Keeping Water out of a Richmond, VA Basement

Tuesday, July 9th, 2019 by Erin Dougherty

Challenge

“Water is leaking in from the bottom of my basement walls,” a Richmond homeowner told us when they called to schedule their free estimate. Water can seep through the foundation and into the basement through cracks in concrete or cinderblock walls, through cracks in concrete floors, around basement windows, and through exterior access doors. Water coming into the basement creates the potential for musty, mildewed odors, high humidity, and mold growth. This can affect the air quality in the livable spaces of your home. You may notice musty odors on your first floor, or your home may feel humid and damp.

Solution

After a thorough inspection of this homeowner’s basement, we developed a plan to address this homeowner’s concerns. First, we fastened CleanSpace, a heavy gauge vinyl liner, to the basement walls and sealed all of the seams with a heavy-duty 4” wide vinyl tape, then sealed the rim and band using spray foam. The CleanSpace will keep any water or vapor entering through the basement walls from entering the basement and direct it downward into the drainage system. Next, we installed the WaterGuard Drainage System, sub-slab, along the perimeter of the basement. As part of the WaterGuard system, a Trench Drain was installed at the bottom of the steps from the basement’s outside access. This collects any water that makes its way into the basement and directs it to a sump pump.

The TripleSafe® sump pump, a three pump system, was installed with a battery backup. The battery backup (the black box in front of the sump pump) ensures that the pump will run for 6hours, on a full charge, in the event that the power goes out. Finally, a SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier was installed to control humidity. This system will direct water out of the basement and away from the home’s foundation protecting this basement from water infiltration and control humidity. Now the homeowners can have confidence in using their basement for storage without worrying about mold and mildew damaging their property.