Water in Basement After Rain? Now What?
You walk downstairs only to realize that there is water in your basement after a rain storm. How frustrating! Now what should you do? Knowing how best to fix the problem can be tough if you haven’t done your homework before sitting down with basement waterproofing contractors. The purpose of this blog is to help educate the homeowner to be prepared for interviewing potential contractors.
Generally, if your basement is only leaking after a rain storm, this is a good indication that surface water is entering your foundation from top to bottom. Some people will try to build up the soil around the home to slope the water away. This may or may not improve the situation. Exercise caution and make sure to raise the waterproof coating outside as well. Otherwise the problem may become worse. Most likely, water in the basement after rain means the original foundation seal is damaged. Contractors that only install interior basement waterproofing may recommend that interior is the best fix. Granted, you may achieve a dry basement by installing an interior system. HOWEVER, to fix the cause of the problem in this case, the best solution is to stop the water from the outside. You can do so by installing a new exterior basement waterproofing system.
How Does Exterior Basement Waterproofing Work?
The purpose of exterior basement waterproofing is to stop water from entering your foundation from the outside. The process starts with excavating dirt away from the basement walls. We dig to the bottom of the footer to expose the entire foundation. We then repair any basement foundation cracks and/or weak points. Afterward, we apply a full seal coating to your basement walls along with a unique dimpled air gap membrane that is bonded to your foundation walls. The result is a guaranteed dry foundation wall. To top it off, we install new PVC footer drains and cover them with gravel. Once drains are installed, the soil is put back and graded away from the foundation walls.
When an Interior System May be the Right Answer
What if water only leaks into the basement after heavy rain storms that have persisted for a while? What if the walls are mostly dry especially up high and the seepage happens around the bottom of the wall? If this is the case, an interior basement waterproofing system may indeed be the best solution. Under this scenario, ground water rises after a heavy precipitation event or a heavy snow melt to the point that it builds up around the base of your foundation. Interior basement waterproofing will catch ground water as it builds and prevent it from ever seeping in. Many homes do not have drains under the basement floor to carry this water away. Homes that have drains may have been installed without proper sloping and water cannot flow. Homes built in the 1970’s through the early 2000’s may have black corrugated drain pipes. These can become easily clogged. In fact, current building codes no longer allow this type of pipe to be used.
How Pioneer Can Help
At Pioneer Basement Solutions, we do not believe in a one size fits all solution. No two basements are identical. We thoroughly review each basement before making recommendations. We have been doing business since 1979 with a long track record of customer satisfaction. Check our our company on these sites: [sc name=”awards”] That water in the basement after rain may be frustrating, but don’t let it scare you!
