Water Problems Solved.
Permanently.
Do you have water leaking into your basement through the foundation walls?
We understand your concern.
The good news is that you just found the most reliable solution to this problem.
Before we jump to that, let’s take a moment to examine the root cause of the problem.
Now, concrete doesn’t simply crack as it ages, just as skyscrapers don’t simply topple over. So, how exactly did your foundation walls get cracked in the first place?
Most cracks in foundation walls are actually caused by lateral pressure. This lateral pressure comes from, of all things, ice.
During the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle, moisture in the earth expands and contracts by as much as 9%.
Though this may not sound like a very big number, a 9% expansion against your foundation is actually a tremendous force.
As it expands, ice can exert up to 114,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, if it has nowhere to escape.
This video does a great job at illustrating the phenomenon, using a metal pipe. Note that this isn’t a thin copper pipe, but a heavy gauge steel pipe.
Now the water beside your house isn’t trapped like in this pipe, however it is not exactly free flowing either, so it does freeze, expand, and push against your foundation.
After enough cycles of this expansion and contraction, the concrete of your foundation walls eventually weakens and gives way.
Once the walls are cracked, outside water starts leaking in and the real headaches begin.
Earth Tech delivers a sure solution to this problem.
We install a rubberized membrane on your foundation to provide an impermeable shield. No more water inside — the problem you see.
And we backfill with sand (not the original clay) to eliminate the lateral pressure from ice against your walls — the problem you don’t see, the reason the water even gets in.
Here’s how the full solution works.
We start by excavating around the foundation. We clean up the walls and apply a rubberized membrane, commonly called Blueskin.
While we have the excavation open, we upgrade your weeping tile, so that your sump system can work to it’s full potential.
We cover the new weeping tile with rock and we backfill the opening with sand.
The surface can be finished with whatever materials you prefer – earth, rock, paving stones, etc.
With our system in place, your foundation walls remain dry (inside and out), because they are protected by the membrane.
Rain water and melt water quickly seep down through the sand to the bottom of the excavation. If there is enough water, it will make its way into the sump system.
Any water which freezes in the sand, simply expands in the sand, which gives way readily (unlike all the packed clay we removed).
No more invisible icebergs pushing up against your walls!
Our system not only stops the water from coming in, it effectively extends the life of your foundation.