Why is my basement leaking?
If you are reading this post, chances are that you live in or around Maryland and are dealing with a wet basement problem. You are probably doing some research, trying to figure out what your options are to fix it.
If this is the case, you came to the right place. Not only we can show you great, affordable solutions for your wet basement in Maryland, we can also help you understand why your basement leaks and why the solutions we offer make sense.
At Fortress Foundation Solutions, we believe in educating our customers.
Our systems allow us to fully customize a solution for the specific features of your basement. We want you to be able to make an informed decision about your basement waterproofing needs and be confident about the options you chose.
Basements typically leak due to two main reasons:
1 - The way it was built
2 - Over saturation of the ground around the foundation.
Allow me to explain:
As you may know, for a basement to be built a hole needs to be dug in the ground. The footings and foundation walls are then built or poured inside that hole. The gap around the new basement walls is then backfilled and should be graded to slope away from the house.
A basement is therefore a box made out of porous materials like concrete or stone, buried in the damp ground.
Now, that portion of the terrain that was once dug to build the basement will never be as packed and compacted as the undisturbed portion around it (virgin soil). As a result, it soaks up more water than its surroundings, creating a false high water table around and under your basement.
In the waterproofing industry, we call that the "clay bowl effect" because it happens as if there was a bowl around the basement collecting water.
To make matters worse, as the years go by that loose ground will start to settle and if not re-graded properly, will cause rain water to pool next to the house. Add to that clogged gutters (or lack of them) and downspouts that are not extended enough, and you get the making of a very leaky and wet basement.
Of course, having your downspouts extended properly and keeping the gutters clean will help in the effort to keep water away from your foundation and out of your basement. But that alone cannot warranty you a dry basement.
Of course, having your downspouts extended properly and keeping the gutters clean will help in the effort to keep water away from your foundation and out of your basement. But that alone cannot warranty you a dry basement.
The most important step to keeping your basement dry is to provide adequate foundation drainage. French drains or exterior footing drains, buried by the footing of the foundation were formerly used to correct drainage issues. However, french drains are hard, messy and expensive to install. They are known to clog and fail overtime and they can't be serviced. If they clog, there is no way to repair except by digging out around the foundation and replacing them...only to have to do it again the next time they fail.
As a viable, affordable and more effective alternative to conventional French Drains, Basement Systems, the world's largest basement waterproofing network, developed the revolutionary, award-winning, WaterGuard Subfloor Drainage System and the best sump pump systems in the industry. WaterGuard is an interior subfloor drain that sits on top of the footing, not down in the dirt where it can clog. WaterGuard channels any leakage from your walls, from under the floor, and from the wall/floor joint to a sump pump system, which then pumps the water well away from the foundation. A lifetime transferable warranty on the WaterGuard system proves invaluable when you go to sell your home.
If you are looking for a basement waterproofing company in Accident and the surrounding areas, look no further than Fortress Foundation Solutions!
Call us today at 1-434-473-7012 or contact us online for a free estimate!