Basement Waterproofing Photo Album: Fighting Efflorescence in a Ludington Basement

We met Pete at a trade show, and he shared his concerns about water and efflorescence in his basement. The house was built in the 1920s and had a block wall basement that was just becoming a nuisance. We installed a full perimeter of WaterGuard below-floor drain to take care of the water, and installed BrightWall panels over the block walls to give the basement a finished look with a water-resistant finish.

Peeling Paint is a Sign of Leaks

A lot of paint is coming off of this wall in the area surrounding the window. The culprit? Water. As water leaks through the walls, it takes the paint with it, often resulting in bubbling and peeling.

Efflorescence and Water Damage on Basement Wall

The powdery white spots are efflorescence - the debris left behind when salts in the block wall are carried to the surface by water. While initially superficial, constant efflorescence can lead to decaying of the blocks in the wall and loss of structural integrity.

Signs of Leaks in Block Wall

Stair step cracks are the most common way for block wall basements to crack, and the path taken by the water in this wall lines up perfectly with the pattern.

Ludington Basement Block Wall with Water Leaks

It's difficult to store anything when your walls are constantly leaking water.

Removing the Floor for WaterGuard Installation

It seems like there should be a more graceful way to do this, but we literally just drill out the perimeter of the floor and haul it away in buckets. Don't worry, we'll pour a new floor at the end.

WaterGuard Installation in Progress

The existing sump pump was fine, it just had no way to actually collect all the water without relying on gravity. So we tied the WaterGuard into it.

Pouring a New Floor After WaterGuard Installation

After the WaterGuard is in place, we pour new concrete to replace the portion of the floor we removed in the beginning.

BrightWall Improves Appearance of Basement Walls - and It's Waterproof

We can tie the BrightWall panels right into the WaterGuard, so any water coming from the walls will drain right away. And since it's inorganic and waterproof, nothing will warp or grow on the BrightWall.