Do you have water getting in your basement or crawlspace? If you do, water intrusion is an issue that needs to be corrected. Water intrusion can cause many different problems like:

Mold - excessive moisture is one of the main reasons of mold growth.

Damage to your sub-structure - causes load bearing sill and joist to rot and  even possible foundation damage.

Damage to personal property - damages anything sitting on the floor, damage to the framing, staining on the walls and mold/mildew growing on the walls

Water intrusion can be fixed. There are several different applications to repairing water intrusion.

Crawl Spaces - can be corrected from the outside by digging below the footings, applying new waterproofing material, installing new drain line with gravel and redirect gutter drain lines while foundation is excavated, or the crawlspace can be dug from the inside with 12” minimum depth and 8” wide trenches. Install a corrugated pipe with holes and fill trenches with gravel. Some applications require a sump pump and pit depending on the grade around your house. If the grade around your house has enough fall there can be a positive flow drain line installed by digging under the footing and draining into your yard.

Basements - can be repaired from the outside or inside.

• Outside: The dirt around the foundation of the house should be excavated to approximately 1 ½’ below the basement floor. The walls should be cleaned and new waterproofing material applied along with new foundation drain lines. Backfilling should be a 12” x 12” column of gravel along the foundation walls up approximately 1’ from the top grade. Redirect gutter drain lines before completing the backfill. Make sure the foundation drain line falls away from the house.


• Interior: With an interior drain line or break out system the concrete floor must be must be cut out along the foundation walls and removed. Dig a trench below the floor approximately 12” deep and 8” wide. Drill weep holes in the block below the floor. Install a 4” pipe with holes and fill trench with gravel up to the bottom of the concrete floor. Re-pour the concrete. Install a sump pump with a pit or install a positive flow drain line under the footing, this application depends on the dirt level around your house. And in some cases you may have to install drainage board on the walls to direct the water into the drain system.

These are just some examples of how water intrusion can be corrected. There are many different ways to correct water issues. Everyone’s situation is different. We take that into consideration to develop the correct solution for you. Just make sure that you have contracted with a qualified waterproofing expert. Make sure that your contractor is insured and licensed. Thompson Brothers Exterminating and Waterproofing gives a life of structure warranty on most of their waterproofing projects.