Basement Waterproofing Before & After Photos

How's your sump pump? Does it look like the one on the left or the one on the right? Or do you not even have one at all? We see it time and time again, homeowners are generally unaware of the quality of their sump pump. This homeowner in Grand Rapids had a sump pump that was not perfect for his basement, it sat in water (which means it didn't do its job) , and it didn't have a lid so it could be easily damaged by debris and many other materials. To fix it, we installed our UltraSump III. This sump pump has a battery operated system so that it will work even in a power outage. The UltraSump also has a lid so that it can be safe from being clogged and damaged. This homeowner will have a dry basement for a very long time now. Call Ayers to upgrade your sump pump today.

A small leak capable of causing big puddles was the reason for this call. When snow would thaw or rain would fall, this basement would leak through a small crack in the wall. After the leakage would come the puddles, and with a big enough storm, those puddles could grow between 5 and 7 feet in diameter. Luckily, it was only occurring a few times a year, but that was more than enough to persuade this Grand Rapids, MI homeowner to look for a solution.

Our FlexiSpan system was exactly what he needed. The beauty of FlexiSpan is that it can treat small cracks like these without forcing owners into a full remodel. After the crew filled the crack with the flexible sealant, another drainage layer was added so that if water did permeate the membrane, it would flow down the original wall out of sight. The water will then enter the drainage system (located below the freshly poured concrete in the after photo) that the crew installed, keeping the basement dry and looking good at the same time.

Ayers initially visited this home to address a bowed wall concern in the basement. After assessing the situation, we found it best to install GeoLock wall anchors to hold the walls into position and straighten them over time. While the anchors provided functionality and addressed the homeowners' main concern, they left the walls looking a little unfinished. Not soon after the initial visit, the Grand Rapids homeowners contacted us again to add the finishing touches to their walls. As shown in the second picture, our team installed Hide-Away-Anchor covers to cover the previously installed anchor plates along with BrightWall paneling, providing waterproofing and a bright, clean finish. These additions make this basement feel more finished, straight walls and all.

The homeowners in Grand Rapids, MI noticed that during the winter months their sump pump would become flooded with water. Their sump pump discharge line was freezing and trapping water in it. Once that ice thawed, it would all spill back into the home causing the sump pump to flood and getting water on their basement floor. 

To combat this problem, our professional team installed IceGuard anti freeze system. The IceGuard system attaches to the sump pump discharge line on the outside of the home. The system works by allowing water to escape from the discharge line even if it freezes or becomes blocked for any reason. Even if your discharge line is buried under a foot of ice and snow, water can still escape allowing your sump pump to keep your basement dry. Water will automatically run along its normal route once the pipe thaws, the homeowners do not need to do anything! 

Your sump pump is fine until the moment it isn't. It's in that moment that people usually realize their sump is outdated, inefficient, or just plain broken.

Such was the case in the photos above. The sump on the left wasn't the prettiest, but it was working.

And then it wasn't.

Luckily, we offer Zoeller sump pumps. The pump on the right is the Zoeller M98, which pumps 3,900 gallons of water an hour. It's also level with the floor and covered, which eliminates both the collection of debris and a trip hazard.