Basement Waterproofing Services in Des Moines, IA
Most wet-basement trouble in Des Moines, IA and the rest of Polk County, Iowa fits one of five types of work, each described below in plain language. Whichever one fits, your request goes to one independent local contractor, which writes any price itself. This site is a free referral and advertising service and does none of the work.
Services Overview
Full basement waterproofing handles water along several walls. The common inside method is a drain beside the footing that carries water to a sump; the outside method digs down so a membrane can go on the wall. Pre-1940 brick and block foundations often call for different choices than newer poured walls.
Basement leak repair chases a single way in, such as a window well, a tie hole, a pipe opening or the seam at the floor. It also explains how ordinary seepage differs from a sewer backup, which is reported to the city that owns the sewer.
Foundation crack repair compares injection for poured walls with repointing for block and brick, and flags the sideways cracks worth an early look. Structural work may need a building permit from the city where the house sits.
Sump pump installation covers the pit, the pump, a check valve, backup power and an alarm, with discharge sent outdoors and well clear of the foundation, never into a floor drain or the sanitary sewer. Tying a sump into any drain or sewer counts as plumbing, which takes a state-licensed plumber and a permit.
Basement drainage steers water off before it reaches the wall: gutters, downspouts, grading, window-well drains and drain tile. Till soils around Des Moines can stay wet through spring, and backfill around newer homes can settle toward the house.
From Symptom to Service
You don't need to know the cause before you ask. Pick the line nearest to what you see; the contractor sorts out the rest in person.
- Damp on several walls. Water on more than one wall after rain points to the full waterproofing and drainage pages.
- One spot keeps returning. Start with leak repair.
- A crack that seeps. Read crack repair, and note whether the wall is poured, block or brick.
- A sump in trouble. A pump that runs nonstop or has quit is covered on the sump pump page, even in a newer house.
- Puddles by the foundation. Downspouts, grading and window wells are on the drainage page.
- Water up through a floor drain. That is usually a sewer backup, not seepage. At a Des Moines address, tell Public Works at (515) 283-4950 or use myDSMmobile; in a nearby city, contact that city's own office.
Next Step: An Estimate
The short form is where to begin. One independent contractor then gets in touch about a visit and its own written estimate. A contractor may pay this site a flat advertising fee; you pay nothing and receive nothing.