Basement Waterproofing Photo Album: East Lansing, MI Basement Gets WaterGuard After Flooding Incident

Heavy rains in the spring caused this basement to take on 2 inches of water through the floor drain. This was a first time for the flooding but if it's happened once, it's likely to happen again. The homeowner jumped into action. We installed a WaterGuard perimeter drainage system for him. This drain sits along the homes footing beneath the concrete floor. Water is drawn into the drain at the base of the the walls and is directed to a sump pump for safe removal from the home. The sump system that we installed was a TripleSafe sump system. It consists of a 1/3 hp pump to handle a majority of the work with a 1/2 hp pump set slightly higher to kick on if the first pump fails or isn't keeping up. Finally, a third pump which runs off a marine-style battery will take over if the power were to go out so that the basement stays dry at all times. This homeowner is now protected from the flooding that occurred in the spring and won't have to be concerned about a recurrence.

Walls Indicate Moisture Problems

While the basement may have only flooded once, our inspection of the basement indicated some signs of moisture issues. The dark markings on the wall are a common indicator.

Lingering Moisture Problems

The markings around the water heater seem to reflect some moisture issues that have been lingering for some time. By installing our WaterGuard system, we can eradicate many of these basement water issues.

Downspout Troubles

One big contributor to water in the basement that is easy to fix is downspouts that deposit water right next to the home. Extensions on these downspouts will help prevent water issues in the future.

WaterGuard Drain Set In Place

To keep the basement dry, the concrete along the perimeter walls is removed and our WaterGuard drain is set in place along the home's footing. Drainage stone is then filled in around it.

TripleSafe Pump Features

The sump system is installed in a low spot in the basement. This crock has an airtight lid to further prevent any moisture issues in the basement. It also has a ball float floor drain to allow water to safely enter directly into the crock from above. Finally, a WaterWatch alarm alerts the homeowner if all of the pumps have failed and the crock is backing up with water.

TripleSafe System Installed

The TripleSafe Sump System was installed. The WaterGuard system brings all water that it captures to this point. A 1/3 hp pump pushes a majority of the water safely out of the basement and into the yard. A 1/2 hp pump operates as a back-up to that pump. Finally, a third pump that operates off of the marine-style battery pictured will kick on if the power goes out so that the basement continues to stay dry.

Concrete Is Replaced

Once the WaterGuard drain is in place and is properly leveled, the concrete is replaced over top.

WaterGuard Seamless Under Stairs

The WaterGuard system was not inhibited by the stairway. We installed the system and replaced the concrete underneath keeping the system complete and protecting along this whole wall.

Inspection Port Integral To Maintenance

An inspection port allows us to easily maintain or make repairs to the system if it were to become clogged or have some other issue over time.

WaterGuard Goes Unnoticed

Unlike some waterproofing products, WaterGuard goes virtually unnoticed. Once the new concrete dries, you almost won't even know that it was ever removed. The only sign of WaterGuard at work is the small gap along the base of the wall were water enters the drain and the lack of flooding that this basement will experience as a result.

Discharge Line Planned In The Yard

The water that is discharged by the sump pump is deposited safely away from the home. The LawnScape outlet is discrete and easy to mow around. The process of digging the discharge line is done in such a way as to minimally disrupt the lawn. Grass is replaced over top so that the yard recovers quickly and easily. An IceGuard fixture next to the house also protects from frozen lines by providing an escape for water in the even that a back-up occurs.