Basement Waterproofing & Foundation Repair in Bethlehem, PA

There are many ways that moisture can enter your basement, including basement leaks from outside and broken plumbing. Ignoring leaks can cause flooding and allow for musty smells, mold, and pests. Even small cracks in your walls and floors can allow groundwater to flood your basement and lead to further issues.

Hydrostatic pressure can cause your basement walls to bend and crack as accumulated groundwater puts pressure on them. Cracks allow water to seep through the concrete and cause flooding, usually in the wall-floor joint. As basement walls are part of the foundation, their structural issues can affect the rest of the house, such as sinking floors and failing columns. This can leave walls above with issues like cracks, bending, and breaking.

The soil around your home is actually looser the closer it is to your foundation because it was backfilled after the foundation was built in a bowl-like hole. The porous backfill soil absorbs water, which is dangerous for the foundation and a persistent problem in areas where the soil is mainly clay and has a high expansion capacity. Rainwater and raised water tables exacerbate this problem.

Concrete cracks can pose tripping hazards and avenues for precipitation to put pressure on your foundation. Hairline cracks measuring less than 1/8 inch or those measuring up to 1/4 inch wide can wait, but any wider than this should be treated immediately to prevent further damage to the surrounding slabs and foundation. The SettleStop PolyRenewal™ injection foam repair solution is an eco-friendly and non-invasive solution that can stabilize supporting soil and concrete slabs and repair cracks and damage, curing in just a few minutes without disrupting your property.

It is easy for moisture to negatively impact your foundation because all the water from heavy rain and melted snow will absorb into the surrounding soil. However, the soil is only capable of holding so much water weight before it either washes away or grows extremely heavy. This creates an immense pressure against your foundation, causing it to shift away from this weight or even crack altogether. When winter comes and that trapped water freezes, the expanding ice then can lead to the foundation cracking apart from within. Water seeping into your foundation also causes mold growth and other unwanted conditions within the home.