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Basement Waterproofing Inspection

Where is the rainwater going? Is it going away from your home? Is the water going towards your home? Any drains clogged? Does the rainwater have a place to escape?

How far the downspouts extend away from your home is very important. During a waterproofing inspection, we check the water that discharges from the downspout. Is the water flowing away from the foundation?

If not this will be our first correction.

Leading water away from home with a white gutter

The Exterior Inspection

Rainwater should flow away from your home’s foundation. In some cases where the yard has a negative grade, the rainwater flows directly back towards the foundation. The picture below is a small sample size of the damage water can cause.

Cracks in the foundation and muddy ground around it

In a perfect world, window wells need to be free of debris and have moisture rocks installed to allow the water to flow in the drain. Unfortunately, most window wells we encounter are filled with debris, vegetation growing out of it, and no drain. 

They are often forgotten as a threat when it comes to keeping water out of your home.

Size matters, especially for stairwell drains. If the drain is too small, it will not be able to handle heavy rainfall.

Egress window sill
drainage in basement entry

The Interior Inspection

During the interior portion of the inspection we are looking at four key areas:

We see the picture below a lot. A basement unfinished basement with the walls and floor painted. However, if you look closer at the picture, you will find white paint dust on the floor. This white dust is from water pressure (hydrostatic pressure) pushing on the foundation wall.

Hydrostatic pressure in a room with red linoleum floor

If the basement is finished, we have ways to verify if water is intruding. Thermal imaging shows water is entering the basement.

A picture that shows heat and cold areas in a room

The potential for mold happens when water intrudes on porous building materials, i.e., drywall, wood, etc. Water intrusion is the problem and the picture above is the result.

Mold and water damage on basement walls
The area where the floor and the wall meet is called the “cove.” Over time hydrostatic pressure from the water table can cause separation.
Large gap between wall and floor
Checking for if the foundation walls have any cracks. There are three types of cracks we are looking for vertical, stairstep, or horizontal.
Stair crack pattern
horizontal crack in basement
Vertical crack in basement

The Sump Pump Crock/Sump Pump is the central location to see how the system is performing. If the water is clean, free of debris, and at a sufficient level, more than likely, the system is working well. 

Mud in the crock is a sign that the system is not performing at an optimal level. The sump pump should be running without any obstructions, i.e., debris, leaves, or mud.

Once the inspection is over, you will know where the water is entering your home and why. Moving forward with waterproofing your basement, know the cost.

Sump pump in basement waterproofing project