Grading Issues & Your Leaky Basement
There seems to be some confusion about the role of grading for a basement that is prone to leaks.
In our experience, if you already have water entering your basement, then:
raising the grade alone will do little to stop it from happening again.
Did you know that water will move underground as well and still create hydrostatic pressure against your unprotected foundation. This will happen anytime the ground becomes saturated such as early spring or from heavy precipitation. Climate change is also causing more frequent heavy precipitation events in the Kingston area.
Adding more fill against your foundation will increase the lateral pressure on exterior walls. With poor drainage & over-compacted soil, some foundation walls can be overloaded and begin to fail by bowing inwards or cracking from too much weight against them.
Combine that with the heavy expansive clay here in Kingston that often gets saturated from high amounts of precipitation and you may get more weight than you bargained for.
Loyalist Waterproofing Services will stop basement leaks properly by carefully excavating the area and making permanent repairs to the foundation walls. The addition of an air gap membrane will ensure separation & drainage of the wet soil against your foundation.
