Basement Waterproofing in Naperville — 4 Things to Know
Naperville is a great town. It has a vibrant downtown area, excellent schools and a bright economic future. Due to a major growth spurt in the 1990’s, it’s now the 5th largest city in Illinois and ranks high on all those “Best Places to Live” lists.
Even the best towns aren’t free from basement seepage problems, however, and Naperville is no exception. Given the mix of historic and new homes, basement waterproofing in Naperville requires expertise with all kinds of foundations and every possible scenario.
4 Things to Look for When Considering Basement Waterproofing in Naperville
Here are the things that make basement waterproofing in Naperville different:
Variety of Foundations – Most of the homes in Naperville, built in the late 20th Century, have the poured concrete foundations common to northern Illinois. In the downtown Historic District, however, homes can date back to the mid-1800s and have foundations made of stone. Each of these foundations is subject to seepage; the concrete foundation through cracks and the cove joint, stone through the mortar joints. The methods of permanently repairing leaks in these foundations differ, too. Cracks in poured concrete foundation walls can be repaired by injecting expanding urethane that fills and seals the crack all the way to the outside soil. Cove seepage is eliminated by installing interior drain tile that relieves hydrostatic pressure. With stone foundation walls, the best repair is to excavate around the foundation and install a waterproofing membrane that provides “positive-side” protection against seepage.
Crawl Spaces and Basements – It’s common to find full and partial basements, along with crawl spaces in Naperville homes. Crawl spaces, whether part or all of the below-ground level, are often neglected by homeowners because they’re not being used. However, they are subject to the same water problems as basements, made worse by the fact that many have dirt floors covered only by a thin vapor barrier. A wet crawl space can elevate humidity levels in the living space above it, foster the growth of mold and cause damage to the foundation. These problems can be avoided by encapsulating the crawl space or, at least, pouring a concrete floor. The now-dry space can be used for much-needed storage.
Poor Water Management – Before water comes into the basement it’s either in the ground outside or on top of it and many Naperville homes inadvertently do a poor job of managing the surface water because of the beautiful landscaping work that has been done on them. For example, when landscapers cut spade edges around planting beds it looks great but also serves as a dam that traps rain water and holds it near the foundation. Those same landscapers may have attempted to install underground downspout extensions with more of an eye toward appearance than function, causing them to back up or dump water where it’s not wanted.
Window Well Damage – Window wells serve an important purpose in keeping Naperville basements dry along with allowing light and air to enter basement space. Window well drains carry off water that can otherwise seep in around windows or elsewhere. If window well covers are broken or missing, these drains can quickly clog with debris; if the drains themselves were never installed then there is no drainage at all. Also, as homes age, window well liners can detach from the foundation and allow water to enter between the liner and the foundation wall.
Nearly 150,000 people live the good life in Naperville and there’s no reason to let wet basements spoil things. A basement waterproofing professional who knows Naperville can recommend the best, most cost-effective permanent repair for any of these problems or any others that might arise.
The experts at U.S. Waterproofing know Naperville. We were founded in 1957 in a Chicago garage and today we’re one of the largest basement waterproofing companies in the U.S. As Naperville grew we grew along with it and we have many, many satisfied customers there who’ll tell you how we helped them. Why not ask for our free advice when you see water in your basement?
