Basement Waterproofing in North Carolina

We all know water is an essential part of life. But other than coming out of faucets, you don’t need or want water inside your house. Sure, it might be a nice luxury to have an indoor pool in your basement, but you don’t want the kind created by leaking, flooding water. 

True, not all North Carolina homes have basements, but the ones that do are not without their problems. They can be damp, dark, smelly, and saturated with water. Many people choose to ignore their basements and think of them as “out of sight and out of mind” for those reasons. Are you one of them? If so, you could be putting your health and your family’s well-being in danger. 

Wet basements are the perfect homes for mold and unpleasant odors, not to mention creepy, crawling creatures and foundation wall cracks. Why put your loved ones’ safety at risk and waste a perfectly good space? Properly waterproofed basements can be used for laundry, storage, a fun “man cave” or children’s playroom, or even extra bedroom space for guests or renters. 

So, have you taken a good look at your basement lately? Do you suspect there might be some hidden problems, but you don’t know how to tackle them? You’ve come to the right place. The professional staff at Tar Heel Basement Systems can help you take back your home and ensure its health and safety today and for years to come. We are proud to serve homeowners in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Wilmington, and the entire state of North Carolina! 

Here, we will address common questions and concerns we hear from homeowners just like you about wet basements and basement waterproofing. We’ll begin with a list of typical problems you’ll notice in your home if you have a wet, leaking basement. 

Whether it finds its way in from plumbing leaks, windows or wall cracks, water in your basement means trouble. There are several reasons why you’ve got a wet basement on your hands, but one main culprit has to do with the ground your home was built on. 

There are all kinds of soil types around the world, and more than 400 types throughout North Carolina. But there are three basic ingredients – sand, silt and clay, as well as any combination of the three – that make up all soil types. NASA Earth Observatory maps show how much of these ingredients can be found across the United States. Sandy soils that tend to drain water faster can be found in southern states. Clay soils that hold onto water and silt soils that tend to have intermediate drainage properties can be found across the country. North Carolina has a good mix of all of them but contains mostly sand and clay. 

Here’s a look at other ways soil can affect your home, specifically related to water leaking inside: 

• Clay Bowl Effect
  A large hole had to be dug in the ground to make room for your house. After the foundation floor and walls were built, some of the excavated soil was replaced or “backfilled” to fill the gap between the walls and the existing earth. This soil is loose, fluffy, not as dense or tightly packed as undisturbed soil, and it tends to absorb more water. When water collects in the soil immediately surrounding the house, it creates a “clay bowl” and puts pressure on the walls, which leads to cracks and leaking water.
   
• Hydrostatic Pressure
  When the soil around your foundation becomes wet, it expands and puts pressure on the walls. This constant force exerted on the walls is known as hydrostatic pressure. When this force becomes more than the walls can handle, they will begin to crack and bow inwards. This affects the structural integrity of the walls. Water also will then work its way through any opening available, including cracks and openings around pipes or windows.
   
• Soil Settlement
  The backfilled soil around your home will settle over time, and it can sink towards your foundation at a sloped angle. This allows water to easily run next to your foundation and contribute to hydrostatic pressure. 

Here are a few other common causes of water in your basement: 

• Weather
  Mother Nature can be unpredictable, and North Carolina experiences its share of wild weather. Heavy rainstorms can dump a lot of water on the ground, and hurricanes bring floodwaters with nowhere to go. This water can then find its way inside through saturated soil and wall cracks.
   

• Clogged Footing Drains
  A footing drain was installed outside the foundation walls of your home during its construction to help keep water away. But this drain can easily clog and allow water to collect by the walls. Preventing this is difficult, and so is cleaning and flushing the drains.
   
• Improper Exterior Drainage
  Clogged or above-ground exterior drainage pipes could allow water to puddle next to the home and find its way inside any cracks in the walls. It’s a good idea to place these lines in the ground and direct them far away from your house to prevent draining water from leaking inside. But you also need to make sure these lines are doing their job. If they crack, collapse, or clog, you could end up with water in your basement.
   
• Ineffective Sump Pump System
  Sump pumps are needed to keep water out of the basement. Many systems installed in the floor have metal basins, lids that rest on top of the basin, and openings for discharge pipes. Some may not have lids at all. These are ineffective systems that will only cause more problems. Metal basins can easily rust and corrode, and partial or missing lids allow water to evaporate back into or flood the basement. This leads to unpleasant odors, moisture and other water issues that defeat the purpose of the sump pump in the first place. Debris and other items also can easily fall into the system and damage the pump if the sump pit is not completely covered. 

Now are you ready to take back your home and make it a better place for your family to live and grow? As you start to plan for your repairs, you might be eager to run out to your neighborhood home improvement store to gather supplies. You may be very handy and capable of fixing different things around your home, but waterproofing a basement is not something you and a friend can tackle in a weekend. These types of repairs are serious work and are best left to professional contractors.  

There’s nothing to stop you from applying something like a sealant or paint to your walls, but these materials are only temporary quick fixes that will not permanently solve your leaking water issue. Sealants and paints will pop and flake, indicating a lingering moisture problem. Water also can find another way in because it follows the path of least resistance. 

Instead of wasting money on fast fixes that you’ll only have to spend more time and money reapplying, fix your wet basement the right way the first time around with trusted solutions from a reliable contractor. 

We know it can be intimidating working with someone you don’t know, and you’ve probably heard stories from friends and family members who had awful experiences with contractors. So, it’s understandable that you’d feel wary of working with a contractor yourself. But don’t let that totally influence your decision. 

Before hiring a contractor, make sure you do your homework and are comfortable with who you bring into your home. Ask for reviews; references; proof of insurance, licenses, and other certifications; a written contract; and examples of work that has been completed.  

If you’re not sure how to get started, that’s ok. The experts at Tar Heel Basement Systems are here to assist you every step of the way! 

As you embarked on your research, you found our website for a reason. You’re probably gathering as much information as possible before making an informed decision, which is wonderful. You might even think we’re just like any other contractor out there. But we can prove to you that we’re not. 

What sets us apart is our team and our approach to your repair needs. We’re not just going to come in your house, tell you that you need “everything but the kitchen sink,” throw some numbers around, slap a quick fix on the problem, and disappear to never be heard from again. We truly care about you and your home, and we want to do what’s best for you.  

Once you contact us, we’ll schedule an appointment for you to meet with one of our certified field inspectors for a free inspection and estimate. The inspector who visits your home will complete a thorough assessment of your home’s interior and exterior, as well as check for any cracks and other potential sources of leaks. He will discuss your goals with a repair project and provide you with a proposal of recommended solutions specifically tailored to address your repair needs. The inspector also can work within your budget and discuss payment and financing options. 

When you decide to move forward with the work, our office will work with you to schedule the installation project with one of our experienced crews. Our crews treat customers’ homes with complete care and use top-quality products to repair and protect it. Because your satisfaction is our No. 1 priority, our work is not done until you are 100% happy with the finished product. We also offer service and maintenance opportunities to ensure the systems we installed continue to operate at a high level to protect your home. 

We install only the very best solutions that are proven to permanently address your wet, leaking basement once and for all. It’s our commitment to you and your family. The products we use are manufactured in the USA and are designed to work together to give your basement complete protection.   

Our professional team will work with you every step of the way to design the best basement waterproofing system to perfectly fit your home’s repair needs.  

These are the solutions and how they work: 

• Interior Drainage System – The best way to waterproof a basement involves interior drainage channels. To collect seeping water from your walls and floor, we’ll place BasementGutter™ in the sub-floor throughout the basement’s perimeter. We also can place grated drainpipes in the floor in front of stairs and walk-out access points and tie these sections into the rest of the BasementGutter™ system. Water that is collected by these specially designed systems is then directed to a sump pump system. We also can use grated drainage  
• Sump Pump System – Once the leaking water is collected, it needs somewhere to go other than back onto your floor. Our interior drainage systems discretely direct this water to a reliable sump pump system to be pumped out of the basement and away from the house. We have a variety of SafeDri™ sump pump systems to meet your waterproofing needs – the SafeDri ™ Pro X Premier Sump Pump System, SafeDri ™ Battery Backup System, SafeDri ™ TripleSump ™ Pump System, and SafeDri ™ Pro Crawl Space Sump Pump System. 
• Dehumidifier – For a truly safe, dry, and healthy space, you also need to condition the air. Our powerful dehumidifier unit is energy-efficient in cleaning and filtering the air, controlling moisture and humidity, eliminating odors, and reducing potential mold growth. Unlike convention dehumidifiers, our unit is self-draining and can be directed to perimeter drainage or sump pump systems so there are no buckets to have to worry about emptying. 
• Frozen Discharge Line Prevention – Water being pumped out of a basement by way of a sump pump system exits through discharge lines. The lines outside the house could potentially freeze or become blocked, and this allows water to flow back into the basement. To prevent this from happening, we can attach the FreezeGuard™ outlet to the exterior sump pump discharge line. 
• Crack Repairs – We can seal and repair any wall cracks to prevent water intrusion. Our foundation repair solutions may also be needed for significant cracking and wall movement. 

We’ve saved the best concern for last. This is one of the most commonly asked questions we hear from homeowners. And rightly so. Your home is the most significant investment you’ll ever make, and you want to be sure you’re using quality solutions to protect it.  

Homeowners can expect to spend an average of $4,000 on basement waterproofing, with different projects ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. And the return on investment from basement waterproofing is estimated to be around 30 percent. But when you think about it, the health and structural and safety benefits, as well as peace of mind you’re investing in, are priceless. 

Every home is different, and every project calls for different solutions. That is why we cannot offer you a ballpark estimate over the phone. It’s important for one of our inspectors to physically visit your house to better understand what is going on. We are able to customize solutions specific to your repair needs. Your inspector will take into consideration your repair goals, the severity of damage or problem areas, square footage, and your budget. It’s not just a “one size fits all” fix. 

Contacting us for an expert opinion is your best way to go. We will not try to throw bandages on the problems, push you to buy unnecessary products, or provide sub-standard quick fixes. 

Are you unsure where to start or hesitant about working with a contractor? Don’t let that stop you back from protecting your home and family. Address the issues at the first sign of trouble and let the experts at Tar Heel Basement Systems give you a hand! We are eager to help you create a safer and healthier living environment! 

The experts at Tar Heel Basement Systems will provide your home with the best solutions. They have seen it all, and will work to keep your basement dry.

If you are experiencing leaking or flooding in your basement, mold, mildew, or musty odors, then give Tar Heel Basement Systems a call to schedule a free basement waterproofing estimate. A basement waterproofing specialist will visit your home to thoroughly inspect the foundation of your home’s basement.