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Waterproofing is a big money maker with lots of scams. THey will especially go out for some suckers after this unusual storm.
I second Twingles' response about contacting KB for some recommendations.
and suggested a french drain in that area. Curious to know if anyone else has ever gotten a french drain sump pump .
Gee that's a shocker.
His job is to make you feel good about him. That's why they send HIM out.
French drains are very expensive. And while knowledge of them is sketchy, I question how they would help a groundwater problem. Also, unless you are new to this house, if it was groundwater, you'd have experienced it before. I think.
He's the owner of the company, but I understand your point. I've had the house for a year and a half. I've had it happen only once before that I know of but he showed me some mold and staining in the area under the stairs and in the closet that make it look like it wasn't just the two times.
The thing that made me feel somewhat comfortable with him was that he didn't try to push a french drain around the perimeter of the whole basement. But I definitely will get some more estimates. I did also send an email to KBInspections as he did my initial home inspection.
It would be great to get a reference for someone else to come in and take a look at this, but so far it doesn't seem like anyone has any to give.
I certainly don't want to do this if its overkill but I also don't want to put off something that can cause larger problems later. That's why I appreciate all the feedback and messages that you have all provided. Thanks!
Yep, check the grading first and look for any places water may be pooling against or near the foundation. Next, check to make sure the window covers are on securely. If its neither one of these I would consult a professional.
Before you do anything that requires parting with cash. Wait for the next heavy sustained rainfall, Then get your umbrella and go outside even if you have to go at night and look for pooling around the downspouts or anywhere next to your foundation. Dont recall if you mentioned wheter or not you foundation is poured concrete or cinderblock. If the water is pool anywhere near the foundation it will percolate down thru the soil and spread out as it descends .So the pooled up water could in theory find its way in several feet away from the the intial surface puddle. If it is pooling near the down spouts get longer spouts, and if pooling all over near the dwelling re-grade..........
the french drain guy only recommended the small drain in one spot at the begining just to get the job. Once the jobs starts you will get a "holycrap this is worse than we thought" and there goes you money because you are already on the hook and the ground and concrete floor of your house is opened up. Either do it all right or dont do it piece meal
Then get your umbrella and go outside even if you have to go at night and look for pooling around the downspouts or anywhere next to your foundation. ..
ITA with this - you have to be out there while it's raining to see where the water is going and where it's pooling. DH and I spent many a rainy day outside examining the situation and for $15 in gutter extenders and another in mulch we solved the problem.
Yeah, I hear you. When I didn't continue to get water in the basement after the first day of rain, I held off on getting anything done. I've got another person coming on Saturday just to see what they have to say but I guess my real question is - who is the right person to call on in these situations?
I definitely still want to get the parging around the foundation wall repaired, and although I've read some articles that say you can do this DIY, I know my limitations and I don't think this is something I'd tackle on my own unless it would be ridiculously expensive to have done.
I've got some gutter extenders now and I'm willing to see how that works out. I can remove the drywall and paneling that got damaged myself, and hopefully the mold won't be out of hand.
But what kind of professional do you call to do parging? What kind of professional do you call on for regrading?
We re-graded it ourselves. It was obvious where the water was coming in (and if your walls and paneling got wet, that will make it obvious to you too). In our case, we had a walkway running along the side of the house, and then a grassy area between that walkway and the house. When it rained, the water would run off the walkway and pool in that grassy area. We got a bunch of topsoil and put down grass seed - enough to bring it up to the same level as the walkway - problem solved.
It's all about seeing where the water pools and then figuring out how to get the water either away from the house, or putting something there to absorb the water (grass, bushes, etc).
Parging is that stucco like substance around the base of the house that covers the cinderblock foundation. Its supposed to create some kind of waterproofing barrier besides just looking better than cinderblock.
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