Basement Waterproofing Problems: DIY Foundation Crack Repair
You noticed a while ago that there’s a small foundation wall crack in your basement and you’ve been meaning to look into getting it fixed. Even with the best intentions, nothing got done and now, after a weekend of heavy rain, you see that water is seeping into your basement through the crack.
What do you do now, call the basement waterproofing company or head off to Home Depot for that basement crack repair kit your neighbor told you about?
DIY vs. Professional Foundation Crack Repair
A professional foundation crack repair will likely cost between $300 and $500; to be honest, the DIY kit is going to cost maybe half that. And, if you’re a highly skilled and experienced do-it-yourselfer, you might be able to do a pretty decent job. However, for the vast majority of homeowners, the right thing is to call the professional basement waterproofing company, for several reasons:
Skill – Installers and technicians for a basement waterproofing company have undergone training, often developed by the manufacturers of urethane and epoxy crack repair materials, in how to properly apply the sealants in a broad range of sites and scenarios. Typically, these installers start as trainees, learning the trade before they are sent out on their own. Reading the label on the package or watching a video on YouTube just isn’t the same.
Experience – When the technician from an established basement waterproofing company goes to work in your basement, he brings with him not only his personal experience but that of his entire company. He has typically repaired thousands of cracks so he knows how to inject the crack so it is completely filled, all the way to the outside soil. The crack he repairs in your basement won’t be his first. Could you say the same?
Materials – Sure, you can get crack repair kits online or at a home improvement store but do you really know what you’re getting? Is it as good as what the pros use? Has it been sitting on a shelf for several years? (and they do have a useful life.) Is the manufacturer even still in business? The professional has a choice of any supplier in the business, tests products to find the best one and always has a current supply.
Warranty – When the basement waterproofing company repairs cracks in a residential basement, they offer a lifetime warranty against further water infiltration through that crack. In other words, if the crack ever leaks again, they’ll return to fix it. Free. In many cases, these warranties are transferable to a new owner when you sell your home. When you fix the crack yourself and it leaks again, who you gonna call? Look in the mirror, bud – it’s all you.
As we’ve discussed before, DIY basement waterproofing isn’t all bad when the homeowner has the skills, tools and materials to do the job right. Crack injection isn’t complicated but it is difficult to get 100% right the first time, especially when you’ve never done it before, so it’s probably better to leave it to the professionals. You may end up spending the money you save on a DIY kit several times over before the water stops flowing.
At U.S. Waterproofing, we’ve been repairing cracks by the injection process ever since the technology was developed and thousands of our more than 300,000 satisfied customers have benefitted from our always seeking out the newest, best methods and materials. If you have a crack in your basement, why not ask for our free advice?
