3 Ways to Do Wet Basement Waterproofing in Joliet IL 60435
In some ways, Joliet IL has been the Rodney Dangerfield of Illinois cities – no respect. Most pop culture references to the city had to do with the now-closed Joliet Correctional Center, ranging from “Joliet Jake” Blues and his brother, Elwood to the late Steve Goodman’s Lincoln Park Pirates who were “recent graduates of the charm school in Joliet.”
In reality, Joliet today is Illinois’ fastest growing city with a population that has nearly doubled since 1990. Its revitalized downtown, motorsports venues, gambling casinos and the famed Rialto Theater have drawn new residents and visitors alike and thousands of jobs in healthcare, government and education have contributed to the city’s new prosperity.
Of course, Joliet has a long history behind it that began when French Canadian explorers Pere Marquette and Louis Jolliet paddled up the Des Plaines River in 1673 and camped on a mound just southwest of the site of the city. It was not until the early 19th century that a village took shape there, which was incorporated as the city of Joliet in 1852.
Today, Joliet is a city of 147,000 with 38,000 homes, more than half of which were built before 1970. Just as in nearby towns of Orland Park and Oak Forest, many homeowners in Joliet are finding they are in need of wet basement waterproofing
3 Ways to Do Wet Basement Waterproofing in Joliet
Of course, no matter which method of repair is ultimately recommended, each home in Joliet that is in need of wet basement waterproofing is evaluated on a case-by-case basis but there are three common approaches.
1. Interior Drain Tile – One common way water gets into a basement is when hydrostatic pressure below the foundation forces it in through floor cracks or the cove joint between floor and wall. Installing interior drain tile, perforated pipe embedded in washed gravel below the basement floor, will alleviate the pressure and carry the ground water to a sump pump for discharge. Installed properly, interior drain tile will be maintenance-free.
2. Crack Repair – The most common source of seepage in a poured concrete foundation is a non-structural crack in a basement wall. These cracks can be permanently repaired from the interior by injecting them with expanding polyurethane that fills and seals the crack and remains flexible to prevent minor foundation movement from re-opening it.
If the crack is inaccessible from inside, it can be repaired on the outside with sodium bentonite clay. A small hole is dug down to the foundation footings at the site of the crack and filled with the clay, which forms a permanent water barrier on the positive side.
3. Exterior Waterproofing – Poured concrete foundations can also experience seepage over the top of the foundation wall or through patches of porous concrete; masonry walls through cracked or deteriorated mortar joints or through porous masonry units like concrete block or brick. This seepage can be stopped by installing an exterior waterproofing membrane, a thick coating of asphalt-modified polyurethane that is applied with a trowel, to form a permanent water seal around the outside of the foundation.
If ground water is especially high, the membrane can be augmented with exterior drain tile and heavy-duty drainage board that will protect the membrane and channel water down to the drain tile.
No matter what the best method for a particular home, the Joliet homeowner who needs wet basement waterproofing also needs the help of a qualified basement waterproofing contractor. At U.S. Waterproofing we have been keeping basements dry and homes healthy since our founding in 19567, including many in Joliet. Why not ask for our free advice?
