A wet basement floor is a major problem. When water is leaking into your basement, the space becomes unusable. You can’t take advantage of this part of your house as extra living space, or even for storage. Fortunately, there are proven ways to solve basement water problems. Read on to learn about waterproofing basement floors, and other basement waterproofing details.
Waterproofing basement floors: just one aspect of basement waterproofing
If your basement floors are wet, your first task is to determine where the water is coming from. Sometimes the culprit is a plumbing leak, so it’s important to rule out this possibility before dealing with basement waterproofing issues.
Is water leaking into the basement through cracks in the basement floor slab? A concrete floor with major cracking (wider than 1/8”) can indicate settlement conditions that a
foundation repair specialist will need to address.
Water on the basement floor doesn’t necessarily mean that the floor is the leakage source. If you can’t see evidence of water coming through cracks in the floor, there are two other common sources: basement walls, and the edge of the basement floor, where the slab meets the foundation walls. You will almost always find a crack or gap and this juncture, because the foundation walls and floor slab are built at different times in the construction process.
Taking a holistic approach to basement waterproofing is a better strategy than just focusing on one goal, like waterproofing the basement floor. For example, it’s also important to make sure the gutters and downspouts on your house –the roof drainage system—are effectively channeling roof runoff away from
foundation walls.
French drains: An effective way to waterproof basement floors and walls
A French drain is a shallow trench filled with loose gravel and a perforated pipe that carries water to an outlet point. Basement waterproofing contractors often install French drains as part of a waterproofing system for basement floors and walls. These drainage channels are usually installed around the perimeter of the basement floor, and meet at a sump pit where a sump pump can expel collected water to the exterior of your house.
All work was done as per job estimate. The work was actually completed a day earlier than expected. The crew was very punctual and neat. Not a bit of dust made its way into my house. Would recommend highly. Waterproofing of entire basement and installation of gravity drain.
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I appreciated the on-time, professional workmanship and quality of the job performed by the B-Dry team. Everything about the job exceeded my expectations. I interviewed multiple contractors and have no regrets with going with B-Dry. Thank you for resolving my crawlspace issue.
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I cannot say enough about how satisfied I am with the consultation, service, installation, follow-up, professionalism.. This has truly been an excellent experience from start to finish. B-Dry is top of the list for Waterproofing Companies out there in our region. Thank You for a job WELL done.
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Gerad and Jacob with BDry®, These guys kicked butt on a Monolithic floor in Evensville, had to carry probably 5 or 6 tons of busted up concrete in buckets up a hill to the trailer and then haul rock and cement back down hill, they were 1 or 2 guys short on the project, So just saying if anybody deserves a bonus or a pay increase it is these two guys. And also I promise you, if there is any way I could get these gentlemen to move to Colorado and work for me, I would make it worth their move $$$$ Thanks so much...
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This is the second time that we have used your service. The team was knowledgeable, hard working and very efficient. Our storage in the basement was protected from dust and everything was cleaned up before they left. A job well done. I can't wait for the rain.
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Did a fine job and was concerned about our being satisfied with the job.
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Very courteous. Nice and timely. Did exactly what we expected. Professional.
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My water issues were not your standard cookie cutter problems and solutions. Everyone involved took time to find solutions and explain exactly what they were going to do through the entire process. The job was done on time and they did exactly what they said they would do. I would recommend them to anyone looking to solve their home water proofing issues.
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The crew did a good job. We had some issues with the rigid sealer and the discharge drain but another technician came out and resolved the issue.
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The guys did a fantastic job! I will definitely refer your company to any of my acquaintances needing this service.
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To understand how the French drain system can keep a basement floor dry, let’s look at what’s underneath your basement floor slab: a thick layer of coarse gravel. Innumerable spaces between pieces of gravel provide pathways for water movement beneath the concrete slab. A French drain that’s installed at the edges of the slab extends into this under-slab gravel layer, providing a drainage pathway for the water. If there’s excess water around your foundation and under the slab, the French drain provides an escape route that relieves water pressure and keeps your basement dry.
