Contractor to fix a wet basement?

house foundation brickAnonymous emails:

I'm looking for competent, reliable contractors to fix a moisture problem in our basement. I'm aware of two companies in our area: Adirondack Basement Solutions and Kinetic Basement Solutions.
Can you post a request on the web for readers to share their experiences with these companies, as well as any recommendations for others to contact?

There seem to be a lot of companies that advertise services to address this problem, but we get the sense that wet basements can be tricky. And sometimes fixing the problem goes beyond the basement itself -- to things like gutters.

So, got a suggestion for Anonymous? Please share.

Comments

I used Adirondack 4 years ago for a leak in my basement. They seemed to do a fine job but the leak reappeared after a couple of years - and that is after a double layer of waterproofing they supposedly did.

Question 1: why is water infiltrating your basement?

Do not use Adirondack Basement; they are a rip off. I have a 137 year old house with a wet basement that I am slowly but surely working on drying out (it will never be 100% dry but it can be dryer before I start replacing utilities and doing structural up grades). The Adirondack Basement person that came to my house saw an old, wet basement that could be an excellent source of commission for him suggested (a) jack the house up and pour a new concrete foundation (its 137 yrs old field stone) or (b) purchase a $30,000 "pool liner"type water proofing system from them. Neither of which really address the issue of "why" water is coming in.

I had 2 other general contractors come in and look at my basement, both standing to make a huge chunk of money off of me and both flat out advised against redoing the foundation (as there is nothing wrong with it for its age) and that the pool liner option didn't address why water was coming in. The alternative quotes I received were under $18,000 and could be done in logical steps over the course of several years.

If it is just a moisture problem and not an actual water flowing into your basement, you may simply need to have your yard regraded and install a commercial grade dehumidifier. If it is more water than just "damp" you will probably need to add a french drain to the mix.

My go to guys
Dan Blair at EarthSafe 701-4901
Joe Sturgis Home Improvements 482-8403
Frank Spor 895-8278

Another awesome contract that I have used (but I'm not sure if he could address the damp basement, but no harm in asking)
John Holford 788-0851


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