3 Ways to Do Wet Basement Waterproofing in Glen Ellyn IL 60137
Glen Ellyn IL today is a prosperous suburb of 27,000 residents located in DuPage County. It is home of the College of DuPage and Glen Oak Country Club.
The village’s history mirrors that of many of its neighboring towns. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, Glen Ellyn’s first European settler was one Deacon Winslow Churchill who brought his family to what is now Glen Ellyn in 1834. A slightly later arrival, Lewey Newton, donated land and built a station so that the new railroad would stop in the area and the center of the settlement shifted south to the new town of Newton’s Station.
In the late 19th century a new dam created Lake Glen Ellyn and the town took that name officially in 1891. At the time, the discovery of several minerals springs and the construction of a major hotel led to Glen Ellyn’s stature as a health resort serving Chicagoans.
The village’s development during the 20th century was consistent, with the population approximately doubling every 30 years and housing construction rising to match the population. About ¼ of Glen Ellyn’s 10,000 homes predate 1940 and 80% were built prior to 1970. In a community of older homes like Glen Ellyn it is common for homeowners to deal with maintenance and repair problems brought on by age and many of them are facing the need for wet basement waterproofing.
3 Ways to Do Wet Basement Waterproofing in Glen Ellyn
Just as in neighboring Wheaton and Naperville, each home in Glen Ellyn that needs wet basement waterproofing is evaluated individually but there are 3 commonly used ways to solve the problem.
1. Crack Repair – The most common type of foundation in Glen Ellyn is poured concrete and the most frequent source of seepage in these foundations is a non-structural crack in the foundation wall. Such cracks can be permanently repaired by injecting them from the inside with expanding polyurethane, to fill and seal the crack all the way to the outside soil. The polyurethane remains flexible after it cures to prevent minor foundation movement from causing re-cracking.
If the crack can’t be accessed from inside, the crack can be repaired on the exterior by digging a small hole down to the footings at the site of the crack. The hole is filled with sodium bentonite clay that sets up to form a permanent barrier against water.
2. Interior Drain Tile – Interior drain tile, perforated pipe buried in a bed of washed gravel under the basement floor, is installed on the inside perimeter of the foundation footings. The drain tile relieves hydrostatic pressure under the foundation that would otherwise force water through the cove joint and cracks in the basement floor and carries ground water to a sump pump for disposal.
Properly installed, interior drain tile is maintenance-free.
3. Exterior Waterproofing – Water can also enter a poured concrete basement through porous patches or over the top of the foundation; masonry foundations can seep through deteriorated mortar joints or porous masonry units like brick or stone. The best way to prevent this type of seepage is to apply an exterior waterproofing membrane, a thick coat of asphalt-modified polyurethane that is troweled onto the foundation.
When ground water is extreme, the membrane can be augmented with exterior drain tile and heavy-duty drainage board to channel water downward.
Regardless of the method chosen for wet basement waterproofing a Glen Ellyn homeowner needs the advice and assistance of an experienced basement waterproofing contractor that knows the area and its homes. At U.S. Waterproofing, we have been keeping basements dry all over the Chicago area since 1957 and we have already helped many of your Glen Ellyn neighbors. Why not ask for our free advice?
