Services

Residential Basement Waterproofing: 

A wet basement is a very common problem in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.  Because most of us live in homes that are surrounded by expansive clay soil, at some point in time, our basements will experience leaks.  Due to the fact that the soil will expand and contract because of high moisture levels(lots of rain!) and extreme weather changes throughout the year, our foundations become weakened and cracked letting ground water penetrate them.  This causes our basement floors to become wet as the water pressure builds on the foundation.  It’s really as simple as that.

Water pressure is the cause of your problem.  So, what do we do fix this problem?  We relieve the pressure so that water doesn’t seep in onto the floor causing your belongings to get ruined.  This is done by installing a sub-slab depressurization system, more commonly known as a 4” slotted pipe with rock around it, all below your floor.  This is installed on the interior of your basement by removing the concrete approximately 12”-18” around the perimeter foundation walls.  Once the concrete is removed we dig a trench in that same area to provide space for rock and pipe.  Once the trench is dug to the desired level we line the entire trench with rock.  A 4” pipe is then put into the trench and covered by more rock until it is completely surrounded.  If you have a cinder block foundation we then drill two holes in every bottom block so water cannot fill up in the block causing pressure and potentially leaking down onto the floor.  These holes are covered with a dimpled sheeting so they are not obstructed.  The 4” pipe is then run into a sump basin containing a high capacity cast iron sump pump.  The sump basin sits approximately 2 1/2ft deep in the floor with the top usually only an inch or two above the floor.  The top of the basin is 22” wide.  The sump basin is perforated with holes to control ground water levels beneath the floor.  The basin has a lid enclosing the top.  A 1 ½’ PVC discharge pipe is then attatched to the sump pump and run up out of the basin, up the wall, and to the outside of the home so when the sump pump cycles (pushes the water out of the basin) the water is discharged well away from the foundation.  A check valve is also installed on the discharge pipe.  On the outside of the home the customer can select an above ground flexible 24ft. discharge hose or a buried pipe.  Buried pipes can be vented so water can escape above ground if the undeground pipe should freeze.  Once the system is installed, the entire drainage trench is covered back up with concrete to the wall so everything is under the floor.  Now that we have created drainage space below your floor, the water pressure is relieved and it doesn’t seep in and your basement stays dry.

Commonly asked questions:

Can you waterproof basements year round? 

Yes, because our work is done inside, we waterproof year round often giving Winter discounts.

Can my basement be waterproofed if it is finished? 

Yes, however, more than likely some carpenrty work would need to be done before the work can start.

What types of foundations can you waterproof? 

Basically any foundation type can be waterproofed provided the walls are not structurally deteriorated.

Why don’t you do waterproofing from the outside? 

Factors on the outside of the home are constantly changing meaning any exterior work would require on-going maintenance, and, quite frankly, don’t work well.  We’ve seen just about every approach to exterior waterproofing including buried tile, waterproof membranes and catch basins.  In a few cases these steps have reduced the amount of water entering the foundation, but more often simply don’t work long term.  Exterior work could be termed “cross your fingers” work, meaning cross your fingers and hope it works! We can offer a Lifetime Warranty with our interior work.

How long does the process take? 

This depends on the size of the basement, however most jobs take an average of 2 days start to finish.

Foundation Repair:

Due to the fact the soil in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois is primarily clay, which expands and contracts with the changes in the moisture levels and temperatures, many foundations will be weakened by this and crack.  This crack then becomes an aggrevating leak.  How do we fix this?

Crack in Cinder Block foundation- This foundation type typically was used in the 1960’s through the 1980’s. Once the basement is waterproofed and relief/weep holes are drilled at the base of the wall, there will be no more pressure, so water should not leak through the cracks.  Cinder block walls are hollow, thus they cannot hold water if it is drained out of them! However, if the customer prefers, we can use mortar repair to fill these cracks in for aesthetic purposes.  Some customers also have us apply a heavy duty moisture sealant to keep the block completely dry after the waterproofing work is completed.

Crack in a Poured Solid foundation- This foundation type typically has been done since the late 1980’s.  It usually cracks vertically and a hairline type crack appears.  These cannot be repaired using any type of hydraulic cement, caulk, or waterproof paint because there is too much pressure for these materials to hold and eventually the leak will reappear. However, a successful urethane injection can solve this issue.  On the inside of the basement a patching material is used to cover the crack and injection ports are set up every few feet on the face of the crack.  Once the patching material hardens, urethane is injected into the ports.  The urethane travels the width of the crack from the inside out.  The earth on the exterior keeps the urethane from escaping on the outside, and the patching material keeps it from oozing out on the inside.  The urethane sets up very quickly and the wall crack is sealed from the inside out.  No more water!  In cases where the foundation has several cracks we can affix a waterproof paneling, which is more cost effective than injecting all the cracks.  The paneling will also protect against any future cracks that may develop.

Cracked AND Bowed foundation- This is the inward movement of the foundation wall.  Typically this occurs along the middle of the wall.  A horizontal crack at the frost line(near the upper middle) in a cinder block or solid wall usually develops and weakens the wall.  Continued expansion of the soil pushes the wall and can eventually lead to severe structural problems resulting in foundation replacement.  However, installation of steel I-beams can strengthen and reinforce the wall so no further inward movement is experienced.  I-beams are attatched against the wall at floor level and also above the wall at ceiling level.  Once in place, the beams can be torqued periodically to keep them snug.  The basement walls can still be studded out and finished, but the studs would need to be set off of the foundation wall 4”.

We also offer a carbon fiber strip for structural reinforcement that will prevent further inward movement of the wall.  These are great for the customer who doesn’t want to lose any space along the wall.  Studies have shown carbon fiber has 10X the strength of steel!