Basement Waterproofing Photo Album: Saving a Finished Basement in Portage, MI

Our customer called when, three weeks after moving into a new house, the egress windows in the basement started leaking. He was worried because the basement was finished and he didn't want the rest of the space to be ruined. While the water problem was pretty widespread and we had to cut away some of the existing wall and floor finishes, we were able to restore the cut walls with Everlast wall panels after installing a full waterproofing system.

Mold in Corner of Basement

Here, you can see what mold looks like on a finished wall, and what's probably lurking behind the finish.

Water Damage at Base of Wall

Carpet is often found in finished basements but is actually a dangerous option, as it can harbor mold and mildew. Here, you can see the surface of the drywall warping from the water - wonder what's behind it?

Waterlogged Insulation in Finished Basement

The problem with finished basements that aren't waterproofed is that you might not know what's happening behind those finishes. Look at the walls around the cut away part - not much gives away the state of the block walls. But the insulation is mold ridden.

Waterlogged Finished Basement in Portage, MI

On the left side of the photo, you can see where the major water entry point was and the effects of the encroaching water on the cut away wall and wet floor. To the right, no sign of problems.

Leaking Egress Windows in Finished Basement

If egress windows aren't installed by a basement waterproofing company, they run the risk of leaking due to the delicate nature of below-grade work. But not every window has to be like this - we can tie them into a waterproofing system to ensure everything stays dry.

WaterGuard Installation in Progress

The carpet had to be completely removed, as it was being ravaged by mold and mildew, and the walls in this part of the basement were cut high enough to remove the damaged portions and install EverLast panels.

WaterGuard Installation in Finished Basement

We had to cut away small portions of the walls and flooring in order to install the WaterGuard. Since this room didn't have direct leaks, we were able to leave more of the wall in tact.

EverLast Wall Panels Restore Finished Walls

We can restore the finished look to the walls with EverLast panels, with the added bonus that they're waterproof and inorganic (aka no mold) and can be tied into the WaterGuard. Also, check out that new TripleSafe sump pump, which will keep the water flowing outside.

EverLast Panels Restore Water Damaged Wall

The area around the egress windows was the most affected by water, so we cut away those portions of the walls and replaced them with waterproof, inorganic wall panels.