Exterior drainage and waterproofing

Sometimes the right answer is outside the house — and sometimes it's cheaper than anything happening inside.

Start with the water you can see

Before excavation is discussed, we look at where the water is coming from at the surface. Downspouts discharging beside the foundation, a grade that slopes back toward the house, a window well with no drainage, a walkway pitched the wrong way — these are common causes of a wet basement and are far less invasive to correct.

Full exterior work

Where conditions genuinely call for it, exterior waterproofing means excavating to the footing, cleaning the wall, applying a waterproofing membrane or coating, installing a footing drain in stone, and backfilling. It's a bigger, more expensive, more weather-dependent job than an interior system — but on some properties it's the correct one.

What we'd consider

• Downspout extensions and buried discharge lines
• Regrading to move surface water away from the foundation
• Window well drainage and covers
• Yard and surface drainage where water collects near the house
• Excavation, membrane and footing drain where site conditions justify it