Basement Flooding Repair in West Newbury, MA

Friday, May 31st, 2024 by Marcus Girard

Challenge

When a basement constantly fills with water, it can create a lot of stress and a very annoying cleanup process. Homeowners in West Newbury, Massachusetts experienced splashable amounts of water on their foundation floor every time there were heavy rains. Simply done with shop vacuuming water off the basement floor, they reached out to Erickson Foundation Solutions for a permanent solution. Our Design Specialist, Bryan Barnard, recommended the following waterproofing solution to keep the basement permanently dry:

80' of perimeter drainage (WaterGuard) along the base of the foundation walls to capture water
1 FlexiSpan seals and waterproofs a foundation wall crack
1 SuperSump sump pump system to dispose water out of the basement
1 IceGuard to prevent the discharge line from freezing in cold temperatures
20' of drainage line, ensuring the water is pumped out and away from the home.

Solution

Abdou Taal and his team showed up at the house on the day of the installation. Together, Abdou and the homeowners toured the house and discussed the installation objectives they had set to accomplish. WaterGuard perimeter drainage was installed by the installation crew as they got to work on the basement. Initially, they removed eight inches of concrete from the foundation floor's edge. Since jackhammering can be a dusty operation, our team made sure to take all the required safety and cleanliness measures to maintain everything in the area clean. To make room for WaterGuard, concrete is removed after chipping out the perimeter. Eighty feet of WaterGuard were installed along the foundation footing. This interior French drain system collects water from surrounding outside soil in order to deliver it to the sump pump basin.

FlexiSpan was installed to a foundation wall crack. FlexiSpan crack repair is a three-part process that began with the application of a flexible sealant along the full length of the crack. Next, a strip of flexible and porous foam was installed over the crack. Finally, an impermeable membrane was adhered to the wall on both sides of the foam strip. This fail-safe treatment allows any future seepage of water through the crack to move invisibly down the wall and into the basement’s WaterGuard perimeter drainage system.

The sump pump basin was dug out simultaneously to the WaterGuard system being chipped out. When the basin was created, the SuperSump sump pump system was put in place within crushed stone with the WaterGuard system to ensure proper drainage. The WaterGuard system was then connected to the SuperSump. The SuperSump includes a powerful Zoeller ⅓ horsepower cast-iron sump pump, capable of pumping 2,220 gallons of water per hour at an 8-foot head out of the basement.

In order to direct the flow of water out of the home, 20 feet of drainage line was installed to the SuperSump. This included 10' of interior drainage line, and 10' of exterior drainage line. This line was plumbed out to the side of the homeowner's house in a woodsy area that poses no further threat to the home. IceGuard, an anti-freeze fitting that was installed to the drainage line, ejects water away from the foundation in the event that the sump pump discharge lines freeze or become clogged.

With all the work completed and the work area kept clean, Abdou performed a final walkthrough with the homeowners, showcasing the work completed and answer any questions about the systems that were installed. The homeowners were so thrilled with the work done; they even recommended our Erickson team to their neighbors!