Wet Basement

Sheppard Pearl Waterproofing

Member of GTHBA, CHBA (Since 2004)

To contact us:

Phone: 416-677-0888

Fax: 416-757-0672

E-mail: info@iwaterproofing.ca

General Information

Each spring and fall, thousands of home owners are faced with an unpleasant side effect of our seasonal rain/freeze/thaw cycle - Wet Basements! Chronic water leakage is a serious problem that can destroy personal property, as well as depreciating your home's property value. Excessive moisture can also create a breeding ground for insects, mold and mildew, not only unpleasant but a potential health hazard to allergy suffers.

Foundation construction materials have changed over the years. Materials used in the Toronto area include rubble stone, boulder stone, concrete block and the current standard - poured concrete. Poured concrete walls, especially those in newer homes, are the most resistant to leakage, however, they too, often develop cracks that allow water to enter.

Concrete blocks and stones are quite porous, which can result in water seepage directly through the foundation walls when the ground is saturated or the water table rises. Water may also seep through the porous mortar joints between bricks, stones or concrete blocks. In addition, hallow cores of concrete blocks may eventually hold water, thus when the water level within the blocks is higher than the basement floor, water seepage occurs.

Other common causes of wet basement include:

- inoperative weeping tile systems

- poor drainage in window wells

- poorly positioned downspouts

- leaky or plugged gutters

- improper surface drainage

Basement Concrete Block Foundation

Wet Basement

Introduction