BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

SPECIALISTS

As a Boston, MA homeowner, you are given the responsibility to protect your home.  Part of that responsibility tells you to fix the roof when the shingles curl, to call an exterminator when the pests move in, or to call in the HVAC crew when your furnace doesn’t want to turn on.  However, your homes health is reliant on one piece of the puzzle that is usually 10 feet beneath your main floor and typically ignored:  The Drain Tile.

Exterior drain tile will sometimes be referred to as footing tile or when place away from the house, a French Drain.  It’s purpose is to weep up water and drain it from the structure.  It is your main line of defense against future foundation issues.  If your footing tiles fail, water WILL make its way into your home.  With Lake Erie just above us, our state is one of the wettest in the country, it is a matter of time before you begin to have issues.

I think my drain tile is failing, what can be done?
Your first indication of failing drain tile can be in the form of water/dampness in the basement or in the form of Secondary Efflorescence or simply efflorescence.  Efflorescence, by definition, is the calcium or salt deposit left behind when when water travels through a basement wall.  When this occurs there are a few methods we can go about fixing the problem.  First, we can run a camera inspection.  If you do not have a clean out, we would hand dig down to the footer and fish the camera through.  In most situations we find that the footer tile is blocked and we can simply ‘blow it out’ with our tools, assuming we can get proper access.  Sometimes the camera inspection tells us that your footer tile is crushed.  In that case, to have a working footer tile system, it would have to be replaced.  Also it is important to note that footer tiles SHOULD be installed at the footer.  Please, do not let a company sell you on a footer tile system anywhere but there.  In our opinion, it is not ethical to bring water to that point and we would never do this as a cost saving measure.  We are surprised when we find it, but not surprised to see when it fails. 

If my exterior footer tiles are not draining, is there another way to keep me waterproofed?
Well, kinda.  If water does make it into your foundation, we can control it with different measuires.  As interior weeping system will ensure that water NEVER makes it’s way into your basement.  More on this procedure can be explained here.

Why doesn’t my home already have an interior weeping system?
For our region, it wasn’t until the 90’s when local government started to require it for all new houses.  This, of course, is due to the typical nature of our soil and our average rainfaill.  Even in the worst of conditions, a properly installed exterior waterproofing system is sufficient.  However, most homes we see with issues do not have a proper exterior configuration and the interior method is the most cost effective.  Also, since warranties on new homes typically last a year and wet foundation issues could take decades to manifest, many new homeowners go on oblivious to their mounting foundation issues.

What is this white powder on my Cinder block walls?  EFFLORESCENCE?  Can it be removed?
As I stated earlier, Efflorescence, or rather more scientifically Secondary Efflorescence is the powdery substance (calcium or salt deposit) left behind when when water travels through a basement wall.  It is unsightly and it can sometimes indicate a structural issue if it is combined with crumbling, cracking, bowing or tipping of the wall.  It can absolutely be cleaned.  A wire brush and pressurized water should do the trick.  With any waterproofing job, Ultra-Dry offers this option free of charge.  Just let us know beforehand!

Can I execute basement waterproofing services with paint?
It’s a fair question, since we are asked it countless times.  The short answer, NO!  Any paint labelled Waterproofer or Mansonary Sealant will not stop water from entering your home.  The worst job we ever took on was in Columbus, Ohio.  The couple attempted to save some money by painting their walls with a paint labelled Masonary Waterproofing.  What occurred over the next year was unfathomable.  The masonary block retained the water from the outside where it sat for months.  It eventually broke down the block from the inside and before the homeowners knew it, it was too late.  A mold abatement  and a wall rebuilt were required.  This is not meant to scare, but to educate.  These products mask the issue.

The story ends well for the young homeowners.  Ultra-Dry provided them with a subsidized price for their wall rebuild because we really felt they had been scammed.

What are the benefits of waterproofing my basement?

There are many benefits you will immediately enjoy.  Of these:

• Peace of mind the next time in rains
• An increase in the value of your property (tell your home appraiser) — Usually at 17% of the price of the home.
• A more insulated basement, warmer in the summer, cooler in the winter.
• A healthier breathing environment.  Cleaner air.  No more funky smells.
• A transferable warranty. 

DreamWork Basement have experts to support your during basement waterproofing services.