Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

Hydrostatic pressure in the basement is not the only cause of moisture (1) and water damage problems for a foundation.

We do not analyze here this situation in crawlspaces or concrete slabs. For crawlspace, I have addressed some of the possible ways to fulfill wateproofing requirements in this article.

Water weighs slightly more than 60lbs. per cubic foot. If the soil around your basement is saturated with water, there could be tens of thousands of pounds of hydrostatic pressure against your foundation. With significant pressure, it’s likely that water will find its way through even the smallest crack or gap in your basement.

Water always finds an opening. Hydrostatic pressure can easily drive groundwater into the basement through gaps and cracks in the masonry. High water pressure can also cause seepage through solid concrete.

Water seepage through cracks in basement floors is commonly caused by hydrostatic water pressure underneath your concrete slab. Precipitation frequency, heavy rainfalls, broken water lines, and natural springs can raise the water table putting pressure under your concrete slab. A rising water table will increase hydrostatic pressure resulting in water being pushed through cracks in basement floors.

As the rain seeps into the ground, the water table rises because the ground is unable to soak up all the water. This rising water table creates hydrostatic pressure against your foundation

Water seepage through cracks can cause a variety of problems in basements; seepage of water, vapor, and radon gas into homes, water seepage that can destroy flooring materials, adhesive, carpeting, and high humidity that can cause mold infestation. Being proactive and repairing cracks before they start seeping will not only protect your basement but also your health.

One critical component of any waterproofing system is removing water that accumulates around the footing and foundation.  Otherwise, the water builds up, and under the pressure of its own weight, will penetrate through the cracks and pores in the concrete walls and up through the floor slab.  If there are any flaws in the waterproofing, hydrostatic pressure will ensure they leak.

The solution, of course, is to remove the water.  Sump pumps, sheet drains, perforated pipe, and other products are designed specifically for this purpose, but they must work together to ensure the system performs as designed.  In new construction, some sort of drainage system is required by code, and when properly designed and installed, might last the life of the structure.  With existing homes, drainage systems sometimes need remediation and repair due to clogs, inadequate sizing, or other issues.

Hydrostatic pressure from groundwater ebbs and flows with the seasons. Rainy months put more groundwater in the soil than dry months, which may have close to zero hydrostatic pressure in the basement in some regions.

hydrostatic pressure in the basement can be best described as the constant force of water pressure being excreted on the basement walls.

As a general rule, hydrostatic pressure increases as subsurface depth decreases, due to the increasing weight of earth and gravity generating downward force from above. This is what makes basement foundations that reside beneath the earth in moist soil conditions so susceptible to foundation damage. In other words, the deeper the foundation and the wetter the soil conditions, the greater the risk for structural damage.

hydrostatic pressure in the basement
Seen during a foundation inspection. Hydrostatic pressure in the basement is easily found in the cracks between the line of blocks. Sometimes there are also stair-step cracks too, but not during this inspection.

Drainage As A Solution For The Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

The system really needs to have an effective drainage system to channel the water where it needs to go. Site conditions and contractor preferences dictate which drainage system one should use.

For centuries, builders have used gravel for this purpose.  It’s cheap and readily available, but can sometimes clog with soil.

Dimple Sheet Drains

Today, dimple sheet drains and foam protection boards are more commonly used, and are available in a wide range of sizes, compressive strengths, flow rates, filtration capabilities, and chemical resistance to suit virtually any drainage application.

They’re installed with the dimples facing the concrete, and mechanically fastened at the top.  Dimple membranes create an air space, creating a way for water to drain to the footing tile, and diffuse hydrostatic pressure. You want to alleviate water as quickly as possible.  Under standard conditions, a standard dimple sheet will work.

Normally, the sheet is terminated at the top of the footing. Sometimes contractors run it to the base of the footing, but care must be taken to ensure the perforated pipe or drain tile is installed  outside of the dimple sheet, or the system will not function. Best practice is to terminate the sheet just above the level of the drain tile.

French Drain Or Footing Drain

Fortunately, you are not helpless to resist the rising hydrostatic tide. It is possible to construct your own french drain, a time-tested method for alleviating all types of water intrusion and hydrostatic pressure issues.

French drains are long, sloping trenches that contain a continuous expanse of perforated pipe, which is surrounded all around its underground perimeter with a protective layer of gravel, crushed rock or small stones. By replacing heavy, compacted soil with gravel and draining water away from the basement walls, pressure is reduced.

The French drain has four main parts: the drainage pipe, gravel (drainage stone), a layer of concrete over the gravel, and a discharge system, which includes a sump basin with a pump in it. The pump discharges water to a safe location away from the structure.

It removes the water before it can rise above the level of the basement floor, so there is never any hydrostatic pressure against the concrete. If you’re seeing any seepage at all in your basement, the concrete is being gradually weakened, and it will eventually fail. 

The trench should be dug on the uphill side of the area where underground hydrostatic pressure is most acute, parallel to the affected section of underground basement wall (the trench can be dug to curve around the house if underground hydrostatic pressure is a problem on more than one side). The pipe should empty somewhere downhill from your home, for example in a dry well, into a storm drain in the street or into an adjacent wooded lot.

If the source of your water problem is runoff from a nearby hill your french drainage trench can be fairly shallow, possibly starting off at a depth of two feet and sloping gradually downward from there. But if being below the water line is the source of your basement flooding you may have to dig down and install your drainage pipe deeper, in order to capture and divert enough incoming water to solve your dilemma.

While shallow trenches can be dug by hand with shovels, if a deeper drain is required you may need to rent a mechanical trench digger from an earth moving equipment company or a home improvement supply store.

For decades, the standard footing drain or French drain has been gravel and perforated pipe.  It’s cost-effective and generally works very well.  However, any system that reliably removes the water from the soils around the footing and directs it to sump pit will work.

The size of the building and the type of soil surrounding it need to be considered in determining  the appropriate drain tile.  Know what type of soil you’re dealing with, and calculate for the heaviest 15-minute rainfall.  That’s what we go back to for design.  With this data, the waterproofer can calculate how many gallons per minute need to be picked up.

Deep And Shallow Channeling Approaches For Relevant Drainage Systems

These systems usually fall into one of two categories:

 1. Shallow depth method: a rectangular-shaped channel is installed 2-4 inches under the basement floor along the perimeter of the foundation. Water runs down the wall to a gap at the floor and drains into the channel and on to a collection basin, where a sealed sump pump evacuates the water away from the home. 

2. Deep channel drainage system: the most common method. Concrete is removed where the floor and wall meet. Soil is removed down to and below the lowest point on the foundation, where a perforated pipe is laid into a bed of gravel. The pipe is pitched to drain toward a sealed sump pump basin, where the water is pumped away. The floor is re-cemented, sealing the trench.

With either method, you’ll want a sump pump that has battery back-up. Those dark and stormy nights that dump water into the soil are also notorious for knocking out power. It’s also important that sump basins and other discharge pipe joints are sealed; this prevents moisture from escaping into the basement interior.

An additional safeguard against basement moisture is a vapor barrier, which is attached to the foundation walls.

I discuss very briefly the installation of the vapor barrier as an additional protection a few paragraphs below.

Footing Drains Accepted In Building Codes

Building codes specify at least four types of acceptable footing drains, including perforated pipe, gravel in a trench, proprietary systems like Form-A-Drain, and loose-fill EPS foam chips in mesh sleeve.

Newer homes often have built-in drainage. Building codes in some cities are requiring drainage systems as part of new construction. Some builders are constructing homes with drainage systems for liability reasons. Whatever the reason, it’s a good idea. 

Insurance underwriting processes want to see some KPIs in construction projects that refer to building codes in order to issue an insurance policy to the builder. We discussed the building codes for sistering joists in this article, so you can have an idea how complex this can turn.

Epoxy And Carbon Fiber Straps As Alternatives

A recommended solution is to cover the cracks in the blocks, horizontal cracks and stair-step cracks with epoxy. After this, it is required to reinforce the wall with carbon fiber straps. The wall appear with dark lines after this work and aesthetically does not look pretty. Here is where the homeowner could paint the wall in the basement to improve its looks.

If basement flooding from hydrostatic pressure goes on for too long it can cause long-term damage to your home. Once your DIY efforts have been exhausted may need some help with repairs, and you may want to consider contracting a structural repair expert to devise and implement a more permanent solution to your moisture penetration problems.

Vapor Barrier As An Additional Safeguard Against Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

Installing a vapor barrier is not a single solution against hydrostatic pressure in the basement, of course. Nevertheless, it is an additional safeguard as there is an attachment of the vapor barrier to the foundation wall.

It allows seepage into the drainage system, amid the blockage of radon gas, soil vapors and moisture to enter the interior of the basement.

Suitable Pump Arrangements To Deal With Drainage Against Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

Water from the footing drain is directed to a sump pit, which should be below the lowest point in the structure.  While sizing the pit and the pump is beyond the scope of this article, as we discuss it thoroughly in our article about sum pump sizing, the general idea is to install a system that can cope with the volume of water delivered during an intense 15-minute peak waterflow event. In some of the larger homes, multiple sump pits may be needed.

Size and location of the basin are based on the region of the country and the water table. If people are cost conscious, they may go with a lower horsepower motor, others may want top of the line, but they should never select a product that’s inadequate for peak flow events.

Similarly, waterproofers and contractors should strongly encourage homeowners to install a battery-powered back-up pump that will automatically take over if the continuous duty A/C pump goes out.

Typically, when the power goes out, it’s in the middle of a rainstorm, and just when you need a pump the most, it’s gone.

Most homes being built are not high-end custom homes.  An additional few hundred dollars spent on drainage and pumps make a world of difference. Owners won’t hesitate to put that much into countertops, cabinets or lighting, but they should also think of upgrading the systems that protect their home. 

Influence Of Soil In The Drainage

I have recommended solutions against the hydrostatic pressure in the basement based on improving the drainage flow instead of waterproofing. However, drainage related approaches force us to cast a glance to soil considerations and understand that we have to consider soil composition in all cases.

Different soils drain differently. Some will hold tons and tons of water, and others will let water filter right through it.

Similarly, some soil has extremely fine particles, which can wash out and plug the pipe.  In these cases, an extra layer of geotextile around the pipe could make the difference between a system that performs as intended and one that is clogged beyond repair in just a few short years. The geocomposite material is in contact with the soil to prevent the fines from washing down and clogging the drain.

When using these type of drains (termed geocomposites), one should also consider the use of footing tile or French drain with filter cloth over the tile since the purpose of these boards is to filter out fines, which can also render a drainage system inadequate in short period of time if not properly considered for the soils conditions.

Other factors, such as location (located side of hill vs. located in a small hollow), climate, perched water table, and depth of foundation, may also necessitate drainage modifications.

Inefficacy Of Just Sealing The Basement Through A Waterproofing Membrane

Thinking of sealing and waterproofing with a membrane as a way to combat hydrostatic pressure in the basement? I don´t think so. at least not as a primary solution. But waterproofing can work if we add a drain tile and therefore, an internal draining system to channel waterflows outside the foundation, relieving and conducting intelligently away the hydrostatic pressure in the basement.

This pressure can exert enormous forces.  Four feet of water exerts nearly 300 pounds of pressure per square foot of wall, and a basement footing with ten feet of saturated soil above it must withstand 600 pounds per square foot.

And the bigger the basement, the more hydrostatic pressure there may be. It will find cracks in foundations, it will find gaps in expansion joints, it can exploit the porosity in concrete.

A waterproofing membrane, under these conditions, is typically inadequate.  Under pressure, water will find a way through poorly sealed seams in sheet membranes and areas of inadequate millage in spray-applied products.

Rather than seal a basement against hydrostatic pressure, it’s more efficient and more cost effective to relieve that pressure. The larger the structure, the more difficult it would be to seal it up completely.  Rather than fight the pressure, it’s almost always better to relieve, control, and manage.

Because concrete is porous, even the most well-constructed foundation can’t provide a perfect barrier to hydrostatic pressure in the basement. It needs help.

A waterproofing system can be utilized to solve the issue of the hydrostatic pressure in the basement only if we add a drain tile that is an interior drainage system that conveys waterflows away from the basement boundaries.

Th solution prevents wall and floor seepage, and can also stop water that permeates decayed concrete and masonry walls. An interior system channels drain tile water to a sub-floor sump pump, which automatically channels it to a safe location outside the structure. Because they don’t utilize outside drains, which can clog with silt and roots, interior systems are very reliable.

So once we had drained and conducted the pressure flows, we can think in waterproofing solutions, against hydrostatic pressure in the basement.

Causes Of Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

If your home’s foundation or basement walls are built fully or partially below the water table, or on a hillside where water runs down from above, be on the lookout for the rampaging force of nature known as hydrostatic pressure, which can cause cracks in walls, flood your basement and ultimately cause significant water-related damage.

Hydrostatic pressure describes the outward and downward pressure caused by standing water pushing against any object or surface that blocks it, in this case — your basement walls. The pull of gravity against standing water is relentless, causing the water to push and push hard against anything that restricts its flow. Water is a dense substance, weighing in at about 60 lbs. per cubic foot of volume, and it is capable of generating immense hydrostatic pressure when a prodigious quantity of it is prevented from following its intended downhill course.

When the underground sections of a home block the natural movement of groundwater, during times of heavy runoff the soil will become saturated and foundation slabs and basement walls will suddenly become stressed by thousands of pounds of unforgiving hydrostatic pressure.

If your home is well-constructed it may not crumble under the pressure, at least not for a while. But there’s something about your home’s basement walls that you might not realize: they aren’t nearly as solid and impenetrable as they appear. This is especially true of concrete used in home construction more than a decade ago, when concrete was often of a lower quality than it is today.

Regardless of quality, however, when concrete dries unevenly, small microscopic air tubes can form on the inside, and those tubes may pass all the way through the concrete from one side to the other.

Water sitting behind basement walls and foundation slabs may not bust them down or uproot them, but it will find and fill each invisible opening in the surface of the concrete it touches. This can create a series of tiny flowing veins or rivers that will ultimately seep (continuously) on the other side.

If this is happening in your home, the flooding of your basement may proceed at a snail’s pace. But it will proceed, and the longer the soil stays saturated around your home the worse your basement flooding problem will become.

Other visible signs of basement moisture problems due to hydrostatic pressure often include:

  • Efflorescence on basement walls or floor
  • Mold growth
  • Humidity in the basement
  • Strange smells in the basement
  • Walls that bow inward or outward
  • Cracks in walls

Causes Of Basement Flooding Different From The Hydrostatic Pressure

Only a few percentage of basement flooding cases recognize its origin in the hydrostatic pressure in the basement. Let´s see these other causes now.

Other potential sources of basement moisture problems include:

  • Underground water leaks (plumbing, HVAC systems, water pipes, city water mains, sprinklers, etc.)
  • A failure with the sump pump, for some reason, it is not working and water excess is not being pumped. It is installed at the bottom of a sump basin (pit) below the floor. Its purpose is to pump rainwater that has been drained from an exterior or interior drain tile to a suitable discharge location.
  • Poor concrete installation techniques (the concrete was improperly laid and/or contaminated with water right from the beginning).
  • Concrete that wasn’t allowed to dry before the flooring was added.
  • Seasonal variations in humidity levels.
  • Non-hydrostatic pressure-related cracks in the foundation or basement walls, possibly caused by clay-heavy soil around the foundation that expands or contracts as its water content varies.

No matter what you suspect, you should investigate the situation thoroughly, either on your own or with the assistance of a structural expert, before jumping to any conclusions about the precipitating factors behind your basement flooding woes.

Discover If The Basement Flooding Is Caused By Hydrostatic Pressure

So you have water that has penetrated inside the basement. How can we discover that the origin of that water penetration is actually hydrostatic pressure and not another cause?

You have many symptoms of the water penetration, obviously, puddles on the flooring, but also others such as moisture in the walls, evident cracks on the wall in horizontal or stair-step shape or mold, so let´s define if the cause of that is hydrostatic pressure in the basement or not.

  1. Your home is built on a slope and you live in a climate where rainfall is a regular occurrence.
  2. Your home is on a hillside and the moisture infiltration seems to begin or worsen in the spring, when there has been runoff from melting snow.
  3. You can see standing water in various areas on your lawn, suggesting high soil saturation.
  4. If you dig a hole or trench 2-4 feet deep in your yard, the bottom soon fills with water.
  5. The water entering your basement seems to be coming in from multiple directions and in controlled quantities.
  6. There are no detectable cracks or openings in your concrete slab or walls.
  7. You checked out the other possibilities and found no evidence to support them.
  8. Neighbors with nearby homes built on the same level or to the same specification are experiencing the same problems with basement flooding as you are.

Equipment, Tools, And Materials Required To Relieve Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

The standard tools used to relieve hydrostatic pressure are some sort of drainage board or sheet drain to allow water to quickly make its way to the footing, a footing tile (usually clay or perforated plastic pipe) that collects that water and channels it to a sump pit, and a sump pump that will discharge that water well away from the structure.

So then, let´s go together into these tools, materials, and equipment that you might need to take action again hydrostatic pressure in the basement, but also, to avoid further issues in the future.

Dimple Sheet Drains

For centuries, builders have used gravel.  It’s cheap and readily available, but can sometimes clog with soil.

Today, dimple sheet drains and foam protection boards are more commonly used, and are available in a wide range of sizes, compressive strengths, flow rates, filtration capabilities, and chemical resistance to suit virtually any drainage application.

They’re installed with the dimples facing the concrete, and mechanically fastened at the top.  Dimple membranes create an air space, creating a way for water to drain to the footing tile, and diffuse hydrostatic pressure. You want to alleviate water as quickly as possible.  Under standard conditions, a standard dimple sheet will work.

Normally, the sheet is terminated at the top of the footing. Sometimes contractors run it to the base of the footing, but care must be taken to ensure the perforated pipe or drain tile is installed  outside of the dimple sheet, or the system will not function. Best practice is to terminate the sheet just above the level of the drain tile.

Drain Tile

Drain tile is a drainage pipe that’s installed underground. This pipe is combined with stone or gravel in order to slow the flow of groundwater and then drain it away from the foundation.

Depending on the way in which the yard and the home are positioned, drain tile systems can be either simple or complex. In either case, they end up emptying toward the end of their corresponding yards. 

Sump Pit

The sump pit is nothing more than a hole in the ground. That said, it’s an extremely important hole. Dug inside the basement itself, it works in tandem with the drain tile in order to keep hydrostatic pressure to a minimum. 

While most basements can make do with one sump pit, some basements require two or more. Your exact needs will depend on the way in which your yard is graded as well as the amount of precipitation you tend to get around the base of your house. 

Sump Pump

When groundwater levels rise too high, they cause the water levels in the sump pit to rise high as well. This is where the sump pump comes in. 

The sump pump is an electrically-powered pump that’s placed either in or above the sump pit. It gauges water levels constantly, ensuring that they don’t get too high. If water levels do get too high, the sump pump turns on, pumping water out of the pit via the drain tile. 

Often times, sump pumps are furnished with backup units. These backup sump pumps are powered by battery, allowing them to function in the event of a power outage. By installing both electronically-powered and battery-powered sump pumps, you can prevent basement flooding entirely, all the while keeping hydrostatic pressure to a minimum. 

I explain here in this article, how to avoid the sump pump freezing. It is like a list of errors I made.

Other factors that influence the tools to be utilized

There can be other tools or materials needed in some cases.

Builders and landscapers should ensure the ground surrounding the structure is sloped away from the building, and that gutters and downspouts discharge stormwater well away from the foundation.

Those are preventive measures to be applied outside your foundation. I have dedicated a complete topic in this article to preventive measures to take instead of waiting the accumulation of hydrostatic pressure in the basement before reacting and taking action.

How Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement Works

Stay with me, because I’m stating the obvious for a moment.  There’s water in the ground around your house. It’s supposed to be there, there’s no way to remove all of it, and it wouldn’t be good for your foundation if it was removed. 

Sometimes after heavy rain, or if you live in a high water table, this water collecting around your foundation can be a problem.  This is especially true if you live near creeks, ponds, or other bodies of water where soil saturation is naturally high. If enough water accumulates, it starts to “push” or exert pressure against your home’s basement or crawlspace.  

Essentially, the water wants to expand into space that your home is occupying and your foundation isn’t allowing it.  This is the kind of hydrostatic pressure we’re discussing- it’s much like a dam, blocking water in its path.

We are not discussing about droughts here, what is considered an anomaly, but to the typical hydrostatic pressure in the basement, what is a normal situation.

Some of the foundation issues caused by hydrostatic pressure are more structural. These issues occur when walls crack from the pressure, and begin to bow inward. You may have water leaking in, but that’s not guaranteed.  This bowing is created by pressure, and your foundation’s refusal to yield. The water has gotten into the wall far enough to weaken it and cause cracking.

If you have a wall that is cracking horizontally, or stair-stepping along the blocks, you need to take action promptly (the picture below illustrates both types of crack).  If your walls are actually bowing inward, it’s critical to take immediate action.  

A bowing wall leads to a breaking or collapsing wall and that is going to be an expensive repair.  If a wall collapses, your home may no longer be safe for habitation; living in a hotel is costly and inconvenient.

There are several different methods for repairing a cracked or bowing wall: carbon fiber straps, wall anchors, or helical tiebacks.

Prevention Through External Waterproofing Of The Effects Of Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

What if we could attack the hydrostatic pressure in the basement, with preventive measures, well before it reaches our foundation? The desired result would be that this hydrostatic pressure is resolved at soil level in our garden landscape, through drainages, slopes, flower beds, or other solutions. Let´s see these measures.

A well-designed drainage and landscape plan can go a long way toward preventing basement leakage. Many problems can stem from the fact that water is constantly draining toward the foundation rather than away from it. Here’s the best-case scenario for exterior waterproofing:

Adequate Surface Grading

Utilizing proper grading within your property, but still outside the boundaries of the foundation will help that a good part of the hydrostatic pressure is deflected or diverted before ever reaching your basement.

A surefire way to subject a basement wall to substantial amounts of hydrostatic pressure is to have the adjacent yard sloping down toward the home’s foundation. By placing the home at the bottom of a slope, you are essentially inviting water to pool around it. This water is bound to seep down into the ground, applying far too much hydrostatic pressure for the foundation to stand. 

Ideally, you’ll position the house so that it’s not at the bottom of a slope at all. But if the home is at the bottom of a slope, there is something you can do: you can grade the yard. 

Grading is a process wherein the yard is sculpted and shaped to remove detrimental slopes. It ensures that groundwater is unable to pool around the base of the home, thus reducing hydrostatic pressure substantially. 

Grounds that slope toward the foundation have a subsurface drainage system. If this is not the case, they should be regraded away from the foundation.

Installation Of Downspout Extensions

Another thing you can do to reduce hydrostatic pressure around a foundation is to install downspout extensions. These will extend the lengths of downspouts by 10 to 15 feet, ensuring that roof water isn’t able to seep down into the ground around the foundation. 

These can be highly beneficial during rainstorms, as they’ll keep precipitation from pooling in unwanted areas. 

I update the article twice per year with my own experiences. In an update of 2022, I started to recommend that the gutter downspouts must extend fifteen feet or more away from the foundation.

Other Preventive Measures

  • The landscape around the home, including garden beds, pitches water at least 15 feet away from the foundation.
  • No soil has been added within two inches of the foundation sill plate (top). 
  • Window wells do not accumulate water. 

Water Damage Caused By Hydrostatic Pressure In The Basement

Waterflows are introduced into the basement in several ways.

Water enter through the walls: water enters through foundation cracks, pipe penetration leaks, the sill or box beam, around basement windows, or it seeps directly through the wall. 

Water can also enter around or through the floor: water enters through the floor slab, or it pushes through the joint where the wall meets the floor, which is called the cove joint.

The water pushing against your foundation is applying pressure, but as long as your foundation is secure, your home is stable.  The problems occur when the foundation begins to weaken. Foundations are commonly made of some form of concrete, which is a strong substance, but it is also porous.  

This means water can seep into and through your walls.  

Generally, the first sign a homeowner notices is a musty (damp) smell.  If you have a basement, you may see moisture or even water on your basement walls or floor.  

Since homeowners rarely enter their crawl spaces, they won’t see the initial signs.  The first symptom for them is a stale, moldy odor that indicates mold is actively growing in their crawl space. 

Humidity and water leaks are some of the results of hydrostatic pressure.  They signal that water has saturated the foundation and found its way into your house.  You may need waterproofing or encapsulation to address the water infiltration.  You can learn more about these solutions in our detailed guide to basement waterproofing.  

But if you have water getting into your home through cracks, you may have larger issues than just water damage.  

Request A Quote

Are there signs of hydrostatic pressure in the basement?

If so, you should find an experienced local foundation company, and make an appointment.  Most foundation repairs can be done year-round regardless of the weather, so please do not put off these repairs for a different season or warmer temperatures.  This is especially true if you have an actively bowing wall. Waiting too long can cause serious structural damage.

Photo of author

BY M. Kogan

Hello, I am Marcio. I am an architect and designer, alma mater is Mackenzie. Retired in theory, but an architect never retires completely. Along with architectural projects, I am a filmmaker and have completed some short documentaries. Filmmaking and design are my passions. In HomeQN I write about home decoration and foundations. The goal is to teach homeowners to DYI as much as possible, and when this is not possible, enable them through knowledge, to evaluate service quotations and choose the best service technicians.

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