Jaclyn,
Just a thought, instead of Googling “Waterproofing” try key words such as “Foundation Repair” or “Foundation Contractor”. The gimmicky waterproofing companies typically will SEO like crazy for anything related to wet basements. You need to get to the listings of real contractors. Just sayin’.
Jeff
Jeff, hear you sir. I did a quick search but all I saw was interior-goofs
IF there’s state licensing in VT of waterproofing, foundation contractors then maybe she could call/contact them, the state, and get a list of lic’d contractors who haven’t been sued and had problems etc
OOPs, my bad, Jaclyn said 36 dollars per, not total footage, sorry.
Its getting past Grandpa Bubba’s bedtime.
I’m just questioning whether its all actually necessary, the interior stuff that is.
Bottom line is, if they want it then so be it.
Jaclyn,
Let me add this, in 36 years in this business, and yes, almost all jobs we’ve done have been in MI, every single job we have done AND BID on (didn’t get), other than about 3 (1,2,3), ONLY needed exterior waterproofing or a lateral line needed to be snaked/replaced, stuff like that.
In other words, 99.99999% of every leaky basement i have been in (and i bid all jobs, not anyone else, no salesperson etc) did NOT need any interior system.
Most crawls i have been in needed quite a few different things/leaked due to quite a few different things, but not many (more than basements though) needed an interior system, although MANY were talked into these systems.
Don’t get me wrong, they need floor covering/visqueen etc and quite a few can use a sump but pretty often, most or all of the water that was getting into these crawlspaces was due to exterior cracks etc, as in the crawl-photo link posted earlier. (not talking about plumbing leaks etc etc)
We’ve done quite a few crawl walls, outside, and homeowners had no further problems/needs so long as they already had the floor covered and no plumbing leaks etc
This supposed need that, all crawlspaces must have an interior system and don’t worry about the exterior walls, especially block crawl walls, is simply more nonsense, least it sure is around here.
Sorry for mix up, hit my email in my signature and I’ll get back with ya.
Larry, no problem sir, hope your well man 
Jaclyn,
Sorry so long.
This homeowner says, writes. “I still have seepage even with Basement Systems Water Guard”. And mold because as usual, these companies and their interior systems don’t ‘stop’ the water from where it’s actually coming in
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28992838@N07/2708000265
Have called/talked with this lady… another inside system was installed, mold etc
http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/customer-claims-waterproofing-company-left-basemen/nGYnr/
Video, Bedford Ohio …moron company backfilled with SAME SOIL (why i asked what they were going to backfill with etc)
http://www.newsnet5.com/consumer/troubleshooter/bedford-man-unable-to-sell-home-waterproofing-job-fails
Here another inside system was installed, buyer not told about
The link on the basement wall collapse as an interior system was being installed in no good anymore.
Same with a homeowner that hired another inside system co. who hit an oil line that was under the floor, big problems, very costly…old link no good, sorry.
Point is, neither of these Bozo’s had the necessary INSURANCE to cover these kinds of possible scr_w ups/problems and who if left holding duh bag?
Yep, you know.
With all the money these inside morons make, one would think they’d have the necessary insurance for the crap they do/install so, be careful.
That’s why i asked about their bids, contracts, if they have insurance, if they are state licensed, if they said they were going to pull permit etc.
They should be able to quickly answer and write up if you like, the kind of mastic/roofing cement they’ll use, and hydraulic cement, polyethylene sheeting aka visqueen, how much gravel backfilled etc.
–Some mastics/roofing cements you/they could use are Henry, Dewitt, Alco or similar foundation coatings, NOT the thin-watery stuff!
Pretty sure sites are http://us.henry.com/
http://www.dewittproducts.com/
–Quikrete hydraulic cement. this needs to be applied and able to ‘set’, FIRST.
Backfilling with gravel is best, just saying. If they were to backfill with 1/3, 1/2 or most of the excavated soil then, that-soil will settle and it can-could pull down/mess up parts of that crappy membrane they said they attach, just so you guys know.
And with NO tar, aka mastic, aka roofing cement etc on-the-wall(s) then, when water gets behind that membrane, and it will, you/others will leak again, just maybe not as often or as much.
To give you an idea on how much gravel is needed, we need a certain length, depth, width etc of the trench so lets just use the average footage of exterior trench/holes is a total-of, 35 long x 18" wide x 6’ deep, just a close example.
So if one wants to backfill with all clean gravel from the footing (drain tiles) all the way up to within 2-3" of the finished grade, one will need right around 9 yards of pea stone, aka gravel etc.
Cost for that amount of gravel is about $30 per yard, even in VT it should be close lool so, about $270 for the gravel PLUS tax plus a delivery fee if you DIY, usually around $75
The mastic/tar/whatever is around $40-45 per 5 gallon can and again, you DON’T want the thin-watery stuff. So for that footage…35’ by about 6’ deep one would need four 5-gallon cans… around $180.
Hydraulic cement, depends on how many cracks etc and how WIDE they are but usually one 5 gallon can is plenty and that should be about $50.
Visqueen, poly-sheeting, you may only find they come in, sold in, 100’ LONG boxes, no biggie though, cost is about $50 per 100’ by 8’… 6 mil.
To haul soil etc away, $350–450
Saw cutting that concrete is ‘usually’ not a problem, but not always…
If and when the concrete was poured 8–10" thick and sometimes with rebar or screen then, it may cost you a little more.
(should not have concrete slabs poured that thick, that much WEIGHT, along-against basement walls, that ADDED WEIGHT can cause cracks, other problems in walls, just my 2 cents)
Here’s a small example of concrete, driveway slab, where someone poured concrete on top on concrete, on top on concrete
Click each photo to ENLARGE if you like…
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing63
Some contractors would have stopped, called the homeowner and asked for more $…and sometimes they have a legit claim there.
Note-- whoever replaces the concrete pad/apron and steps, i highly recommend you make sure that THEY do NOT ‘tie’ the concrete etc into the house, the wall. Sometimes, some contractors OR even the CITY looooolll will tell the concrete contractor to use rebar/rerod in concrete slabs or steps etc, and tie it into the house, the foundation wall or, bricks on the wall just along/below grade, nope. This added weight can also CAUSE you future problems
Poured wall here, had to saw-cut concrete apron/pad, don’t believe the myth that some claim which goes something like, ‘The reason your basement leaks is because the ‘pitch’ of 1+ concrete slabs’…nonsense!
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing06
Of course it would be better, less water, if all slabs sloped away, sure BUT, that is NOT ‘why’ basements leak, no way Jose.
Those who claim this kind of crap have not done all their homework on this subject, have many other photos to show anyone what I mean/know. Yeah sure, some who MUDJACK a slab+ might get lucky…for awhile, and may not leak or may not leak anywhere near as much as they did.
But again, there’s a DIFFERENT reason, another problem, usually a crack in wall etc that is REALLY WHY they leak, is really why water is allowed to enter.
Ok, the photos in last-link, nothing wrong with the ‘pitch’ of the slab that i saw cut.
See photos 3—8 of direct-openings just below the concete where water was allowed to enter.
Water, pests, soil gases, yep
NO interior system with 500 sump pumps repairs/waterproofs any of these either.
Mudjacking slabs does NOT keep all water, all rain, from getting UNDERNEATH driveway, patio slabs, nope. Not against mudjacking for necessary stuff like, where its a trip hazard etc but NOT as ANY ‘solution’ for any basement leak, that’s just nonsense as i say.
In those photos, see #'s 11, 12, 13 crevice/gap way down low, the cove, cold joint, call it whatever ya’s like. Water got through HERE as well. No interior system seals this joint/cover either. Some inside jerks falsely claim they do, but that’s impossible because its on the exterior.
One more thing about driveways, patios. Some concrete contractors will tell you to RAISE the slabs up-against the bricks above the foundation wall. THIS can CREATE problems, cracks, deteriorated bricks and joints and subsequent leaks… see it all the time, they have it waaay too high on quite a few homes.
Guess their thinking or, the homeowners thinking was something like, ‘Oh well if the new driveway slabs are raised higher they can have a better ‘pitch’ to divert water away from house’. Say again, this kind of thinking will cost quite a few homeowners MORE money/problems. And imo, any city inspector okaying the inspection, the permit on these are equally wrong and should be, could be sued. They should be telling people, this may cause, create problems!
Mike Holmes article here, seems many think he/they are the ‘all wonderful team’ who could never make any mistake and KNOWS ALL about everything… NOT on THIS subject, hardly an expert and in this article has false, incompetent claims! Any day, any courtroom.
http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/10/21/mike-holmes-five-tips-for-patching-basements/
Absolute crap.
Can’t get into ALL the junk but for instance…
2nd and 3rd paragraphs, ‘one small leak doesn’t justify the expense of exterior waterproofing… and it can be a gamble that doesn’t pay off’ etc
People who write/say these kinds of incompetent things are not the true, real experts otherwise, they wouldn’t be saying this crap. Rookie’s or fraudsters say this kind of incompetent crap and then, some homeowners reading these kinds of articles/statements, BELIEVE IT, believe him!!
Mike Holmes, listen, before ANY work is done, before any contract is signed… one needs to, find/locate/identify the actual-problem(s) that way Mr Holmes sir, there is NO GAMBLE!!! Shesshhhhhhhhhh
Sometimes, one needs to run a water test with a hose BEFORE anything is signed, it’s what I do Mikey and I have no problems, there have been no ‘gambles’ for the homeowners, got that? You sir, just do not understand everything you need to understand on THIS subject.
In Fact, most of our jobs are ‘partial’ or as he writes, ‘SPOT repair’, and even Capizzo Const who does exterior waterproofing and has also been in business a very long time and no complaints, do many ‘spot repairs’.
Know why Mike Holmes? loool Because that is ALL many homeowners NEED!
That is the ONLY area they leak!!!
Why on God’s green would us honest contractors talk homeowners into UNNECESSARY work, unnecessary extra footage???
That’s what many interior system co’s do Mikey!!!
He is doing unnecessary inside work/junk, in THIS article! loool
---->> If anything, doing a small section AND backfilling with most-all gravel will… HELP the areas next–to the waterproofed area as the gravel will take quite a bit of water AWAY from those close undone-areas, where previously, before the small section was done, that extra water would go into, saturate the adjoining areas, got that???
Mikey, you can’t FOOL Bubba-nature.
Look at all the photos of jobs i have posted, most are ‘spot’ repairs.
If one takes the dang time and opens their brain up a tad you should be able to see EXACTLY why we did 'spot repairs. (hate that spot word, EH)
When an honest experienced contractor finds/identifies exactly where the homeowners problem(s) is, then Mike, that is WHERE it is man! loool
I would be a crook to talk all these homeowners into doing more footage.
And unlike Richard Nixon once said, ‘I am not a crook’, and was obviously doing too many pills er something lool, Bubba is no crook, time has proven that baby!
Look at the PHOTO in article! loooooooooooooooooool
Hiding the wall, NOT fixing the actual problems.
They actually write, the Holmes crew sealing a leaky block wall… on the inside?
No way man and a whole lotta luck. They did not, could not have sealed ANY block basement wall on the inside that had a crack, cracked parging etc etc on the outside, nope!
Where he gives example of replacing the entire roof, not patching…
well Mike, what about tuckpointing, when some homeowners have some open, cracked mortar joints around different areas of their house?
Is Mike suggesting to people who need some tuckpointing in a few different areas that they should re-point ALL mortar joints, all the way around when most of the joints are fine!!! Huh? Cmon!
How about those who have 1 or 2 driveway slabs that have cracks or settled and they want to replace those slabs… is Mike saying they should replace the ENTIRE driveway, all slabs, even the slabs that are fine!!! sheeesh man.
People who write bogus claims, myths on this subject do more HARM, confuse, more homeowners than help, that ain’t no cht.
On block, brick etc basement walls, cracks etc may or may not occur in the future in other areas…
If they do and homeowner begins to leak then, do that area man.
Don’t doubt he, his show etc hasn’t done some good for some people but dang it, this guy/show makes $$$$ and many of the real, honest experts can struggle just to get a few jobs!@!@!@!
Ok, i’ll leave the rest of his article alone for now, unless someone wants to have a little more fun.
Thanks for all the info. I emailed the company after hours on Friday with some questions about what exactly they plan on doing for the exterior work. Hopefully get an answer tomorrow.
Now that the snow is melted, I can see that all the plants in front of the house were planted in clay. So I guess someone knew there were leaks before! grumble grumble
My husband has been sold on this interior basement drainage and thinks we should still get it installed in the upper basement area. A lot of the interior companies say that “water is always pushing on the house. It will find its way in unless you give it a path to go to. That’s why interior drainage is so important.” What can I tell my husband to dissuade him from this idea?
The crawlspace (upper level), as far as we can tell, is leaking from the sill plate and the old pipe, and a few rod holes. The lower basement is a standard height 8ft basement and has those long cracks on the floor spanning wall to wall and meeting in the middle. Since water is coming up through them, the interior company says we should have drainage installed. We are thinking of just putting in a sump pump.
I’ve done some google searches using “foundation repair” but still not finding anything except for the same 2 companies. 
Some questions that need good-answers imo… i’ll try and check and see if there is state lic’g in VT on waterproofing/foundation repair…if it turns out, there is then,
–Are they licensed?
–Are they insured? And you guys would like to see the lic/insurance, what does it actually cover in the event a 1 or more problems?
–How thick will they re-pour the floor after j-hammering?
Are they going to lay down visqueen etc underneath the new concrete?
–Are there any service lines under-the floor where they will be using j-hammer?
–Outside… what type of equipment will they be using, backhoe, small trencher etc? What if they, equipment causes 1+ crack in driveway slabs, will they replace?
–What EXACT areas will they waterproof outside, what is the TOTAL exterior footage to be waterproofed and how long is the ‘exterior’ guarantee?
–What are they using/applying on the ext-walls, in-over any cracks, pipe penetrations?
…Are they going to apply hydraulic cement FIRST?
…Are they using/applying a thin-watery damproof type of mastic/tar or, is it a THICK trowel grade waterproofing mastic?
…OR, as previously stated, are they just attaching/placing a dimpled membrane against the walls? (that’s not enough if so)
–How much GRAVEL will they be backfilling with…will it be JUST 1’ of gravel over the ext-drain tiles//footing or 1/2 way up or will they backfill almost all the way up AND haul all the clay/soil etc away?
They gave you guys a diagram on the interior stuff so, just wondering, what’s so difficult in giving you guys a detailed exterior diagram with whatever materials they will use. 
Say again on the concrete etc replacement outside, hope they aren’t going to use rebar in the new concrete or steps etc and TIE THAT into the house, don’t want that.
IMO… most SELLERS know they have/had 1++ basement leak/seepage, we feel for you guys.
–> Have you guys checked with the city to see what PREVIOUS permits may have been pulled for previous repairs in the past?
Using, applying hydraulic cement where exterior pipe’s enter basement walls in real important… using mastic/tar or just a dimpled membrane isn’t enough, here’s a gas line going through basement wall
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing23#5442874423736656658
Same line, close up
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing23#5442874465297976802
… quick search, it ‘looks like’ you guys do not have state licensing on foundation repair/waterproofing. I could very well be wrong here, only took a quick look
But if so they’ll sell, do, whatever they want and nobody is looking over their shoulder. ](*,)
The state can’t step in and yank their license etc on screw ups, no license… no ability to obtain city permit unless they go through someone else who has permit (some do this) and no permit in some cities then, less work.(Not all cities require permits on basement waterproofing, another wonder)
Don’t get me wrong, state licensing here in MICH has not, does not necessarily mean homeowners are safer, have less risk etc, NOPE!
There really are, lots of incompetent screwballs, crooks etc in THIS business.
—Per your FLOOR cracks, does it look like the floor is 'newer, poured failry recently?
OR, do you guys see 1 or more areas of the floor, along the bottom of any wall, where the floor looks newer, looks like it was replaced?
'Water pushing on the house"
Often, the biggest load/weight pushing on your house/foundation or my house or, The White House :mrgreen: is the… pressure-weight of the soil (water in the soil) along/against your basement walls. Sure there can be pressure from underneath.
Have seen a whole lot more basement walls fail/crack than basement floors.
Pretty often what we’ve seen when floors crack is, they were poured too THIN in the first place, easier to crack/heave.
Then add, when some/most of the water that got UNDER many of these floors was due-to a lateral line blockage or city problem then easy to see why a thinner floor could crack and then have sme water rise up through these cracks.
Have also seen many floors which had 1+ cracks and the homeowners have never had ANY water come up through them in decades.
Sure some homeowners will need 1-2 sump pumps OR maybe even an interior system with 1-2 sumps but NOWHERE NEAR, not even remotely close to the amount these inside system companies falsely, fraudulently claim!!!
And OF COURSE, its your house so, in the end, do what you like, doesn’t mean its going to be the right choice(s) as all the complaints etc against others in this business has shown.
Nobody is forcing you/others to listen to Johnny Bubb’s stuff.
Some would tell you that your crazy to listen to, some, or a lot of what some guy on a message board says whom you don’t even know, who sometimes posts links to CARTOONS… lool.
Bet G Haege would jump all over a homeowner who does that, or G Sullivan in Ohio-land or most city inspectors anywhere etc. Yep, bet they would tell you your nutzzz.
What they don’t know is, well loool, how good and honest some may actually be who are trying to arm folks with the facts, not all the bs… eh.
That someone would listen to some guy on a message board who calls himself Johnny Bubba over the supposed all great and powerful G Haege or G Sullivan? Your crrrrazy! lol
Homeowners here lied to, ripped off… ‘Drip Dry waterprf’g’, another catchy name huh
Not much, nowhere near enough EXPLAINED on the contract… and over $5,000 later homeowners still leak, more cracks etc
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing38#5462913068839612306
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing38 rest of pic’s from same house/basement. Maybe I should have opted for a catchier biz name like umm… Johnny’s Twin Pines Interior Sump Service
Another homeowner lied to, ripped off by an interior knothead company
Photo’s 17–26 they applied CRAP on the inside basement walls, loool!
Why did homeowners call me? Where is the supposed LIFETIME Guarantee??
Tell ya where it is, in the crapper where it has always been.
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofingIBeamsEtc
Lifetime Guarantee on what? Very vague contracts, perfect for… the inside morons
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofingIBeamsEtc#5443027656039531682
Last 6 or so photos of 3 different INTERIOR bozo contracts/bids to homeowners
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/BasementWaterproofing45
B Dry, Everdry and DUH Crack Team
Yeah yeah, hard to see/read but i gurantee anyone, most of these are vague which benefits these companies and not the homeowners and, would NOT have stopped the water from where its really entering, would not have stopped/prevented mold, soil gases etc
All 3 of these companies claim to be honest experts, the best in the business, YET, NONE of them competently and honestly diagnosed the actual problems, leaks!!! loooooooooooooooooooooool
Okay got the email back from him.
He wrote that they "will excavate along the wall down past the sill area of the wood structure to the original foundation wall. This is to be pressure washed and sealed with a foundation membrane. This is included in the estimate given. To add drain tile would be an additional $756.
As for what we put in the hole that is hug along the walls is the material that is pulled out. If the material is absolutely no good we can replace it for additional cost. This it typically not necessary."
So, how much to fly one of you guys out? haha
:shock:
That’s crap! You and your husband (or a couple of teenagers with supervision) can do the same for a fraction of the cost.
If Mark was willing, I bet you could afford to fly his crew out for what these yahoo’s want to charge you! That’s not saying that Mark is cheap, but more to the fact these other guys are rip-off’s! Personally, Mark would be worth every dollar, even more if necessary.
It is crap, isn’t it Mr. Jonas
Mrs. Schmitz, so again, his e-mail is vague.
It doesn’t give ‘footage’, doesn’t say they will dig down to footing in all areas.
“Along the wall past the sill”. Does that mean that-entire-wall or what?
Along the wall could mean, ‘part’ of the wall they-think needs to be done.
Could also mean 2’ deep, 4’ deep etc, doesn’t say ‘to footing’
And so they DO propose to backfill with ALL same excavated soil. :roll:
If no good, more cash? loooollllllllllllllllll ;-);-)
And, a ‘foundation membrane’. This could mean several things.
Again, if they actually think a dimpled/other membrane placed/attached to the wall will be enough and, actually call that waterproofing, they’re nuts.
And they want around $5,000 (i think you said) for this, exterior stuff.:roll:
They’re not hauling any dirt/soil away, not applying any WATERPROOFING mastic, hydraulic cement etc, no visqueen, no gravel to pay for and using equipment to dig, less-labor …wow. Is it any wonder why interior system companies have $$$$$$$$$$ for big Yellow Page ads, Tv-radio ads etc etc. ](*,)
Question pleeeease, lol, how DEEP in all areas?
If your standing in the basement, what is the footage from the FLOOR to the GRADE outside? NOT from the basement floor to the CEILING.
I think you said 8’, just want to be sure. Is it 8’ from basement floor to the ceiling or…?
And same Q for crawlspace wall.
Bubba left FLYING to the birds and NASA. :mrgreen: I will not get on a plane anymore unless its secured to the earth or its an old B 52 bomber with no engines
At 55, i couldn’t do/waterproof that much footage in one day and all the rest of the work on my own.
However, believe it or not, if things don’t change much here I would consider driving my old shtty work van out to the great state of VT (that has a lot of the things I need to waterproof in it, makes me feel warm n cozy). We drove to the middle of PA and and did a job for a super nice guy a few years back. He didn’t trust ANY of the inside system knotheads he had over for est’s.
You guys likely want the exterior work done… asap?
Just so you guys know, IF a couple of my guys want a quickie spring vacation and I can swing this, I would need exact measurements (since I can’t drive there twice, one to give you an honest, written on-site estimate) and would need a few other things
Or, if you guys were thinking of renting a small trencher with your husband operating it all day then, my nephew and myself could possibly ‘do it’.
Trencher could do much, a lot of, the digging but not all and so the two of us here could do the rest plus the waterproofing, and then we all could get it backfilled.
As is the case here in MI, not everywhere, most builders used/laid drain tile when the home was built, outside along the footings AND inside, under the basement floor. I would only hope whoever built your-guys place used/put drain tile, at least outside.
Oh, Jeff, no harm man per the ‘cheap’… we just want to WORK, that’s all, do a good job on homeowners NEEDED areas and earn an honest buck.
No… Twelve O’ Clock High http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uubEuPhti-I
You need to take mark up on this offer. Everyone on this message board knows he is the best. He does not mess around as seen from previous posts.
Mr. Mathias, appreciate the kind words man.
Vermont is not, just around the corner, loool. Been to most all states, not VT.
I emailed Nick about the situation and he said he would look in to it.
I want to see this resolved properly.
I personally believe if the exterior is done correctly no interior water proofing would be needed. I am not the expert and why I directed them to this sight so they can have this resolved properly as there Home Inspector did not address when they purchased and appears the seller did not disclose honestly.
Hi ya Dave
I really never got into that-part of the Schmitz situation, also quite sad.
I mean, apparently many cracks in the basement or crawl floor, plus the leaks in other areas, apparently not much if anything said or noted by the HI, maybe Jaclyn could shed a little more light on that. Pretty sure she said HI missed ‘all that’.
Anyways, i do not know if they will need a partial etc interior system and–or 1-2 sumps. Am obviously unable to go there and if need be run water test(s) etc and, apparently not much licensing/permits pulled for any possible PRIOR work that may have been done there. They/VT-city, may not require permits for driveways, pouring crawl concrete floor etc. Looks like, not sure, permits need to be pulled/passed for plumbing.
Around here, need a permit for just about everything, sheesh.
All I can say is where they/others have cracks in wall(s), gaps around pipe(s) that come through basement wall and other possible openings just below grade, need to be waterproofed, backfilled correctly hence THOSE areas are the ONLY areas a good, honest contractor can guarantee. I cannot and would not guarantee any other area of, anything I didn’t touch/did not waterproof.
Example, and this happens 1 or 2 times every year it seems.
Get called for estimate on leaky basement and eventually get the job, explain in full that they have a crack say, on outside of block wall and that is where some-most of the water enters but ALSO, they have some open mortar joints above-grade or openings around doors or windows where the REST of the water is entering so (obvious to some of us lol), these homeowners need that part of block wall waterproofed and backfilled correctly but they also need to hire someone to, tuckpoint mortar joints or, caulk doors, windows etc etc.
And Dave, I know YOU know this, just wanted to make the point, again ;-):mrgreen:
If they do NOT get the other necessary work done, i explain to them all they will likely leak again on certain wind blown rains and sometimes those open mortar joints or a basement window problems are RIGHT ABOVE the crack in block wall so, it may look like/homeowner may incorrectly think we missed something, NOPE, Bubba don’t miss nuttin, homeowner forgot or didn’t believe those open joints etc above grade needed fixing!
So when certain wind blown rains arrive AFTER we did our thing/waterproofing and they leak again, they of course call, and wonder WHY! lool
Homeowners have to fix, repair, seal ALL existing openings and, in the future…more will occur and when they do, fix em again, sorry, just the truth
I can’t tell the Schmitz’ whether or not, they have 1+ open joints (tuckpointing needs) ABOVE grade, or around basement window(s) or doors or other possible problem areas but if they do, those will need to be fixed
In Jaclyn’s photo, see that gable vent?
Have seen-had a few homeowners that got water in their basements, in part or all due to water entering up there first.
They all had drywall against POURED walls. Water would land, get on the top of the poured wall and then run down the wall
So I have to wonder, from afar, if this could be ‘part’ of their problem on THAT side, have to at least bring up the possibility.
Q----- Jaclyn, I think I forgot to ask! Boy, I’m getting old.
Have you guys checked, had an experienced honest plumber check the lateral line, the clean out?
Wonder if the neighbors ever noticed, or were told by sellers that they sometimes called a plumber to snake etc.
Just wondering is all. The lateral has nothing to do with open leaky rod holes or crack in basement/crawl WALL or where pipe enters wall but can be the cause/problem of other things and certainly needs to be checked out. It may be fine, just saying.
Not only water enters but animals, birds, vermin as screens get torn, if house has low soffits and other high vents like a ridge or louvers the gable can be closed off.
I have been recommending the sanitary lateral inspections especially if older home had large trees in close proximity of building.