Waterproofing recommends surrounding the water heater with FloodRing, which directs the water into the perimeter drainage system.

This system is combined with a water alarm that sits on the floor within the ring and will sound off to let you know a leak is occurring.

Washing machine hoses are not designed to take the continuous 60-80 psi of pressure exerted against them at all times.

If they burst, they can shoot out an incredible 650 gallons of water per hour!

If you do not shut off your water each time you do the laundry, you’re going to be glad that you’ve installed washing machine hoses that are triple-ply and carry a 20-year warranty!

When you decide that your basement water problem has to go, Regional Waterproofing is ready to help. Serving Asheboro, Burlington, Havelock, Jacksonville, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Sanford, and the surrounding areas in North Carolina, we are the local contractors you need. For a FREE basement waterproofing inspection & written quote, call or contact us online today! You’ll also receive our 88-page book, “Dry Basement Science: What to Have Done…and WHY” or “Crawl Space Science: What to Have Done…and WHY” upon scheduling your free estimate.