Foundation Waterproofing: Why Does It Leak?

Understanding Foundation Flooding And How To Fix It -- Permanently!

Basement and crawl space floods are common in new and old homes , and they're rarely a one-time occurrence.

Once water has entered your foundation, you can be certain that it will happen again because of two factors, the clay bowl effect and hydrostatic pressure.

At Ayers Basement Systems, we offer free waterproofing quotes in Kalamazoo, Lansing, Grand Rapids and many areas nearby. Call or e-mail us today to schedule an appointment!

The "Clay Bowl Effect" And Your Foundation

When your home was being built the contractor dug a hole that was a little larger than the space your home needed for the basement and foundation. The foundation was built inside this space.

Once the foundation was built, some of the backfill, which is excavated soil that is very loose and fluffy, was used to fill in the gap around the outer edge of your foundation. Meanwhile, the untouched soil around it, known as "virgin soil", may have been settling for hundreds, even thousands of years.

That means the backfilled soil surrounding your foundation will always be looser and more absorbent of water than the dense, hard-packed soil around it.

When this happens it creates a "clay bowl" around your house. This bowl will artificially create a water table around your home. Water will collect the most right around your foundation, which is exactly where you don't want it to be.

Hydrostatic Pressure and Wet Foundation Soils

When soil around your home becomes soaked with moisture it will expand. The weight of the water will press on your foundation. This is known as hydrostatic pressure.

Hydrostatic pressure will build up against your foundation and water will make its way through concrete cracks in the walls or floors, through openings around pipes, through basement windows, or even directly through the porous concrete. Water can even water may pass through the block walls and begin to fill the open cavities inside your walls.

However, we find that most flooded basements start with a leak in the foundation wall-floor joint, where the floor and wall meet.

Waterproofing a Foundation in Michigan & Indiana

Protecting your home means more than just stopping groundwater. It's also important to keep an eye on your home plumbing, including the water heater and washing machine.

Drying a wet basement is simple. You need to stop the point where the water enters.

Since the majority of basements flood from the wall-floor joint, one of the most common ways to stop the flooding is to install a perimeter drainage system along the edge of the basement floor. This system collects the water and directs it to a sump pump, which then discharges it out away from your home.

At Ayers Basement Systems, we have an approach to solving water problems of all types. Our waterproofing solutions cover all surfaces of the basement, including the foundation walls, basement floors, and even wet crawl spaces.

We offer free basement waterproofing estimates in Michigan & Indiana, including South Bend, Sterling Heights, St. Johns, Charlotte, Hastings and many areas nearby. Contact us today to get started!

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