Waterproofing Basement Walls: The Basics

Keeping a dry basement is vital to keeping a healthy and structurally sound home. Maintaining your foundation, and keeping basement moisture out of the picture, is very important, and waterproofing the basement walls should be a priority for any homeowner.

Mostly, it’s important to remember one thing: A crack in your basement walls or floor may be due to hydrostatic pressure – the pressure caused by rainwater building up under or against your foundation. In this case, the only solution is to relieve the hydrostatic pressure by eliminating the source of the water. Simply filling a crack caused by hydrostatic pressure is NOT a good method of waterproofing basement walls – in the long run, it won’t solve a thing, and may create even more hydrostatic pressure.

So the first step in waterproofing basement walls should be to determine where any stray water is coming from. If the problem is severe, with water from outside your house creating hydrostatic pressure, you may need to hire a basement waterproofing company to do the job for you. Waterproofing basement walls is impossible to do simply from the inside; it’s most important to keep water away from the outside of the foundation as much as possible.

If there are cracks in the walls or floor that are not a result of hydrostatic pressure – caused, perhaps, by impacts or other stresses – you can fill them with epoxy or a latex cement formula.

If the basement moisture is coming from an excess of humidity, you can solve the problem by installing one or two dehumidifiers.

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John and Barbara Vicich

“We wanted to thank you for your personal and specialized attention to the water problem we had in our basement. You took the time to inspect the whole situation and gave us recommendations, all of which worked. You had a way of explaining the process and materials that would be used in a way that we understood. We are very pleased with the work that was done and would highly recommend your company to anyone.”

-John and Barbara Vicich

Debbie, Berwyn

“The day after Hurricane Irene, all of my neighbors basements were filled with water, while mine remained dry! It is wonderful, everything remains dry and the battery backup worked beautifully when my power was out for 2 days. Dry AND quiet, thank you, thank you! Thanks! Debbie, Berwyn”

-Debbie, Berwyn

Doug Smith, Glenside

“All I have to say is that Hurricane Irene was no match for the job that Rightway did for my basement and my father-in-law’s. I had my basement done 5 years ago and we are still bone dry and my father-inlaw’s was done last year and another dry basement… Great job! I highly recommend them for waterproofing and mold remediation.”

-Doug Smith, Glenside

Luke

“I’d highly recommend these guys for your basement. My basement has been dry since they installed a sump pump and French drain in June. They offer a competitive price, they get the job done quickly and they stand by their work. Please mention my name if you proceed down the road with these guys.”

-Luke

Angelo and Sandra Patiri

“We had our basement waterproofed with Rightway Waterproofing in 2007, after all this time and just getting through Hurricane Irene, we did not get a drop of water in our basement. Rightway Waterproofing did a very good job and we are very satisfied!”

-Angelo and Sandra Patiri