Has your Philadelphia home developed leaks, cracks, ongoing dampness, or other concerning damage in the basement? As a significant structural foundation of your property, making quality basement repairs is critical for preventing further structural issues, avoiding mold and indoor air quality problems, and protecting your most valuable investment – your home.
However, not all foundation repair contractors are created equal. Shoddy, cheap fixes may seem appealing but typically fail to comprehensively address root causes or provide structural reinforcements when truly needed. This leads to continued moisture ingress, ongoing cracking, and failures of finish materials like floors or drywall, not to mention declining home value from a visibly damaged basement.
How can Philadelphia homeowners ensure excellent basement repair work when it’s time to call in the pros? Follow these five key steps:
1. Hire a Licensed Local Contractor
When selecting basement repair contractors, it’s essential to hire an established local company based in the Philadelphia metro area. Check qualifications like years in business, positive online reviews highlighting excellent service, and proper licensing for foundation repair through the city’s Department of Licensing and Inspections. Request to see the company’s certificate of insurance to validate appropriate liability and workers’ compensation coverage as well.
Local companies will best understand Philadelphia’s grading permit processes, regional drainage systems, stormwater management, local soil conditions that impact foundations, current building codes to meet, and material options suitable for the climate.
Basement repair philadelphia companies such as basement waterproofing scientists can turn your dump space into a high-end basement. With many years of basement waterproofing, you can be sure of getting value for your money. They are well known for their reputation and commitment to offering high-quality basement waterproofing materials.
2. Thoroughly Evaluate the Problem
A premier basement contractor will comprehensively assess the root causes of foundation damage before proposing solutions. Simply looking at surface cracking fails to capture potential issues like erosion, sinking, underground spring water intrusion, root damage from nearby trees, and more.
Request an extensive evaluation process that includes testing moisture levels along walls at multiple depths, conducting flood tests to identify specific leakage points, thoroughly inspecting inbound/outbound pipes as well as any underground oil tanks, smoke testing for sewer gas leaks, evaluating the lot’s grading and drainage, and even completed camera inspections within drainage pipes exiting the home. Before making repair methodology decisions, all aspects impacting the foundation’s stability should be examined.
3. Waterproof from the Outside
For wet basement issues, external waterproofing by excavating and installing protective barriers on the outside foundation walls is vastly superior to relying solely on interior drainage systems. Though pricier upfront, exterior processes fix the moisture intrusion source correctly rather than just hiding water indoors. Exterior application options range from “crystalline” concrete waterproof coatings to bonded polymer membrane layers to complete foundation rebuilds, depending on severity. Insist on water management solutions beyond interior-only basement dehumidifiers and sump pumps that don’t treat core problems.
4. Address Soil and Drainage Repair Issues
Many basement moisture and foundation integrity problems result from poor drainage of stormwater runoff around the property. Any reputable repair contractor will outline drainage improvement recommendations in their action plan.
These may include re-grading soil to achieve a 5% slope away from the home’s foundation, installing rain gutters with proper downspout extensions, trenching “French drains” that capture and redirect water in permeable gravel beds around the basement’s perimeter, or broader tie-ins to municipal stormwater pipes underground. The goal is to keep groundwater dispersal away from all sides of the foundation during rains.
5. Require Structural Reinforcements as Needed
For damage, including shifting foundation walls, spidering cracks in poured wall concrete, or failing steel support I-beams under the first floor, repair plans should include addressing such significant structural deficiencies as part of the job.
Depending on the severity diagnosed through engineering inspections, this may demand rebuilding concrete footers, installing steel I-beam posts anchored to bedrock, using wall anchoring systems to re-stabilize tilting walls, pumping concrete repair epoxy into cracks, and carefully leveling and re-supporting sagging ceiling joists. Only settle for cosmetic fixes if adding underlying structural solutions is necessary when fundamental integrity concerns are uncovered in unblocked games 911.
Conclusion
Following these critical steps will help ensure your basement repair project delivers lasting dryness, restored integrity, and continued safety for your home’s most valuable investment. Take time to evaluate root causes properly, select contractors with specialized expertise, prioritize comprehensive fixes over Band-Aid solutions, and establish robust structural reinforcements that separate average jobs from work that achieves long-term excellence.
Shoddy foundation work also leads to ongoing headaches such as continued drainage failures, nagging leaks leading to mold growth, and passages for soil gas entry, not to mention possible carbon monoxide infiltration if gas appliances are present in a basement with breaches. Doing things right the first time saves tremendous hassle and money over the long run.