Waterproofing a basement on Staten Island can involve various methods or techniques, depending on what is causing your basement to be wet, and the solution may vary depending on who you speak to.
If the problem is a severe one, the solution boils down to extensive exterior work or extensive interior work, or in many cases, a combination of the two. However, before it gets to that point, there are several things that you can do on your own, or relatively cheaply, to try and fix your wet basement.
DIY Basement Waterproofing Solutions
- Visual Inspection – You can do a check yourself to determine where water may be entering the basement. If you can determine that the source of moisture is isolated to a particular spot, you may be able to avoid extensive repairs. Your problem can be as simple as excessive humidity, which a quality dehumidifier can solve.
- Gutter & Downspout Inspection – You should check to ensure that your gutters are free of debris and leaves and that water can flow freely off of the roof and away from the foundation of your home. Also, check that the downspout is pointing away from the house and is directed to a spot that slopes away from the house if the water pools at or near the home.
- Regrading – Regrading can work if too much earth has been allowed to pile up against the foundation of a cement block wall. Water can then potentially seep through wooden portions of your home. There should be at least 8″ of clearance between the ground and the top of the foundation wall. While this is something that may help, this is not a common cause for a wet basement.
Professional Waterproofing Solutions
If the above do-it-yourself techniques don’t help solve the problem, you will probably need to consult with a basement waterproofing professional. An expert Staten Island waterproofing company can provide more permanent and long-lasting solutions to help dry up your wet basement.
A basement waterproofing contractor will give some or all of the following solutions:
- Sump Pump Installation – A professionally installed sump pump will help pump water out of your basement.
- French Drain Installation – A french drain can be installed either on the exterior of your home to prevent water from entering your basement or on the interior to divert water back out once it has already come in.
- Vapor Barrier Installation – If your crawl space is retaining moisture, a professional basement waterproofer can help install a vapor barrier to prevent that moisture from moving up into your home.
The first steps in determining the best solution for your wet basement are to try and assess the situation yourself to see if there are any obvious fixes. If you can’t see the problem for yourself or aren’t sure what the issue and solution are, you should contact an expert to help you assess the proper solution to waterproof your basement or crawl space.
Basement Waterproofing Solution Costs
Few things can negatively impact a home’s resale value than a damp and moldy basement. Over time, water can seep down against the foundation and enter the home through minuscule cracks or fissures. The basement waterproofing cost can vary depending on the nature of the problem. The procedure can be quite costly for repairs or installation of exterior footer drains, ranging in $5000. For issues involving minor cracks and drain seepage, the cost could be closer to $500. There are many solutions to waterproofing a basement, both inside the home and out.
Sometimes, a simple matter of rerouting the downspouts an additional three feet away from the house will be enough to prevent water from seeping down toward the foundation. This is the most cost-effective solution and can usually be completed for under $50. The saturated soil creates pressure that can crack the foundation, allowing water inside, especially after heavy rains or spring melt. If this is not effective, excavating and either repairing existing footer tiles or installing new ones may be necessary. An exterior french drain, which consists of a drain pipe that is laid in gravel after excavating along the perimeter of the house in order to divert the flow of water. A waterproof coating of tar can also be applied to the exterior foundation for extra protection. This can be a more costly repair, ranging from $4000 to $8000 depending on the size of the house and whether or not a rubberized sheeting material is applied to the foundation for additional protection.
To fix or improve the problem from the inside of the house, a mixture of hydraulic cement may be used and is an effective short-term solution and often serves to buy some time for the homeowner while preventing further damage from occurring. The amount of cement needed will vary, but this repair will not usually cost more than $500. The installation of a sump pump can be another option. To do this, a trench is dug along the interior walls of the basement and a drain pipe is installed. This pipe collects the runoff water and directs it to the sump pump, which then pumps it out of the house. The sump pump should ideally have a battery backup to continue to function if the electricity goes out due to bad weather. This can cost between $3000 and $6000 depending on the pump and amount of labor.
DIY Basement Waterproofing Costs
The cost to waterproof your basement will almost always be cheaper in the short term than hiring a professional contractor. However, the long-term costs could be greater if you do not solve your wet basement issues sufficiently and incur costly damage in your basement.
The following are some of the items you can do yourself and the costs associated.
- Basement Dehumidifier – Typical Cost = $1000-$2000. This is for a quality basement dehumidifier for a medium to the large basement. It can be cheaper for a smaller space or a crawl space.
- Pedestal Sump Pump – Typical Cost = $100. A pedestal sump pump is easier to install without contractor assistance due to the pump not having to be installed in to the ground.
- Basement Wall Crack Repair – Typical Cost < $500. You can patch cracks in your basement walls to try and slow down the flow of water into your basement. This cost varies on how many cracks you are attempting to fix.
- Gutter/Downspout Modification – Typical Cost < $50. Suppose you determine that water is pooling up against the side of your house to improper drainage. In that case, you can attempt to divert water away more effectively with longer gutters and downspouts that leave the water further away from your home and out of harm’s way.
Cost of Hiring a Professional Basement Waterproofer on Staten Island
It isn’t easy to give an exact figure or even a very close estimate as literally every home, and every situation is different. This will affect the cost of waterproofing your basement. A bigger home will cost more than a smaller home, and a complex water infiltration problem will cost more than a simple problem.
Your best bet for understanding how much hiring a professional will cost you is to understand the different components that are going into waterproofing your basement.
- Will you need a french drain installed?
- Will you need a french drain on the exterior of your home? Or the interior? Or perhaps both?
- Will you need a sump pump? What type of sump pump?
- Will you need any regrading of the landscape around your home?
These are just some of the factors that will make a big difference on how much it will cost you to waterproof your basement professionally. The best advice we can give is to have multiple experts give you their opinion on what needs to be done and how much they will charge to do the job. Once you have several estimates of what work is necessary, you can break down the costs by task.
For example: If you have three contractors tell you that they recommend installing an exterior french drain around the perimeter of your home, you then know that from your research that this is a big job and can be quite expensive with costs rising above $10,000. You compare this with the prices you are being quoted and ensuring to do a thorough check of your potential basement waterproofing contractor, and you will be in a much better position to know that you are getting the proper work done by a qualified and reasonably priced professional.
Contact Staten Island Waterproofing Solution Specialist Today
To get expert help when it comes to basement waterproofing in Staten Island, call us today and let our team of experts determine the best solution to your basement needs.
