Gaylord, MI - Stopped a Basement from Endless Flooding
Challenge
When Michael and Kris called us, they already knew we did good work - we’d fixed their neighbors’ leaking basement last year and came highly recommended. Their basement had had intermittent water issues in the past, depending on how severe the spring thaw was. While they weren’t ready to schedule an inspection at first, their dog finally made the decision for them. Sadie was lapping up the water leaking into the basement, which, if you own a pet, you know is both inevitable and less than ideal. Water that has filtered through the ground and then through your walls could contain any number of things you’d rather not have your dog ingest, and dogs want nothing more than that sweet, sweet basement water.
So they set up an appointment.
Solution
The telltale signs of leaking water were prevalent throughout the basement, in the finished and unfinished parts. Discolored block walls and warped finishings tipped us off to the need for a full perimeter WaterGuard system. The basement had a sump pump, but only for the septic system, so that was a must also.
Most of the basement was finished (and quite lovely) so one of their concerns was that it not be completely torn apart or covered in dirt and dust in the waterproofing process. Since all of our employees treat our customers’ homes like their own, this wasn’t a problem. We do everything from laying down a runner to protect the path from the truck to the basement, to taping up plastic barrier sheeting to protect the rest of the basement from the area being worked on. And we always clean up the area when we’re done.
While it’s impossible to leave a finished wall completely in tact, we cut the walls back as little as possible to effectively install the WaterGuard system. We drilled out a perimeter of the floor and, after the WaterGuard and accompanying drainage stone were in place, poured new concrete to restore what had to be removed. Six WaterGuard inspection ports were installed along the track so we have easy access to the system in the event that it needs some attention. The entire system was also tied into a TripleSafe so the water will be quickly and efficiently removed and discharged outside.
Speaking of outside, we installed a Lawnscape outlet on the end of the discharge line to ensure easy draining without interfering with the landscaping, and IceGuard to prevent a winter-frozen line from allowing the water to back up into the house.
Once the basement’s finishings were restored, Michael and Kris had the peace of mind that they won’t be disturbed by water again. I actually spoke to Michael yesterday, and he said while Sadie is sad not to be able to drink water off of the basement floor, he and Kris are looking forward to a dry basement from now on!
Sorry, Sadie.
