Marple's Hometown Monthly Magazine
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Expert Contribution

All For a Dry Basement

A case review of a recent project revealed numerous DIY steps that a home’s owners had taken to correct a chronically wet laundry room window and stone foundation wall, all without any success. Upon site inspection and inquiry of past home improvements, little was found to identify the root cause of the chronic leaks. Even the replacement concrete and driveway contractors had failed to find the answer to this mystery. Those contractors chose to complete major rehab steps instead of looking at the long-overdue wood-framed leaky basement window. The focus needed to be on property maintenance such as gutters and grading.

The window itself was inoperable due to multiple attempts to caulk the inside perimeter of the window frame, and the homeowners could not even reach the window to vent it, due to the washer and laundry tub. Visually it looked terrible and was of absolutely no effect against storms. Even the custom-made Plexiglass window-well cover and the galvanized higher window-well liner, which were recently installed, did not improve the situation in the least. The homeowners were so desperate that they started using a sandbag diverter, which was temporarily working far better than any of the extensive exterior renovations.

The new concrete patio had obviously been installed too low. And the recently redone driveway had not been properly sloped away from the house. Unfortunately, correcting those two engineering mistakes would mean starting all over, and that was simply not an option financially or timewise.

After the homeowners had endured many expensive but unsuccessful attempted solutions and the resulting sleepless nights, the actual solution was to go after the weakest link of the total project, and not the flaws in previous well-intended steps to “beat the water.” In the end, the solution was to replace the Plexiglass window-well cover, with no change to the two new extended galvanized liners, and install a solid glass-block window with waterproofing cement on three sides. The homeowners also keep handy a few sandbag diverters to use when huge rains are expected.

No re-do or backhoe excavation was needed, much to the homeowners’ relief.

An experienced weatherproofing specialist can often implement a simple, inexpensive solution that not only eliminates water and moisture problems but also brings homeowners much-needed peace of mind!


About The Author

Waterproofing & Weatherization
David Linn Cook & Joe Soster
Waterproofing One
610-325-0596

As a longtime Marple Newtown resident, David Linn Cook, a working partner of Waterproofing One, is well-known among Marple and Newtown Township residents as the local expert for all matters related to basement waterproofing and home weatherproofing. Owner Joe Soster’s dedication to quality service is obvious when you consider that more than half of their ongoing business comes from client referrals. Dave and Joe’s expertise is legendary across the entire tri-state region, where for over 30 years, their company has been fixing weather-related water leakage and weatherproofing problems in homes and businesses throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, Delaware and Chester Counties, as well as Delaware and New Jersey. Respected for free expert advice and free estimates, their clients witness unparalleled expertise and ability to craft economical remedies that come with a lifetime guarantee.  For personal service and discounts offered to Senior Citizens and Veterans, there are no better home weatherization experts than David Linn Cook and Joe Soster of Waterproofing One.

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