Thrasher Foundation Repair Case Studies: Interior Waterproofing System Installed in this Finished Basement in Overland Park, KS

Challenge

The basement wall in this home was cracked and leaking into the workshop.

It is often necessary to remove finished walls to determine if there are hidden cracks behind them.

If water is entering your basement, it may be necessary to remove finished walls to determine precisely where the water is coming from.

Unfortunately, many homeowners in the Kansas City area have to contend with wet basements.  Whenever possible, we prefer to deal with the water on the outside to prevent it from entering the home in the first place. In this case, however, the water had to be contained on the inside.  With a plastic edge drain installed along with a drain tile system heading to the sump pump, water will never reach the floor.  We also injected the cracks with epoxy to insure the water would be directed downward, if not kept out completely.

Finished basement walls may make it difficult to determine if you have any cracks in your foundation. In the case of this homeowner, though there were no visible cracks in the basement wall, water was leaking into the homeowners' workshop, which contained expensive tools and equipment. The homeowner could not determine the cause of the water issue in his home, so they decided to reach out to the experts. After researching and asking family and friends, they determined to contact Thrasher Foundation Repair to help them figure out what was causing the water issue in their home. 

The homeowner contacted Thrasher Foundation Repair's Customer Care Team, who listened to the customer's issue and set an appointment with a System Design Specialist.  

Our System Design Specialist met with the homeowner to learn more about the problems the homeowner was experiencing, diagnose what was causing the issue, educate the customer on what causes these types of problems, and design a solution with the homeowner. At Thrasher Foundation Repair, we utilize a consultative approach to educate the homeowner on precisely what is causing the problem and get them involved in determining exactly how it could be fixed permanently.

Before the Thrasher Foundation Repair System Design Specialist arrived, the homeowner cleared out the workshop and removed the finished basement wall portion. When the finished basement wall was removed, significant cracks in the foundation were discovered. During the System Design Specialists inspection, the System Design Specialist that the water was entering the home through the foundation crack and from the cold joint between the foundation footing and foundation wall. When foundations are built, often, the foundation footing is poured first. 

After the foundation footing is cured, the foundation wall is built or poured on top of the footing. Since the footing and foundation wall was poured separately, this creates a cold joint. A cold joint is basically a weak point where it is easier for water to enter your basement. Sometimes water may run to a low spot in the basement floor, so it may not be easy to diagnose that the water is coming in through the cold joint. Another reason that it is essential to hire an expert when you have a basement water problem.

After educating the homeowner on what causes basements to leak and working together to design the appropriate solution, the homeowner decided to move forward to engage with Thrasher Foundation Repair to solve the issue. The homeowner appreciated the transparency, liked the solution, and wanted the peace of mind that came with hiring a company that had been in business for over 45 years.

Thrasher Foundation Repairs System Design Specialist reviewed the project with the Team Leader. They would be responsible for completing the work for the homeowner. So, before the start of the project, it was essential to ensure the scope of the work and the homeowners desired outcomes were evident. On arrival, the Team Leader introduced himself and his crew to the homeowner and reviewed the customer's project. Throughout the project, the Team Leader provided project updates for the customer and reviewed the project with them to ensure they completely understood the installed system, ensure they were satisfied with the work, and answer any questions the homeowner had. Thrasher Foundation Repair completed the project in one day, which allowed the homeowner to begin utilizing the workshop again.

After the installation, the homeowner was confident in the repair and wanted to restore their basement to its original condition before the project. Though Thrasher Foundation Repair does not do drywall replacement, they were able to refer the homeowner to a contractor that they had worked with many times in the past and knew would provide the customer with a good experience and a good end product. Since the homeowner was satisfied with the work Thrasher Foundation Repair provided, they were happy to have the referral. They were confident they would get the same level of service supplied by Thrasher Foundation Repair.

A day after the project was completed, the Thrasher Foundation Repair Customer Care team called the customer to check in to ensure that the customer was delighted and answer any questions that the customer may have. The customer was completely satisfied and said they would recommend Thrasher to their friends and family.