What caused my basement to leak?   It never leaked before?

Imagine for a moment if we were to examine the excavation work preformed by your builder.  He dug a hole in the ground and put your home in it - with no protection. The loose backfill next to your foundations walls allows the underground water veins to deposit huge amounts of water into the bowl theory - which creates a moat effect around your foundation walls. Extending your downspouts and re-grading will only slow down the process – it will never correct. According to the Home Inspection Census > 98% of all basements will eventually leak do to builder neglect.

In most cases it takes 8 to 10 years for a basement to leak. The primary reason why basements leak is due to Hydrostatic pressure. Ground water moves upward when the soil becomes saturated during heavy rains; pushes up from under the floor and makes its way in at the footer joint. The solution! Install an interior Pressure Relief System – connected to a sump system.

The second reason why basement’s leak: is “The moat effect” - the false table water builds up like reservoir against the exterior walls; known as pooling. The consequences of pooling - is seepage caused by wall saturation. The early signs of pooling “is a powdery substance” on the wall – called “effloresence”! This powdery substance is the lime decomposing from the concrete due to saturation! Over timethe “effloresence” causes wall decay, in addition too, visible mold. Once this occurs, there is no turning back – the cove joint is now compromised; home owner’s need to move quickly to avoid costly structural repair.     

Relieving Hydrostatic Pressure and Pooling:
The most affordable way to relieve hydrostatic pressure and pooling is fromthe interior vs. the exterior. To install a pressure relief system (French Drain) below the floor: you must open the perimeter of the floor beyond the footer to insert the drainage matting and perforated pipe. The drainage pipe must be slightly pitched to allow the flow into the sump. Now you are ready to backfill with ¾ stone (bleed the block) attach the mira drain panel and re-concrete the floor – back to like kind quality. Problemsolved