Rainy Day Basement Systems Case Studies: Basement Waterproofing in Sumas, WA

Friday, November 1st, 2019 by Bayleigh Stelling

Challenge

Marvin called Rainy Day to get an estimate, so we sent out Rainy Day’s Ed Upenieks to his location in Sumas, WA, to help design a waterproofing system that works for him. We needed to repair the seepage in a semi-finished basement because the existing sump pump was still allowing water to escape during heavy rains.

Solution

We decided it would be best to install our WaterGuard system to capture water coming in and direct it to an improved sump system, our TripleSafe. These two work together to tackle water leaks in basements. Our TripleSafe is three pumps in one. To be able to pump high volumes of water with ease, we use two Zoeller cast-iron pumps. The primary pump is 1/3 horsepower and the secondary is 1/2 horsepower. The third pump is a battery-backup pump, which switches on to keep pumping during power outages or pump failure. Combined, the system is able to handle up to 6,200 gallons of water per hour.

We placed the sump system in the low spot of the basement, allowing water flows downhill toward it. We then we flood tested it to ensure proper flow.

The next step to waterproof this wet basement was installing our WaterGuard drainage channel. The simple, yet effective, design of WaterGuard, includes both the drain and the perforated pipe in a single piece. When rainwater seeps in through loose soil from the outside of the foundation walls, the flange of the WaterGuard directs water toward the sump location. From there, water escapes out of a discharge line away from the home through the connected downspout.

The result is a dry basement, protected from potentially costly water damage in the future.