How to Seal a Basement in Orland Park, IL 60462
In the years following World War II, the United States experienced not just the famed “Baby Boom” but also a housing boom caused by military veterans returning to work in an expanded economy and the availability of mortgage credit to not only these veterans but a larger segment of the general population as well.
This housing boom created the American suburb, as cheap land and more automobiles caused a demand for homes outside the traditional population centers in cities. By the 1960’s suburban lifestyle was firmly established and had become the new norm for American life.
Some of today’s suburbs, however, weren’t necessarily created by the postwar expansion. Orland Park, for example, saw its housing stock quadruple during this period but that accounted for only a few more than 2000 of the nearly 20,000 homes that house Orland Park residents today. The village, known today for its model parks and recreation facilities, really hit its stride in the period 1970 – 1999 when more than 15,000 homes were built and the population increased from 7500 to 51,000!
Today, Orland Park’s nearly 20,000 homeowners face the same home maintenance issues as their neighbors in Palos Heights and Tinley Park, including the need to seal their basements against seepage.
Sealing a Basement in Orland Park
Although each home and its problems are unique, there are 3 common ways to seal a basement in Orland Park.
Crack Repair – One of the most likely causes of a wet basement in Orland Park is water seeping through a non-structural crack in a foundation wall. The best way to repair such a crack is to inject it with expanding polyurethane from the inside. The polyurethane fills and seals the crack all the way to the outside soil and remains flexible when it cures to prevent minor foundation movement from re-opening the crack.
In situations where the crack can’t be accessed from inside it can be repaired from the exterior by digging a small hole along the foundation at the site of the crack and filling it with sodium bentonite clay. The clay forms a pliable, permanent barrier against water intrusion.
Exterior Waterproofing – Another common source of seepage is through sections of porous concrete, mortar joints or over the top edge of the foundation. The recommended approach to preventing continued seepage is to apply an exterior waterproofing membrane, a thick coating of asphalt-modified polyurethane. The material is troweled onto the wall to create a permanent “positive-side” barrier against water intrusion and should not be confused with “damp-proofing,” a thin spray coating applied during construction.
When ground water is heavy, the membrane may be augmented with exterior drain tile and drainage board to channel water downward.
Interior Drain Tile – Another frequent cause of a wet basement in Orland Park is seepage through the cove joint or floor cracks due to hydrostatic pressure under the foundation. This pressure can be alleviated and the water removed by installing an interior drain tile system connected to a sump pump. The drain tile, perforated pipe embedded in washed gravel under the basement floor, is maintenance-free when properly installed.
Regardless of the source of water, an Orland Park homeowner who needs to seal his or her basement requires the services of a basement waterproofing contractor that knows how to recognize the problem and offers a complete range of services to repair it. At U.S. Waterproofing, we have helped hundreds of Orland Park homeowners seal their basements and keep them dry permanently, so why not ask for free advice on your basement?
