Basement Waterproofing Services in Lansing, MI
Most wet basements in Lansing, MI, Michigan's capital city, come down to one of five kinds of work, each summed up below. Whichever fits, your request goes to one independent local contractor, which prices any job itself. This free referral and advertising service does none of the work.
What Local Contractors Handle
Full basement waterproofing deals with water along more than one wall. Inside, it usually means drain tile at the base of the wall leading to a sump; outside, digging down so a membrane can go on the foundation. Pre-1940 block, brick and poured walls can call for different choices than newer ones, and no method comes with a promise of a dry basement forever.
Basement leak repair chases one way in: the seam where wall meets floor, a window well, a mortar joint, a tie hole or a pipe opening. It also separates everyday seepage from a sewer backup, which goes to whoever runs the sewer at your address.
Foundation crack repair weighs injection for poured walls against fresh mortar for block and brick. A sideways crack or a wall bowing in deserves a look before long. Structural repairs can require a permit, issued by whichever city or township your address falls under.
Sump pump installation walks through what goes in: a pit, the pump itself, a check valve, an alarm and battery backup. Discharge should end up outside, away from both the foundation and the lot next door, and never in a laundry tub, a floor drain or the sanitary sewer. Any tie-in from the sump to a drain or sewer is plumbing work, so that piece goes to a licensed plumbing contractor working under a permit; a new circuit may need a licensed electrician.
Basement drainage moves water off before it reaches the wall, through gutters, downspouts, grading, window-well drains and footing drains. Much of mid-Michigan sits on glacial till that can stay wet from fall into spring, and backfill around newer houses can sink toward the foundation.
Matching the Problem to the Fix
You don't need to know the cause before you ask. Find the line closest to what you see; the contractor works out the rest on site.
- Damp on several walls. When water shows on two or more walls after a storm, start with full waterproofing, then drainage.
- One spot, again and again. Begin with leak repair.
- A seeping crack. See crack repair, and check what the wall is made of: poured concrete, block or brick.
- A sump in trouble. A pump that never stops or has quit belongs on the sump pump page, newer house or not.
- Puddles by the house. Downspouts, grading and window wells sit on the drainage page.
- Water up a floor drain. That points to the sewer rather than groundwater. For a City of Lansing address, its 24-hour line is (517) 483-4161; in a nearby community, contact that community's own office.
Start With One Request
The short form is the first step. After that, one independent contractor contacts you, sets up any visit and prepares its own written estimate. Any advertising fee a contractor pays this site is flat, and the current free trial means none is charged yet; you pay nothing and receive nothing.