Basement Waterproofing Before & After Photos

Most people would look at these pictures and think it was rust or clay coming out of the pipe. I know that's what I thought when I first encountered this problem many years ago. What you are looking at is actually a kind of bacteria in the ground water. It is called iron ochre and gets mistaken for clay all the time. The reason is that it will build up and clog pipes. When this happens the pipes look like they are filled with clay. This homeowner first called because of a leaky basement. He thought that his old waterproofing system was clogged with clay. The first thing that needed to happen was to get a smooth pipe into the sump. The old pipe has ridges and they act like building blocks for the bacteria to build on, this is what clogged the pipes in the first place. A smooth pipe is less likely to clog, and much easier to clean out.

Whether your crawlspace floor is dirt or concrete, the Hydrolink drainage pipe system that DryZone uses is perfect for fixing a ground water problem. The only way to truly guarantee a waterproofed crawlspace is with the appropriate amount of drainage pipes and sump pumps. A sump pump is great to have in a crawlspace, but how will water from other parts of the crawlspace reach the pump without some sort of piping system? A great and easy way to relate to this concept is by thinking of the sump pump as a city, you could get to the city without roads but it would be a long and rough trip. If you add smooth roads, Hydrolink drainage pipes, then the trip is faster and much easier. One great advantage that Hydrolink has over other pipe systems is that it is made up of smooth pipes rather than ridges like those of a black corrugated pipe. Those ridges trap dirt and debris very easily and can clog incredibly quickly. Hydrolink is far less likely to clog and even has inspection ports built into the system. These ports allow you to see if the system clogs and flush it out with a hose if needed.

Even if you have a brand new house the basement windows can leak. The problem is that most home builders will install a basement window the same way as a window upstairs. The windows on the side of your home probably don't leak, and that's because gravity and the siding will guide the rain to the ground. Basement windows don't have room under them to let the rain water escape. Older homes will have a much worse problem because of the old single pane glass and rusty metal frames. The dark lines are evidence of a major leak. DryZone installs custom-made basement windows that are sealed and look amazing in Delaware and Maryland homes. They have thick glass and are double paned to make them more energy efficient.

If you've gotten a TrenchDrain system (perimeter drain) from DryZone we even make sure that if the drainage is clogged we have a small trap door so we can open it and clean out whatever is stuck in there. This way ensuring that you drain is always collecting water properly and getting it to the Sump Pump.

Look at this before and after of a clogged drain and how easily it is to clean it out if it ever does get clogged.

After you have made sure your basement doesn't flood or have leaking water you still want to continue to use products that are waterproof. Why? Well, what happens if your basement gets a leaky pipe or busted pipe or the sump pump fails? But if you get waterproofing walls and even flooring like this homeowner you won't have to worry about your walls or floors ever getting damaged by water or growing mold. This home got cleanspace on their walls and thermal dry matting tiles. These tiles are a heavy duty plastic and the bottom is design to let water drain underneath of them. Carpet can also be placed on top or you can leave them bare.