The Basement Waterproofing Experts

What if I have water in my basement?

We can install a sump pit and sump pump. This allows the water to collect in a basin with a lid and the pump will remove the water through a discharge pipe. First, we excavate a hole for the sump liner to be installed. Then we pour clean stone around it and reinstall concrete around the lid for a clean solid finish. Now the sump pump can be installed at the bottom of the sump pit. The pump will have a 1.5” discharge pipe installed to carry the water outside the basement. It gets plugged into an electrical outlet and will run as needed.

What if the power goes out?

We can install both battery backup pumps and water-powered backup pumps. You need municipal water for the water-powered pump. These pumps are tied into the primary pump’s discharge line and are there if the outlet is tripped or the house’s power goes out.

What if I have water seeping through my block wall? Can I paint it?

Water seeping through your block wall needs to be relieved through weeping holes drilled at the base of the block allowing it to access the French drain. This Is Critical! Painting over concrete blocks that are holding so much water that it’s seeping through is trapping the water inside of what’s holding your entire house up. It will weaken, and possibly erode, buckle, cave or collapse. Installing a French drain system in a basement will relieve the water inside the blocks, relieve the water in the area of the footer and possibly relieve the water that could be saturating the outside soils pressed against the foundation walls thus reducing the amount of pressure pushing inward.

After a pressure relief French drain system is installed in a block wall foundation, there may be a small amount of moisture that wicks through and create a damp surface. This is an acceptable condition to apply a masonry elastomeric paint.

What if my water problem is constant even without rain?

We can install an XL sump pit. These big guys allow the pump to run 1/3 as often making them more dependable over time. They also allow enough room to install a 2^nd sump pump to be a redundancy and handle any torrential volumes that a massive rainstorm could deliver.

What if I need a French drain but there’s a heater, oil tank, water softener, etc in the way?

We adapt our systems to tunnel or go around/behind all of these mechanicals.

What if I have or suspect radon in my basement?

We install our systems to tie directly into radon systems. This allows an enormous cavity space for the radon mitigating fan to draw radon gasses from thus making it more effective than single point radon mitigating systems. It also allows us to keep the sump liner’s lid more accessible as many radon mitigators often tap their systems into them.

What if I have a large basement?

We design our systems to handle each basement individually. Many basement are large enough to require 2,3 or even 4 sump pits. Many conditions go into designing a basement waterproofing system. The size, shape and specific use of the basement are important conditions. The severity of the problem, whether you get some dampness or a 4 foot deep flood, is also factored in.

What if my basement is already finished?

If you are having water issues in a finished basement, you probably know this because of damp carpet, trim, drywall or just water on the floor. In any scenario you are going to want to remove all water damaged components. Carpets may be able to get dried out with fans, but most anything else should be considered damaged AND a possible mold breeding ground. If you have laminate flooring you should know that the water under the flooring will likely Never go away.

The deconstruction will usually grant enough access to the base of the foundation wall and edge of the floor for a French drain system installation.

Now that there is a system in place to prevent future damage, you can repair the remodel with confidence it won’t happen again.

What if I need a dehumidifier?

If you need a dehumidifier before installing a sump pump French drain system, it’s not a surprise. The question is how badly you need one afterwards.

Having the water properly mitigated from your basement will naturally allow the area to be drier. However, as the basement is underground, without much light or airflow, humidity can certainly persist (at lower levels). Many other waterproofing companies upsell high capacity dehumidifiers unnecessarily. Basement Lifeguard’s feeling is that if the water presence is properly managed, a standard household dehumidifier is normally adequate. That way you pay a couple hundred $ instead of several thousand $. We can also install a tap into our system for a dehumidifier if the homeowner would prefer on placing the unit away from the sump pit.

What if something goes wrong?

We can schedule a maintenance visit. It’s important to check in on the system once in a while to make sure that everything is in working order and wiped down. It’s always best to know that everything is as it should be before the next storm rolls through or hurricane makes landfall.

We rescue you from basement water problems. Get a Free Estimate Today!

Basement Lifeguard is your Local Expert for Basement Waterproofing, French drain Installation, Sump Pump Installation, basement system servicing & More!

Fill out the form, or Contact us today at 610-287-0366