Wet or Damp Basement?
With over 30 years of fixing basements in Milwaukee, we can help.
THE ZABLOCKI WATERPROOFING DIFFERENCE…
If your basement is damp, wet, or has cracked walls, the first step is identifying the cause of the moisture problem.
The basement repair experts at Zablocki Waterproofing will assess your house or commercial building, identify the cause(s) of the problem, and clearly explain to you what is occurring.
Your free estimate will include a list of services that need to be completed in order to turn your basement back into comfortable and dry living space.
Our foundation crack repair and basement waterproofing services can make you love your basement again or perhaps for the first time.
“The bottom line is, we never oversell services. With over 25 years of experience, we can diagnose the situation accurately and give you the sound advice you need to fix the problem with minimal excavation and expense.” – John Zablocki
POTENTIAL WATERPROOFING SOLUTIONS
EXTERIOR WATERPROOFING
Clay soil holds water and can prevent water from draining away from your home, causing your basement walls to be damp. Zablocki can provide thorough exterior waterproofing to your foundation exterior walls to form a foundation sealer and keep the water outside where it belongs. We’ll also backfill around your home with stone to mitigate water collection around your basement walls.
DRAIN TILE REPAIR
Drain tiles under your basement floor are what carry the water to your sump crock, which then pumps it out of your home. Over time, drain tiles can clog due to encroaching tree or shrub roots, which impede water flow to your sump crock and cause water to collect in basement walls.
While many waterproofing contractors will excavate and replace the entire drain tile system, Zablocki can pinpoint the area of trouble and replace only the drain tiles that are damaged. Zablocki can also install corrugated plastic that runs from the base of your interior walls into your drain tile system. This protective barrier ensures proper drainage to your drain tile system during heavy rains.
Click to learn more about drain tile repair and drain tile testing.
If you are in the Milwaukee area and in need of basement waterproofing or basement wall repair, call us today.
Interior vs. Exterior Waterproofing
With the snowy days come thoughts of the best ways to keep our basements dry throughout the winter. Here in Wisconsin, we experience a large amount of precipitation year-round: rain in the spring and summer, and anything from mist to snow to hail the rest of the year. If you’re a homeowner and have never explored basement waterproofing for your house, now is a perfect time. There are a variety of strategies our experts at Zablocki Waterproofing use to ensure local homes stay warm and dry all year long.
One question we often get is “what is the difference between exterior and interior waterproofing?” Here is our simple guide to understanding your waterproofing options:
What is exterior waterproofing?
Exterior waterproofing strategies are your home’s first defenders against basement moisture. The purpose of exterior waterproofing strategies is to keep moisture from ever entering your basement.
One of the more popular and effective exterior waterproofing methods is the “drain tile” system. Sometimes referred to as a French drain, a drain tile system is installed around the perimeter of your home to collect water and reroute it away before it can enter your basement. To install a drain tile system, a trench is excavated (dug) around the perimeter of your home and a special variety of gravel is put in the trench and covered in soil. Then, you can landscape the area. Water that approaches the perimeter of your home is caught in the soil and transferred to the gravel, which then navigates it away from the home.
A drain tile system can be pricey to install, but it is an investment, and the results will save you plenty in damage and heartache over time.
Here are a couple of other exterior waterproofing methods:
- Gutters and downspouts (make sure you clean them out regularly!)
- Waterproof sealant applied around the exterior of your home’s foundation
- Make sure your sump pump discharge tube outside is free of debris and allows water to easily flow out
While none of these strategies are foolproof, any (or, even better, a combination of more than one) will help in the never-ending fight against basement moisture.
What is interior waterproofing?
You know that old saying, “the two things that are inevitable in life are death and taxes?” Well, as basement waterproofing experts, we’d like to add an item to this list: basement moisture. No matter how hard you try or how many waterproofing strategies you put in place, water will find its way into your basement.
This is why interior waterproofing is just as important as exterior waterproofing. While exterior waterproofing does the crucial job of keeping moisture out, interior waterproofing methods capture the water that does enter the basement and routes it back outdoors and away from your home’s foundation.
One of the most common interior waterproofing strategies is a sump pump system. When moisture enters the basement, it is collected in a drainage system and fed into a “sump crock.” Once the amount of water in the sump crock reaches a certain level, the automatic “sump pump” moves the water back outdoors through a pipe system. While most sump pumps run on your home’s electrical system, in the Milwaukee area it is also a good idea to have an automatic battery backup system so your pump keeps working even if you lose power in your home.
Other interior waterproofing strategies include:
- Vapor barriers, or linings made of plastic or foil installed in the walls to seal out moisture
- Filling cracks in your home’s foundation
- Repairing and reinforcing buckled basement walls
Do you need both interior and exterior waterproofing?
The ideal solution to keeping your basement dry is a combination of exterior and interior waterproofing. Exterior waterproofing keeps water from entering your home, while interior waterproofing removes the water that does end up creeping into your basement.
What can you do to ensure your basement stays dry? Make sure your gutters are cleared out so they can do their job of collecting and routing water away from your home; regularly check your sump pump to make sure it’s working well and pushing water away from your home, and bring in an expert if you experience ongoing basement moisture issues.
Do you have questions about basement waterproofing or foundation repair? Wondering if you’ve done everything you can to keep your home dry? Looking for a basement waterproofing and foundation repair company you can trust? Here at Zablocki Waterproofing, we are the greater Milwaukee area’s basement waterproofing experts. Give us a call today to get started.