Basement Waterproofing & Foundation Repair in Cincinnati, OH

Ohio Basement Authority’s sump pumps are powerful enough to keep your basement or crawl space completely dry no matter how harsh the weather. Even the most powerful storms will not be able to flood your home with this pump and our interior drainage system installed. Cincinnati tends to see plenty of rainy days in the spring, which can lead to the soil around your home absorbing a lot of moisture. That moisture can easily leak down into your basement or crawl space if you do not take steps to waterproof these areas as best as you can. Fortunately, our repair solutions can stop floods in their tracks. 

First, the interior drainage system installed along the perimeter of your basement or crawl space will collect any water that seeps through to these spaces. These pipes are installed along the wall and floor joint where the water is most likely to gather. The collected water then flows into the sump pump. Its complex float system will then activate the pump, which will then redirect all this water out to a storm drain or trench somewhere far from your home. No need to rush to turn this pump on yourself in the middle of a storm, especially if you have a backup battery in place! 

The pipes of this system are guaranteed not to clog with debris, mud, or ice, so the water will flow away from your home unimpeded. The sump pump will also have a handy alarm system that will sound whenever it turns on and when it is low on battery. Our pump can redirect thousands of gallons of water from your home. We can also install back-up battery packs to ensure that your pump will not run out of power during a storm. 

Digging into what solutions Ohio Basement Authority can offer your Cincinnati home is a smart move. You will want to know exactly what is protecting your home and how each system works before asking us to install it for you, after all. You then might come across our carbon fiber wall straps and SettleStop IntelliBrace™ I-beam system in your research and want to know the pros and cons of each system. They perform the same function, so which system will benefit your home most? The answer is: it depends! 

Carbon fiber wall straps might look flimsy, but they are anything but. In fact, carbon fiber is one of the toughest man-made materials ever, being at least 10 times stronger than steel! When attached to your foundation walls with our tough epoxy resin, they are made that much stronger. Typically, installation of these straps requires an acute precision that is best left to the experts. These straps can then permanently reinforce a wall that is bowing less than two inches inward. 

Our SettleStop IntelliBrace™ I-beam system is made of galvanized steel I-beams that we will brace to your foundation wall in a similar fashion. However, while carbon fiber wall straps do not need to be adjusted once installed, our SettleStop IntelliBrace™ system can be tightened by the large bolt at the top of each beam. This tightening should only be done by our experts every now and then to ensure that the beams push back against this damage just the right amount. Our IntelliBrace™ system is typically used when your foundation walls have bowed more than two inches. Essentially, the main difference between the two systems lies in how much bowing damage they can push back against.

The encapsulation process is Ohio Basement Authority’s most thorough crawl space protection method. It is composed of four different parts: waterproofing with an interior drainage system and a sump pump, the vapor barrier, vent covers, and a dehumidifier. All these solutions are tough enough, but put together, you have a completely encapsulated crawl space that will tackle moisture issues on all fronts. Our sump pump will take care of any larger leaks or floods, collecting and redirecting this water away from your Cincinnati home. The vapor barrier will encompass the entire crawl space to ensure that no mold, mildew, pests, or other issues will infiltrate it ever again. 

Many years ago, contractors used to believe that leaving open vents around the crawl space would help circulate dry air around the space. Unfortunately, these open vents also allow all kinds of moisture, mold and mildew spores, and pests to infiltrate this space, too. The various systems installed within the crawl space cannot stand to be wet at all, much less completely submerged, so it is imperative that you prevent this space from flooding altogether. Closing any open vents and loose crawl space doors around this space is key. Our vent covers are made of sturdy plastic that will not blow away even during the harshest storms! 

Of course, our experts will install a dehumidifier inside the crawl space before we seal it off. Should any humidity manage to make its way inside, the dehumidifier will filter it right out again. Because your HVAC system may also be installed within this space, you might also find that the air around your home feels fresher, too. Our experts can even adjust the dehumidifier so that your home will be at your preferred level of humidity at all times.

Your crawl space contains some of your home’s most important systems and structures. This includes your HVAC system, plumbing, electrical wiring, insulation, floor support beams, and the foundation. Many of these systems cannot stand to be wet, much less subject to constant floods or other moisture issues. Additionally, mold, mildew, and pests will thrive off the organic material inside (i.e., the fluffy insulation or the wooden support beams), extending that rot out to other parts of your home over time. No Cincinnati homeowner wants to deal with these tricky issues.

Of course, you might then want to fix this damage on your own without consulting an expert’s opinion. Crawl space damage is not something the average homeowner should take up on their own. The crawl space is not named so lightly. Its ceiling may range anywhere between 1 to 3 feet high on average. When you take the other systems installed within into account, this can make the crawl space extremely cramped indeed. If you venture inside on your own, it is possible that you might accidentally kick one of these crucial systems. You may also find yourself trapped in this small space without anyone to help you back out again.

This is why you need to call the crawl space experts at Ohio Basement Authority for repairs as soon as possible. Our experts will be able to pinpoint the true cause of moisture damage and implement the best repairs for your unique situation. Our encapsulation process is one of the most thorough solutions we have to offer. It can completely seal your crawl space off from any kind of moisture damage that it may face in the future. Your home will definitely benefit from the various components that make up this system!

Your foundation will endure a lot of moisture issues over the years. Floods, melted snow, and even humidity can all negatively affect your home in a variety of ways. Of course, the soil surrounding your foundation will also take on far too much water than it can realistically hold because of this. Over time, all that added water weight can start to push up against your foundation and cause it to shift out of its original placement or crack altogether. 

This phenomenon is called hydrostatic pressure, and it is unfortunately quite a common cause of foundation damage. Hydrostatic pressure can also take another form as well. Water can also become trapped within your concrete foundation’s pores. This itself is not much of a problem. When winter comes and that water freezes over, however, the expanding ice can then crack the foundation from within. 

A common construction phenomenon known as the clay bowl effect can also negatively impact your foundation. When contractors first go about building a new home, they will dig a large hole where they plan to lay down the foundation and either a basement or crawl space. After these components are installed, there will be some space left around it that the contractors will backfill with the soil they dug up. This creates a much looser bowl of sorts surrounding the foundation. Of course, Cincinnati’s silt soil is already quite loose, which only makes this soil all the more prone to washing out during a storm. As a result, your foundation might settle into the remaining soil and even crack into pieces. A shifted or settled foundation can start to impact other structures in your home, so you must call an expert to repair it as soon as you can.

Once some part of your home becomes damaged, it is quite natural for Cincinnati homeowners to at least attempt to fix that damage on your own, regardless if you have even dealt with such an issue before. Of course, the foundation is not a structure you should treat lightly. Your home’s infrastructure depends on it to stay upright and level. Without a stable foundation, you might find all kinds of damage around your home. Your floor may sag or bounce. The doors and windows in your home might be harder to open or close. You might even notice your walls bowing if you ignore this damage for too long.

Attempting to repair the foundation on your own can often result in you inflicting even more unintentional damage that will require other costly repairs later on anyway. Call the foundation experts at Ohio Basement Authority as soon as you spot any infrastructural damage around your home. Feel free to take advantage of the free home inspections we offer all homeowners. Our experts will easily be able to pinpoint the cause behind your foundation damage as well as provide free quotes on all our powerful repair solutions.

It is possible your foundation may have shifted or settled after a storm has washed out the supporting soil. Our pier systems can stabilize and even lift any shifted or settled foundation with ease. The piers can also close any cracks that have sprouted along the concrete foundation’s surface over time as well. These piers will later help brace your foundation against moisture damage. We can also offer your home our complex wall anchor system, carbon fiber wall straps, and our SettleStop IntelliBrace™ I-beam system. Calling Ohio Basement Authority’s experts is always the best call!