Basement Waterproofing Before & After Photos

Heavy rains had begun to reveal a serious issue for this Newark, DE homeowner, as water consistently seeped into their garage and raised alarms about potential long-term structural damage and mold development. The moisture was not only affecting the functionality of the space but also posed a risk to the overall health of the home. Recognizing the need for a permanent solution, the homeowner turned to Quality 1st for professional support and guidance.

Upon inspection, our team pinpointed the root cause of the water intrusion and implemented a targeted waterproofing solution tailored to the garage's specific needs. We installed our patented WaterGuard Drainage System to efficiently collect and redirect water before it could pool along the foundation. To further protect the space and enhance its appearance, we added our BrightWall Panels, moisture-resistant, clean-looking wall panels that help channel any wall seepage directly into the drainage system.

These combined systems now work seamlessly to maintain a dry, structurally sound, and healthier environment for the homeowner!

After struggling with ongoing water intrusion in their Newark, DE basement, this homeowner began to notice increasingly damp and worn down conditions. As this issue persisted, the homeowner started to worry about potential structural decay and mold-growth, which led them to seek out a lasting and professional solution from Quality 1st. 

Once our team conducted an extensive inspection on the basement, we were able to determine the source of the water seepage, which turned out to be the result of improper drainage support in the form of an old sump pump that could no longer handle the high capacity of moisture attempting to enter the space. 

Luckily, our team was successfully able to devise a completely dynamic and customized waterproofing approach that involved the installation of our high-performance SuperSump Premier Sump Pump System. By installing our SuperSump Premier, we ultimately prevent further moisture-related issues, while also delivering the homeowner with an advanced drainage system that will ensure this basement remains dry and healthy for many years ahead!

At this home in Newark, DE the owners were in need of a sump replacement and installation of our WaterGuard sub-floor drainage system. The basement had minor cracks in the foundation blocks that caused some leakage inside, so the team placed our CleanSpace Vapor Barrier along the walls to capture and carry down into the floor drain. Once we installed the SuperSump Pump, we connected the whole system into a flowing, working unit that will keep your basement dry.

Just about every contractor who knows how to hang drywall thinks they have the expertise to finish a basement. After all, how hard can it be, right? But basements pose certain challenges that aren’t a factor in the upper floors of your home, and the products and materials that work in your living room are not suitable for your basement. That’s why it is so important to hire an expert.

Basements are usually at least partially underground, so the walls and floors are colder and need to be insulated. There is more humidity in the basement, commonly due to moisture from the ground migrating through the concrete, or the heat of your dryer coming into contact with the cool walls, forming condensation. There is also the potential for flooding due to sump pump failure, leaks from your hot water heater, icemaker line or washing machine hose, a broken pipe, or the dreaded toilet overflow.

Drywall and fiberglass insulation should never be used in basements. Even if you never have a flood, the high humidity will cause mold to grow on these organic materials and within a few years, your basement will start to smell like mold, and that’s just not healthy air to breathe.

Our company never uses organic materials when finishing basements. On this job, you can see that we used a different type of wall board that is called Everlast Wall, which comes with a vinyl finish or unfinished and ready for paint. Everlast Wall is 100% inorganic and comes with a 50-year warranty against water damage and will never have mold growth. We also used a beautiful, inorganic wood-look flooring that comes with a guarantee against water damage.

The installation of a SaniDry XP dehumidifier guarantees that the basement will never feel damp. Most basements need a dehumidifier, especially if it is a finished basement where you and your family will be spending time. The standard store-bought dehumidifiers are not powerful enough to do the job. The SaniDry is 7-9 times more powerful than a regular dehumidifier, and not only does it dry the air, it’s 2-stage filter removes airborne allergens.

Lastly, we added a Rockwell Egress window well, which allows for escape out of the basement in case of emergency. Building code requires that every finished basement has at least one egress window. Rockwells are a safety feature with a bonus! They allow lots of daylight to enter and brighten up your space.

So, if you hire a contractor to finish your basement, and you see him (or her!) dragging sheets of drywall and big rolls of pink insulation toward the entrance of your basement, wait until he makes the next trip to his truck to grab those boxes of laminated flooring that he plans to install, then lock your doors, turn out the lights and pretend you’re not home. And always remember - Mold LOVES organic materials, but it doesn’t stand a chance when it’s up against Basement Systems’ inorganic building products!!

For this basement project we replaced all of the current basement windows and wells with our EverLast windows and Sunhouse enclosures and even turned one window in to an Egress. The 60 x 48 Egress window was paired with our Rockwell and Rockwell Cover.