Before we finish any basement, one of the first questions I ask is how long they have lived in the home. This is to ensure they have lived in the house long enough to determine that water is not making it's way down to the basement. Although there are products available for waterproofing a basement foundation, they are not meant to be a preventative measure. The most effective approach to keeping water out is to make sure you have a good slope around the foundation of your house. In new homes, it is common for the dirt around the foundation to settle over the first couple of years. Which usually required adding some dirt around the foundation of a new home. Keeping your gutters and downspouts clean is another important step in keeping water out of your basement. If you still have problems with water, you should consider installing a french drain system.

Most of the basements we work in have sump pump's that tie into a drain tile that runs throughout the entire basement slab. If a sump pump was not installed when the home was originally built it will require removing a great deal of concrete around the inside of the foundation walls. If a basement is a walk out, it may not be necessary for a sump pump system.

For those basements that already have sump pump systems, you may want to consider the addition of a back up sump pump. I always recommend using a water powered backup sump system instead of a battery powered backup. Although a water powered sump is not very efficient, it requires far less maintenance than a battery back up.

Chase Thompson
KC Basement Finishing