Category Archives: Waterproofing

Waterproofing your basement is a vital investment for any home. A leaky basement will lead to problems such as damaged building material, efflorescence on the walls, high humidity, and mould issues. These are big issues because the air that is in your basement is the air you breathe throughout your entire home.

But which method of basement waterproofing is best? Interior or Exterior? We’re going to walk through the pros and cons of each so that you can decide which solution will be best for your home.

A drain tile system is a waterproofing system intended to prevent water from pooling around your home foundation. It is a simple and ingenious way to protect your home from harmful basement flooding. Most homes, even significantly older ones, have a drain tile system installed already from when they were constructed. In most situations, it’s illegal to not have it.

Drain tile sits beneath the foundation of a home on the interior or exterior. It collects water from soil and redirects it either by gravity or electronically through a sump pump to a storm sewer system or safely away from the home. Whether installed on the exterior or interior, drain tile performs the same job, but we’ll explain later on in the post why we think interior drain tile is better.

If your basement window is leaking, there is undoubtedly a problem that needs to be fixed. If you’re reading this, that means you’re taking the first step to fix the problem: getting informed. Nice job!

Now the next step is to take action to solve the problem. We’re going to walk you through the 3 simple steps to fix a leaking window.

There is an often forgotten about area of the home that is prone to flooding that can be disastrous if left unattended. If your home has an outdoor stairwell that leads to the basement and is subgrade (below ground level) then the bottom of that stairwell is an area of concern that should not be left unattended. Too often we have seen these stairwells turn into shallow swimming pools because they have an outdated or broken stairwell drain, or even worse, they don’t have one at all.

A stairwell drain is a system that removes water from the bottom of the stairwell. A stairwell without a drain has negative effects not only in the stairwell itself, but for the basement as a whole. Any standing water pressed against the foundation of your home is bad news. Standing water is heavier than people may think and exerts hydrostatic pressure against all surfaces it is in contact with. This hydrostatic pressure (over time) is capable of cracking concrete, creating cracks, and allowing the moisture to enter your basement.

Basement moisture is a common problem in Windsor-Essex. We have record rainfalls each year that passes. We are surrounded by Great Lakes. Basement affects the air quality of your home, the structural integrity of your foundation, and can be expensive to fix if left unattended.

Let’s take a look at some of the signs of basement moisture problems so that no surprises come your way down the road: