FOUNDATION & BASEMENT WATERPROOFING IN OMAHA, NE

If you own a home or business in the Omaha metro area, or even in areas of western Iowa, and your structure appears to have water drainage issues, especially noted after heavy rains or snow melts, you need to act quickly to resolve your problems. The reason is that these conditions can leave your home or business vulnerable to water damage. These include loss of stability, insect infestation, structural damage, and a myriad of other soil-related issues. In fact, most of Nebraska consists of clay soil and that makes homes or businesses in the state more susceptible to foundation issues than most other areas of the country. Especially during heavy rainfalls, water saturates the soil around or beneath a structure’s foundation. As the water pressure increases in the soil, it creates intense pressure against a structure’s foundation walls. This can result in cracks and gaps throughout the foundation’s walls. Water can then seep through the cracks and create many problems, such as standing water or flooding basements. At the first sign of wetness in your basement or cracks in your foundation, it is important to contact a basement waterproofing and repair specialist to help in keeping water drained away from your foundation.

In foundation waterproofing, the first step is to identify the source of the leak in the wet basement. This usually is done by conferring with the home or business owner to determine when and where the problem began to occur. It helps in the diagnosis if the basement is unfinished because water leaves a trail. However, a well-trained Basement Advisor can also help find the source of the problem in a finished basement.

WATERPROOFING SOLUTIONS IN OMAHA, NE

Wet basement solutions come in a variety of strategies, most involving the sealing of the foundation wall cracks in poured concrete foundations (poured concrete is the most common type of foundation in the Omaha metro area). Cracks are easily visible in an unfinished basement. These leaking cracks leave water stains on the foundation wall. However, in a finished basement, the diagnosis should begin by identifying the area where the water is first entering the basement, then searching around the exterior of the structure for a crack. A good number of these cracks extend to the top of the foundation wall, which is normally exposed above the soil line. Cracks can also be sealed from the interior using an Epoxy / Urethane injection process or from the exterior using a Wall-Clay process. Both methods are reliable in preventing additional seepage through the crack and into the basement.

There is another common basement waterproofing problem where the source of the water leak is at the cove joint where the floor and wall meet. This is frequently caused by hydrostatic pressure, which occurs when the water table rises after a long period of rain or snow melt. The accumulated weight of water in the ground (8 pounds per gallon) forces water underneath the structure’s footing and up into the basement. The best solution for this type of problem is the installation of a Drain Tile System, where a sump pump is used to discharge the water. The drain tile (sometimes referred to as a French drain in other areas of the country) relieves the hydrostatic pressure by providing an easier path for the water to escape, thus eliminating the water’s pressure so that the seepage problem goes away. This problem can be addressed from either the interior or exterior of the structure.

Sump Pump Installation

My Foundation Repair has been proudly installing sump pumps in Omaha for years. Our experienced team of certified technicians utilizes the latest tools and technology to use top-notch materials for the job, ensuring our customers receive a reliable, durable, and affordable solution that will protect their homes from water damage.

We provide free estimates, ensuring that you are getting the most cost-effective solution available. In addition, all of the components we install come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Your valuable home assets are important to us at My Foundation Repair -- let us help protect them with our superior sump pump installation services!

FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING AND GRADING ISSUES

Sometimes a diagnosis will show water coming in over the top of the foundation or through the mortar joints between the bricks that sit atop the foundation wall. This problem happens as a result of the exterior grade being built up above the top of the foundation wall, either by soil or, possibly, by a previous construction of a driveway, a walk area, or a patio. This can be readily confirmed by running a garden hose on the ground beside the problem area. Warning: water will often enter the basement rather quickly, so it is recommended that you be ready to turn the water off quickly.

Unfortunately, lowering the grade is not usually a viable option in this situation. It is usually recommended that an Exterior Subsoil Membrane be applied to the lower graded portion of the wall when this problem is encountered. The solution only needs to cover the wall from the soil line down and then overlap the foundation by only about 6 inches. Foundation waterproofing membranes are also effective for waterproofing brick, stone, and other hard surface foundations.