Water Leaks and Wall Cracks in Basement Fix in Waseca, MN

Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 by Dane aria Canario

Challenge

In Waseca, MN a homeowner noticed water leaking between the cracks along his basement walls. Concerned about the damage it was causing his home, he quickly searched for services in the area and came upon American Waterworks through our website. After browsing through our job stories about Basement Waterproofing and Foundation Repair, he contacted us to claim his FREE estimate.

Solution

Our Design Specialist, Lance S., arrived at the home on the scheduled date and inspected the basement. He explained to the homeowner that one of the causes of a wet basement and cracks forming along the foundation walls is the "claw bowl" effect. When excavated soil is replaced around a foundation, it is not as dense or tightly packed as virgin soil further away. As a result, when it rains heavily, water causes the soil to expand, putting pressure on the foundation walls and causing it to crack. Water then forces itself into those cracks, eventually leading into the basement. To address this issue, Lance suggested our GeoLock wall anchors and CarbonArmor to fix the foundation issue and our WaterGuard, TripleSafe sump pump, IceGuard, and CleanSpace to waterproof the basement. The homeowner was thankful for Lance's explanation and was happy to proceed with his plans.

Our Foreman, Jesus C., and Diego B., and their crew arrived at the home on different dates for the installations. To waterproof the basement, the crew installed 127ft of WaterGuard, our below-the-floor drainage system that rests on the drainage stone on top of the foundation footing. These are installed on the perimeter of the basement by hammering into the floors. Next, the stones are placed in the holes, and WaterGuard is positioned on the top, leading to the sump pump. Once set, concrete is poured back on top, providing a seamless look on your floors. The TripleSafe sump pump provides three levels of protection, with one pump at the lowest level acting as the primary. The second pump is placed a bit higher and acts as a backup in case the primary pump gets overwhelmed with heavy water. The third pump is placed at the highest level and is for power outages. Additionally, the crew installed two IceGuards outside of the home to eject water away from the foundation. Our IceGuards are designed to not freeze during cold temperatures, unlike traditional discharge lines. The crew also installed a total of 127ft of CleanSpace, a plastic wall vapor barrier that is placed on the walls to prevent mold growth and control moisture levels. For foundation repair, the crew installed 18 GeoLock wall anchors. The anchors are installed by digging a hole several feet away from the foundation. The anchor is placed inside the hole and is attached to the interior wall, and they are connected by a small steel pole. Our GeoLocks are designed to permanently stabilize your home and can be adjusted to straighten your walls over time. Finally, the crew installed 7 CarbonArmor straps on the remaining walls. These are installed by first cleaning the walls, applying epoxy, and securing the CarbonArmor straps on top. After everything was installed, our crew cleaned up their equipment and left the home.

Now, our customer can have peace of mind knowing their basement problems were fixed. Are you experiencing similar issues? Click HERE to schedule your FREE estimate!