Why Basements Leak

A house built in the 1970s or earlier is likely to have only minimal water protection around the foundation. Construction techniques have improved over the years, so that today's new homes are more resistant to water, but wet basements are still a big problem. As homes age, wall coatings fail and waterproofing systems break down. Even well-designed systems can ultimately fail. Therefore, most houses eventually have wet basement problems. [Learn about: wet basement solutions]

Wet basement problems can range from mildly annoying to catastrophic, depending on the flow of water and how "finished" your basement is. Regardless of the severity, the problem will only get worse: A wet basement is something that should be addresses promptly by a Certified Waterproofing specialist. 

The "Clay Bowl" Concept

When your home was built, a hole was excavated into very hard, virgin soil to accommodate the basement. The ground never "forgets" this hole, thus whenever the ground becomes saturated, water will always seek to fill in this hole. This water creates pressure around your walls and floor that allows for seepage opportunities at any cracks or joints. Note, this water pressure will occur during prolonged heavy rains despite your best efforts to keep ground water away from your home. That is why extending downspouts, building up the grade, caulking driveway cracks, and even adding room addition slabs may mitigate the amount of seepage you receive, but won't solve the problem. In other words: Waterproofing is not about keeping water away from your basement, but rather is making your basement dry regardless of the amount of water around it.

• Blocked drainage at the base of the home's exterior wall
• Defective or missing footing drainage system
• Inadequately draining backfill around basement
• Leakage through cracks in walls/floor slab
• Improperly drained window wells
• Flooding of nearby stream or drainage swale
• High water table

In most homes with wet basements, the walls are leaking or the floor is leaking. One reason homeowners hesitate to address the problem is that there is too much conflicting advice. We understand this and our mandate is to educate the homeowner enabling them to make a confident and informed choice. Omni Basement Systems has a variety of patented systems backed by years of sound research and experience that can address your wet basement problem.

For more information please contact us.