Basement Waterproofing Potomac

Potomac isn’t just a river in Maryland, it’s a town northwest of Washington, D.C. and Bethesda. Potomac happens to be one of the wealthiest and most affluent parts of the Washington Metro Area, and it’s held this distinction for decades. However, while expensive homes tend to be better constructed than cheap homes, the rain still falls on their roofs, and the Potomac River can still threaten to flood their basements. That’s why basement waterproofing in Potomac is as important as it is in houses and buildings in central Washington, the outskirts, and beyond.

What Water Can Do

You’ve almost certainly seen pictures of what a flood can do. Not only can floodwaters turn towns into rivers, they can destroy roads, shatter foundations, and leave behind a thick layer of silt, debris, and mold. A flood that’s just an inch above the ground can cause some serious damage, and the higher it goes, the worse it gets.

A flood doesn’t even have to reach the surface to damage basements. The water table, which is how deep you have to dig to find water, tends to be relatively high near rivers and lakes, and the table only rises during the spring melt and whenever it rains consistently. If it gets high enough, it won’t matter how modern your basement is – water will get in through ground seepage.

Rain on its own can also cause problems. Every house has several ways it keeps rain from pooling against the basement walls or foundation, and if one of them fails it can cause some serious problems. Even high humidity can lead to condensation on concrete and metal surfaces where you can’t easily see what’s going on, and in this case what you don’t know can lead to a mold outbreak or worse.

What Waterproofing Can Do

When AA Action Waterproofing conducts a basement waterproofing in Potomac or elsewhere, we first inspect all the waterproofing methods a building already uses and check to see that everything is in working order. For instance, here are some of the waterproofing measures that can help with rainwater:

• Angled roofs and rain gutters that collect rainwater and direct it to a spot several feet away from the house. If the gutters are clogged with leaves and debris, the water they collect will instead drip right next to the building.
• A sloped angle to the ground that lets surface water drain away from the building instead of towards it. If the ground has settled or if someone landscaped the area and forgot about this rule, it could cause water to pool against the foundation.
• Sand and gravel backfill along the outside of the basement walls that lets water drain through and doesn’t expand and put pressure on the walls in the process. This backfill might not be present if the building is old enough, or it might not be draining properly anymore.
• A layer of water-resistant material coating the exterior of the walls. Over time, this layer can wear off.

Water seepage is a different kind of problem, and it has its own solution: the sump pump. Once installed, this pump allows water to drain into a pit beneath the basement floor and then pumps it out once the water level gets high enough. While this pump can’t stop a flood, it can keep a rising water table at bay. Most new homes in danger areas come with a sump pump, but older buildings often still need one.

What We Do

For basement waterproofing in Potomac, your best choice is AA Action Waterproofing. Not only do we serve the Washington Metro Area, we also waterproof and otherwise repair basements, crawlspaces, and foundations throughout the state of Maryland and beyond. And despite our large service area and the fact that we’ve been around since 1987, we have yet to find a basement we couldn’t fix.

If you’ve noticed a problem with mold, water damage, or foundation cracks, you should call in an expert to give you a professional opinion. If you go with AA Action Waterproofing, you can expect us to give you a free estimate after our initial inspection, an estimate that carries no obligation on your part. So if your basement is leaking and you live in our area, feel free to contact us right away.