Can you seal a wet basement in Somerville?
Over the years Somerville has had many a wet basement. Somerville Borough is located in Somerset County, NJ. The Borough was formerly part of Bridgewater Township. The Borough celebrated their Centennial Anniversary in 2009 having been incorporated in 1909.
The area was settled by Dutch immigrants. The historic Dutch Parsonage was built in the mid 1700’s and was the center of the Borough’s growth for many years.
The downtown has several sites on the National Register of Historic places including the Court House and the Wallace House. Many are made of brick as the clay soil in the Borough led to a strong brick making industry.
4 Stages of a Wet Basement
- Stage 1: Damp smell and spots appear, mold and mildew begins, white powdery crystals appear and blistering paint.
- Stage 2: Walls wet to the touch, small amounts of water and a combination of signs from stage 1
- Stage 3: Water on your basement floor and a combination of signs from stages 1 and 2
- Stage 4: Heavy water in your basement and a combination of stages 1, 2 and 3.
Seal a wet basement or French drain and sump pump?
During construction a type of waterproofing is usually applied to the foundation before the backfill is done. Once the tar is gone the foundation is no longer sealed. To excavate your foundation and re-seal the walls is extremely expensive.
Installing a French drain around the inside perimeter is most commonly done after the house has been built. Most often, this is done in response to a wet basement or right before performing a basement finishing.
