The whole picture
Waterproofing for Hoover homes
Waterproofing is a loose word for a group of quite different jobs. Which one a house needs depends on what is under it, a crawl space or a basement, and on whether the trouble is damp air, damp ground or running water. This page sorts them out and links to a full page on each.
Call (205) 555-0115First, what is under your house?
A crawl space is a shallow gap between the ground and the floor, tall enough to crawl in, with a dirt floor and vents in the wall. Its usual trouble is humidity. The work is encapsulation, or repair of what the damp has already damaged.
A basement is a room below ground with a concrete floor. Its usual trouble is water pressing on the walls after rain. The work is a drain and pump on the inside, a membrane on the outside, or a repair at a single leak.
A house built into a slope can have both: a basement at the low end and a crawl space under the remaining rooms. Then each part is treated in its own way, and the two often share one sump pump.
Every job, one page each
- Crawl space encapsulationA sealed liner over the soil and walls, closed vents and dry air. Each layer explained, with a drawing.Open →
- Crawl space repairStanding water, fallen insulation, damp joists and soft floors: what causes each and how it is put right.Open →
- Basement waterproofingA drain under the slab edge, a liner on the wall and a pump. How water is handled from the inside.Open →
- Exterior waterproofingDigging down to the footing, coating the wall and laying a drain. When the outside route is worth the digging.Open →
- Sump pump installationBasin, pump, check valve and a battery backup for the storm that takes the power out.Open →
- Basement leak repairOne crack, one pipe sleeve or one window well letting water in. Finding the spot and closing it.Open →
- Wet basementDamp, seepage or a real leak? How to tell them apart before anyone sells you a system.Open →
- Yard drainage and French drainsMoving rain away before it reaches the foundation: downspouts, grading, French drains and catch basins.Open →
- Crawl space dehumidifiersWhat a dehumidifier under the house can and cannot do, and what it needs to keep working.Open →
Which fix goes with which cause
- Humid air under the floor: close the space and dry it. Encapsulation, with a dehumidifier.
- Moisture rising from bare soil: a sealed liner over the ground.
- Rain reaching the wall across the yard: downspout lines, regrading or a French drain.
- Water pushing in at the base of a wall: a perimeter drain and a sump pump.
- Water at one crack or pipe: a spot repair.
- A wall that must itself stay dry: dig it out and coat it from outside.
Most houses need one or two of these, not the full list. Be wary of a proposal that includes everything without saying which cause each item answers.
What waterproofing is not
It is not emergency drying, plumbing, roofing or structural repair. A waterproofing company keeps groundwater and damp out of the below-ground part of a house. If your problem is one of the others, the symptom page says who to call instead.