Leaks occur where there is a break in the floor or wall surface. Usually this happens where pipes pass through the wall, at a corner, at floor joist, at support post footings, around window frames or through cracks caused by settling or poor construction. They also occur when a large amount of water builds up against the walls or floor and it cannot adequately drain away.

If you have problems with basement leaks they are covered in Section B, Section E, Section F and Section H of The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z. Remember, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most salesmen get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed inexpensively, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.

You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first. Often what looks like an expensive and serious problem may not be. Once the problem is explained, solving it is just common sense. I’ve used the knowledge I’ve put in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too.

But remember, when dealing with salesmen, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, or one that has a simple solution, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.