Unlike interior waterproofing, this process involves digging around your house to the base of the foundation walls. Next, a waterproof coating is applied to the foundation walls and finished with drainage panels. Once the coating is dry, drainage panels are installed to carry water away from the house. Exterior waterproofing usually requires a professional contractor for completing the project accurately and efficiently.

In the event that your home doesn’t have a proper drain system, you should consider installing an interior drainage system. This system collects water from below the footing and channels it to a sump pump. An interior drainage system is installed on the inside of your basement wall or footing, reducing mess and expense. Then, a new sump pump will be installed. 

Most crawl space encapsulation methods involve sealing crawl space vents, removing soil to create a subtle grade, and installing a vapor barrier. Crawl spaces are often vulnerable to moisture from the ground below your home. This water can seep into your crawl space, air, and sub-structure, resulting in increased wood damage.

Poor ventilation and improper grading can further compound this problem. Damp wood can attract termites, mold, and mildew and can even lead to costly structural damage. Encapsulation prevents these problems from occurring, lowering your energy bills and preventing excessive outside air from penetrating into your home.

One of the most obvious signs of foundation repair needs is if your walls or floors are cracked. If these cracks are large or have a ragged appearance, the problem may be rooted in the foundation. Cracked walls can even be a sign of damage to the drywall or wallpaper. If the cracks extend into the walls or the ceiling, this could be a sign that the foundation is weakened.

Your home’s foundation is a crucial part of its safety. The foundation supports the entire structure of your house, including its walls, floors, and roof. If it’s cracked or weakened, you’re likely to need to make some repairs before the foundation gets worse. A low-quality foundation can also cause high indoor humidity and increase your electricity bill. However, with proper solutions, you can keep your entire house efficient and safe.

Radon gas buildup is possible in any home. Radon is a radioactive gas. It results from the natural decay of uranium found in almost all soils. It usually travels along the ground into the air overhead and enters your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon gas where it can accumulate. That means old and new homes, well-sealed and windproof homes, and homes with or without basements.

If you suspect your home has high levels of radon, you should test for radon concentrations at least once a year. Experts recommend that you test your home twice, before installing a radon reduction system. However, you should be aware that the amount of radon in a home can fluctuate over time, so a low test result is not necessarily indicative of an elevated level.

The type of house you live in will determine which radon reduction system is best for you. Generally, houses are classified by their foundation design – a basement, slab-on-grade, or crawl space. Some houses have a combination of foundation designs, so you may need to combine several different techniques to lower radon concentrations.

Passive radon mitigation systems work with a fan that is installed at the foundation level. It is used to move the radon gas away from the home, preventing it from accumulating in your living spaces. The system is completely silent and the radon fan is not visible as it sits beneath the home. Moreover, it requires minimal maintenance, and the fans can operate for years without needing any repairs. The major drawback of passive systems is that they can’t be used in older homes because their effectiveness decreases as the radon level increases.

If your basement is experiencing cracking and bowing walls, it may be time to have your wall repaired. Cracks in the wall may indicate a water seepage issue. Recent heavy rains may be to blame for a significant increase in damage. Leaning walls also contribute to cracking and bowing, and this damage can spread throughout the entire basement. Repairing your basement wall is essential to prevent further damage.

In the event that there is a severe amount of bowing in your home’s foundation walls, you may need to consider foundation wall replacement. While repairs can temporarily solve the problem, they often are not long-term solutions when hydrostatic pressure is the cause. For walls that are bowing only a few inches, you can consider concrete block repair.

If you wait too long, the problem could lead to collapsed walls, which will cause extensive damage throughout your home. In extreme cases, the walls can even collapsing, which could render your house uninhabitable.

Interior waterproofing in your basement is often the corrective solution after water has already entered the house. Exterior waterproofing, in contrast, is more of a preventative measure for keeping your basement dry and protected.

An internal system is designed to keep water out of your home and away from your foundation. This includes digging a trough that collects water and directs it to a sump pump unit, also known as a French drain.

The installation of an internal drain tile around the perimeter of the foundation is most often done after the construction of the house. This is because they are usually installed in response to a damp basement or sometimes just before finishing a basement remodel. An exterior waterproofing installation is more extensive. These systems are installed outside the foundation to prevent water from entering the basement in the first place, not in response to it.

This process requires excavation around the house to expose the foundation so that a durable waterproof sealant can be applied. Although more extensive than interior waterproofing systems, this type of waterproofing is most effective and preventative.

A sump pump, most often made of cast iron and working at 110 volts of electricity, is designed to sit at the bottom of a pit where the water is collected before being eliminated from the interior of the home to the exterior of the home. When it is working correctly, as the water level rises, a float switch also rises, turning the pump on once it reaches a certain height.

In the event that the sump pump should fail for whatever reason, a secondary backup pump is also installed that runs off of a 12-volt battery backup. This should ensure that in an emergency, the basement will still evacuate the moisture and not become flooded. A trickle charger makes sure the battery is always charged for emergency use. In most cases, once the battery backup kicks in, you might get about a day’s worth of pumping out of it before the battery drains of power. Most units will blare an emergency siren to let you know that the emergency mode is operating.

A crawl space dehumidifier can be part of an effective solution for high moisture level areas, sufficiently maintaining a dry environment even in encapsulated areas. High quality dehumidifiers have a durable design with corrosion-resistant aluminum coils to ensure its integrity. A dehumidifier can remove many pints of moisture a day, and is great for keeping your crawl space dry, even if it has been encapsulated.

If you smell this odor coming from your crawl space, you are not alone!

The odor actually originates from the decomposition of organic material in the soil under the home. This can be compounded by elevated moisture levels in the soil that occur post encapsulation. Once a space is encapsulated, the evaporation of moisture from the soil is greatly reduced. This can result in an increase in moisture which can then reactivate dormant microorganisms that then break down organic material at an accelerated rate—that’s why a crawl space that may not have smelled before the encapsulation may start to smell.

The ammonia released in this process is what creates the cat pee smell. This is because cat pee contains ammonia, the substance that creates the significant smell we associate with cat pee. When organic matter breaks down in the soil, the microorganisms decompose the organic matter back into more basic components. As a result of this process, ammonia is released in high pH soils and less toxic Ammonium in lower pH soils.

All hardwood floors will naturally expand when exposed to moisture. When only one side of a plank is exposed, that single side will expand. This causes the whole board to warp away from the damp side. Consequently, the plank edges can curl up resulting in an overall wavy appearance.

These problems can arise from seasonal changes, like the summertime when humidity levels rise. In these instances, the expansion tends to naturally correct itself when the seasons change and humidity falls. Cupping can also occur due to faulty plumbing, bad ventilation, and a variety of other circumstances all having to do with excessive moisture in the home.

This problem requires closer inspection by waterproofing professionals. We can determine the source of the moisture issue and provide you with options to correct.