Basement Waterproofing

The basement of this historic home had been plagued by severe water problems. Because the foundation was built in shale, the earth holds the water up in a high water table. Many said a dry basement in the historic General Electric Realty Plot neighborhood was not possible. To prove the skeptics wrong, an extensive plan was devised. First, 18" of the concrete floor around the entire perimeter of the house was jack-hammered out and removed (over 300 lineal feet). Three cross channels were excavated across the middle of open floor space. Next, the shale below was dug out to make all channels 18" deep. Four foot deep holes were dug out for three new sump pits to augment the original one. 6" slotted drainage was installed and connected throughout all of the troughs. Pea stone was then poured in over the drain tile. Concrete was then pumped into the basement to refinish the floor. Prior to pouring, foam gutter board was set against exterior walls. After the concrete set up, the foam was removed, creating a channel forany unexpectedwater to find its way to the drainage. All walls were treated with ThoroSeal waterproofing agent. After a lifetime of trouble, and a "little" bit of work, the basement is now dry.