Waterproofing a Finished Basement in Williamsburg, VA

Challenge

This homeowner reached out to us because they had water entering the bottom floor of their tri-level home. They had to tear down the drywall on the bottom half of the wall from water damage. Our inspection told us that the water was finding its way through the porous cinderblock wall and into the home. 

Solution

Our solution is the WaterGuard Drainage System, an interior perimeter drainage system that collects any infiltrating water and sends it away from the home. The interior solution means that we don't have to trench all the way around the home disturbing landscaping. The perimeter approach means the homeowner did not need to take all of their belongings out of the basement or tear up their entire basement floor. Instead, we moved their belongings to the center of the room and protected them by covering them with plastic. 

To install the WaterGuard System, we trenched around the perimeter of the basement. We then installed the CleanSpace vapor barrier on the walls, added stone to the trench, and laid the WaterGuard drainage track then cemented back over the track. The CleanSpace will direct any water entering through the walls down into the drainage system, which will feed collected water to the TripleSafe Sump Pump and away from the home, to a spot designated by the homeowner on their property. The TripleSafe is a liner and basin containing three sump pumps, a 1/2hp pump, a 1/3hp pump, and the UltraSump Battery Back-up which kicks on if the power goes out. The system only turns on when it is needed, and with a WaterWatch alarm that sounds if there is ever an error with the pump. These homeowners now have the peace of mind that their basement will stay dry all the time and they can re-finish the space over the WaterGuard system.