Got Rust? It Might Be Iron Ochre

Finding water in your basement can ruin your day. But it goes from bad to worse when the water you find looks rusty.  Maybe you've checked your HVAC and water heater and found no signs of rust, and on closer inspection the water seems...sludgey. So what can it be?

What you’re dealing with is iron ochre, and it’s actually not uncommon. Iron bacteria can be naturally present in water, and when the concentration is high enough it forms a kind of gelatinous, rusty goop. It smells bad and stains basically everything it touches. The bad news is that you can’t really get rid of it; even worse, it can make waterproofing more difficult.

The problem with using a traditional waterproofing system in a home with iron ochre is that it will quickly clog the system, which means water will back up onto the floor. Rusty, smelly water. Great.

But I wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have a solution. We have a special iron ochre-specific version of our WaterGuard system that prevents this. The drainage channel and openings are wider to allow water to move even when it’s more of a gel than a liquid. The system also has an easy access cap to allow for maintenance cleaning - it’s important to get the system flushed as the iron ochre builds up.

Iron ochre is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s even more important to take care of your water problems, since the water is foul and ruins everything it touches. On the other hand, its composition means that it resists standard waterproofing systems. Luckily, we have a solution.

Don’t let a little rust goop stand between you and a dry, clean basement. Call us today to schedule your free inspection.