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Basement Waterproofing

Water pooling in your basement is incredibly frustrating. Let us help turn your basement into a dry, comfortable living space.

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Basement Waterproofing Problem Signs

Keeping your basement dry not only prevents water intrusion but also protects your home against mold growth and keeps unwanted varmints away.

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Flooded Stairs

Floods from Basement Stairways in Georgia. Prevent flooding through basement stairways and hatchway doors.

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Moldy Basements

Your house can be a cesspool for mold growth if any moisture issues are left untreated.

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Bugs in Basement

Keep pests out of your basement or crawl space with waterproofing solutions from AquaGuard.

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VIEW MORE BASEMENT WATERPROOFING PROBLEM SIGNS

Finding water in your basement is an awful feeling. Regardless of whether water is entering where the floor and wall meet or through the basement walls themselves, a wet basement is always a major headache and can affect much more than your basement—it can steal value from your home.  

Wet Basement Causes

The following are a few of the top causes of basement water problems that can be addressed through our repair methods, drainage systems, or waterproofing solutions.

Sump pumps are vital to protecting your basement from flooding—they capture water before it penetrates your basement and directs it away from the home. Whether due to a power outage, capacity overload, mechanical issue, or poor maintenance, a sump pump failure can lead to basement flooding.

When a plumbing or water line ruptures, it often leads to basement flooding. This can happen due to old plumbing and equipment, frozen pipes, sewage backup, or construction damage. The best way to catch a plumbing flood before it happens is to pay close attention to water pressure and your water bills—if you notice a drop in pressure or increase in utility cost, it may be due to a plumbing clog or leak.

When water pools around your foundation, the soil surrounding your home can become oversaturated. When soil becomes oversaturated, it will allow water to funnel through like a sieve. The soil turns to mud, gets extremely heavy, and starts to place thousands of pounds of excess pressure on your foundation walls. This phenomenon is called “hydrostatic pressure.” To alleviate the pressure, water will find the path of least resistance and will force its way through the smallest of openings in your foundation, whether that be hairline cracks or floor joints. This can eventually lead to basement leaks, floods, and if not addressed, structural foundation damage. 

The slope of your yard should help groundwater naturally drain away from your foundation. However, some houses are built on sites that rest at the bottom of a hill, meaning that groundwater actually flows towards the home. This is called negative sloping and can be detrimental to the home’s structure, as it causes water to pool around your foundation. Eventually, the soil will oversaturate, and if your exterior drainage system clogs (which can happen at any time), all that rainwater will funnel down towards and beneath your home. If enough hydrostatic pressure is placed on the wall, or if the penetrating rainwater finds a crack or seam in your foundation wall, your walls can crack and your basement can leak or flood. Many of these issues start as hairline cracks, but they’ll worsen over time, so it’s important to address wet basement issues due to negative sloping sooner than later.

Did you know that the leading cause of foundation waterproofing damage is improperly channeled roof water? Without adequate protection, your gutters are susceptible to clogging or pulling away from your house. This causes your gutters to overflow, fail at capturing water, and allow rainwater to sheet right over your gutters or through the fascia boards and siding behind them.. If your gutter downspouts and drainage system don’t divert water away efficiently, water will pool up around your foundation walls and can eventually find its way into your home’s foundation. Learn more about how the importance of gutters and proper water management by visiting our gutters site.

Foundation floor and wall cracks provide an opportunity for water to seep into your basement. Hydrostatic pressure from oversaturated soils surrounding your foundation can force water through floor and wall cracks, causing leaks and puddles of water. 

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Basement Waterproofing Solutions

Every time it rains, do you wonder – 'How much water this time?' If your basement leaked once, it won't be the last time. AquaGuard Foundation Solutions has permanent solutions to keep your basement dry and healthy for years to come

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Vapor Barrier

Transform your basement into a clean, dry, mold-free storage and living space with the AquaStop WallSeal™ Vapor Barrier system.

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BasementGutter™

Our BasementGutter™ Atlanta French drain installations provide innovative solutions for basement waterproofing, but unlike traditional French drains, it takes away the possibility of clogging.

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Our Sump Pump Systems

Avoid flooding and water damage with sump pumps for your basement or crawl space. AquaGuard installs a variety of sump pump systems in homes throughout greater Atlanta.

Which options are best for repairing my basement?

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BASEMENT WATERPROOFING SOLUTIONS

Is Basement Waterproofing the Right Solution for Me?

If your basement is damp, musty, and leaking, you need a waterproofing expert’s help! A wet, moldy basement causes indoor air quality problems, structural damage, and an all-around unhealthy living environment.   

A waterproofing system installed by AquaGuard Foundation Solutions utilizes high-quality products to collect groundwater and safely drain it away from the home. We ensure your basement is dry and secure by using specialized products, like our cutting-edge sump pump, which includes three pumps for ultimate protection, and our 12-mil, 7-layer polyethylene wall liner.  

Long-term warranties ensure protection and peace of mind for years to come. Transform your basement into exactly what your family needs—a clean, healthy, usable space.  

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FAQS

At AquaGuard, we use a combination of waterproofing solutions, offering the most complete basement waterproofing system. Basement drains, vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, and sump pumps work together to ensure you home is protected against every cause of basement water problems. Our patented BasementGutter system has waterproofed more linear feet of homeowners’ basements than any other residential waterproofing product in the world.

Although it is not always indicative of structural failure, the most tell-tale sign of structural damage due to basement water penetration is foundation wall cracks. Wall cracks can occur in multiple ways and often tell a definitive story about why and how they cracked. For instance, stair-step or vertical wall cracks often occur as a result of differential settlement. Differential settlement typically results from rainwater funneling underneath your foundation walls, washing out, and eroding the soil below, leaving voids. Void-laden soil simply cannot support the heavy foundation walls that sit atop it, and thus the walls will start to crack and shift or settle down into the void. Another common cause of foundation wall cracks is hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure can push against your foundation walls, resulting in horizontal or diagonal wall cracks. Over time, these cracks will widen, and your walls may start to buckle, bow or shear. This is a major structural issue, as total wall collapse can occur if your walls are left untreated.

Unfortunately, basement waterproofing issues will only worsen over time. If your external drainage system has already clogged, there’s no guarantee if or when that issue will become more severe due to heavy or extended rains. Therefore, if you spot any of the common signs or symptoms associated with basement moisture penetration, it’s definitely beneficial to schedule a free evaluation sooner than later. Your issue may be minor and therefore be less expensive to repair than major issues. We hope it is. You may have no issue at all, or it may just be a plumbing leak. If that’s the case, we’ll tell you that, too. No matter what, if you’re experiencing any kind of basement water problem, at least invite a professional out to take a look. Don’t wait for your issue to get worse to find out the problem is serious!

Our system design specialists do a thorough inspection of the inside and outside of your home to assess the source of your water intrusion issue. We can quickly determine if you’re dealing with a plumbing leak or water penetrating from the outside. The specific entry point can always be determined, though the source is sometimes harder to identify. This is because concrete is porous (so the walls can allow water in) and water will inevitably enter your basement through the point of least resistance (cracks, floor/footing joint, etc). Regardless, waterproofing issues are always caused by either oversaturated soil or a high false water table. Because water can always spread and create a new entry point, it’s important to address, at a minimum, the entire wall that’s allowing water into your basement, rather than a singular entry point.

Our basement waterproofing system utilizes a 20-mil thick, 7-layer polyethylene material reinforced with polyester cord. This 100% waterproof, inorganic vapor barrier resists the growth of mold and mildew. Its mold-resistance is also reinforced by an anti-microbial protection additive called UltraFresh.

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Why is Basement Waterproofing Needed?

For many homeowners in Georgia, a wet, moldy, damp basement is all too common. There are many reasons why your basement is leaking, but regardless, tackling these problems with the right solution before it’s too late is essential.  

flooded basement

Eliminates Flooding

The weather in Athens and Atlanta, plus the area’s soil, makes basement flooding almost impossible to avoid. But when a high-functioning, reliable waterproofing system is installed, your days of mopping up water and drying out your personal possessions are over. A quality waterproofing system eliminates flooding in your basement, allowing you to confidently finish your basement and turn a previously unusable space into another bedroom or more living space.

hydrostatic pressure

Protects Your Safety 

Water enters your basement after the soil surrounding your foundation walls becomes saturated. Saturated soil is heavy and pushes on your basement walls until the water enters your basement. If your basement is left leaking for years, the wear and tear on your foundation walls can lead to major structural problems, like bowing, cracked foundation walls. Repairing these larger issues caused by water damage costs significantly more than getting your basement waterproofed. Putting money towards waterproofing rather than the resulting foundation damage is a more economical choice.  

moldy basement

Prevents Mold & Mildew 

Mold and mildew need three things to survive, water, food, and oxygen. Eliminate just one of these things, and mold cannot live or spread. Unfortunately, a wet basement has all three in spades. The problem with mold in the basement is that it doesn’t just stay there. Mold spores and the musty odors that accompany them travel through the entire house because of the stack effect. These spores cause breathing problems, especially for those with respiratory issues like asthma and allergies. Waterproofing eliminates the ‘water’ from the basement, causing mold to die and stop spreading. 

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Common Basement Waterproofing Tips & Mistakes

For more than 25 years, AquaGuard has been safeguarding Georgia homes. Over that time, we have developed a helpful list of tips and mistakes we have noticed over the years.  

3 Helpful Tips for Waterproofing Your Basement 

  • Check Gutters & Yard Grade 

When water pools around the foundation of your home, the results are never good. Even with the best waterproofing system installed, it’s still best to keep water as far away as possible. Make sure you clean and check the home’s gutters at least twice a year, typically in the spring and fall and investigate the grade of your yard. The land surrounding your home should be sloped away from the foundation, not toward it. A landscaping company can help ensure water flows away correctly. 

  • Dehumidifiers Are Key  

Eliminating damaging water from the basement is key to a safe and healthy basement. However, sometimes in areas where high humidity is common, like Georgia, a high-capacity, self-draining dehumidifier is still needed to ensure the air quality in the basement, and the home’s living area is as clean as possible. A dehumidifier also eliminates musty odors and the possibility of mold growth.  

  • Extends the Life of HVAC   

When the humidity in your basement is high, due to both the weather and the water entering the basement, the temperature and humidity are typically much warmer than your furnace and hot water heater would prefer. This leads to condensation. Keep an eye out for rust that can cause damage and drastically shorten the lifespan of these mechanical appliances.  

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Waterproofing Your Basement  

  • A Sump Pump Alone  

When water is noticed in the basement, a homeowner’s first thought may be to install a sump pump from a big box store. The problem is not only is the sump pump very unreliable, but it also doesn’t address the root problem of eliminating water pressure on your walls. The sump pump also can only pump out groundwater beneath your basement and has no way of collecting the water already entering the home.  

  • Foundation Cracks   

It’s very common for water to enter a basement through cracks in your basement wall. So, it only makes sense— seal the crack, stop the water. The problem with using epoxy or similar material to patch the crack is just that—it’s only a patch. Since the root cause, hydrostatic pressure isn’t being addressed, the crack will continue to grow, and the repair will become useless.  

  • Waterproof Paint  

Waterproof paint from a big box store makes a lot of claims that are relatively misleading. While waterproof paint may hold water at bay for a short time, water will find a way in since the root cause has not been repaired. 

Find your service area

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is known for its hot weather. However, when those hot temperatures mix with high humidity levels, your foundation could be at risk. AquaGuard can help!

Athens, GA

Athens, GA

Driving rain and high humidity makes foundation problems an issue for homes in Athens. Unfortunately, the sandy soil doesn’t help matters much and can put homes at risk.

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    875 Pickens Industrial Dr
    Marietta, GA 30062

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