Basement-Waterproofing101 Waterproofing Information

Small depressions that appear alongside your foundation walls or near concrete slabs and stairs are mainly caused by poor soil compression and water erosion.  If the void is caused by downspouts terminating too close to the foundation, consider extending the downspouts with ADS piping.

If downspouts do not seem to be the cause, the best action you can take is to simply fill the void to keep it from getting bigger.  First, remove any yard waste or trash that may have become trapped in the hole.  Next, fill the hole with soil.

One mistake some people make is to fill with gravel first, then soil on top.  Gravel allows water to flow, and the void could continue to grow under a layer of gravel.  Filling the hole completely with a clay/topsoil mix will do a good job and can add the stability needed to keep the void from reforming.  Most importantly, tamp the “fill” until it is level with the surrounding soil, or just a bit higher, perhaps, to allow for some continuing natural soil compaction.

Finally, check to see that the soil along your foundation allows for water to flow away from the house to avoid obvious problems with water infiltration into the basement or crawl space.

Regrading is the act of raising or lowering the surface of your yard.  Regrading is correctly indicated when problematic surface water or water accumulation (pooling) on your property becomes a nuisance.  Very often, however,  regrading projects are inspired by water finding it’s way into your basement.

“Pour over” resulting in a wet basement can be addressed by regrading.  “Pour-over” usually happens when the soil next to the basement wall  is higher than the top of the basement wall, causing water to literally “pour-over” the top and end up on your basement floor.  This problem can develop as flower beds, decks, driveways, etc. are added to the original house design.  The removal of these features is often required to solve the problem.

“Pour over” can also happen when soil is added to the house perimeter so that extra “slope” will help water flow away from the house. This is an easy to understand mistake.  More soil next to the foundation wall can create additional pressure on the foundation and contribute to pour-over.

When regrading is recommended to solve a basement water problem, lowering the height of the soil next to the foundation wall is always the best bet.

Window wells allow for ventilation and light into under-grade structures, however in many homes, drainage can be a BIG problem, especially if your home is on a relatively flat lot.  Fortunately, there are several solutions to consider.

First, a window well cover will help keep falling rain or snow from entering the well during a bad weather event.   If flowing surface water is entering the well, consider a larger, replacement well that extends at least 6 inches above the surrounding earth.  If your home is on a hill, a new drainage pipe can be inserted at the bottom of your well and “day-lighted” downhill from the well.  If the lot is flat, digging a hole from inside  the window well to the bottom of the footer could help direct the water to your exterior drainage system, assuming that your exterior system is still functioning!

Fortunately, the “last resort” is a guaranteed solution to the problem of water accumulating in the well.  A basement waterproofing company can install a drain in the well that allows water to find the sump pump inside your basement.  This type of water management is real insurance against a common problem that no one wants to face twice!