Our Case Histories

Abarent Construction > Case Histories > Residential > Residential - Waterproofing, Sumps, Weeping Tile > Kopella – Water Seepage

Kopella – Water Seepage

This house is 1960’s built house that had issues with water seepage and a minor horizontal wall fracture. This horizontal fracture in this particular foundation did not display any notable deflection. But with any horizontal fracture we consider it structural and look to reduce lateral loads so as to decrease the chance of future inward deflection. In some cases we will recommend an interior structure wall for reinforcement, or as in this case, monitoring for a period of time after our project.

Project Goals

Waterproof the foundation wall
Relieve lateral pressure on the foundation
Install weeping tile for footing drainage
Install a sump system to drain weeping tile

Our Approach

There was a significant amount of concrete to remove prior to excavation. This was done after which excavation was completed. We found that some areas had been repaired previously by others with tar and poly. This repair had failed and had to be removed. We were then able to chip out all fractures and patch them with hydraulic cement.

A liquid rubber membrane was applied and weeping tile installed around the entire perimeter of the house and connected to an interior sump system.
The exterior excavation was backfilled with stone. This backfill change is important for several reasons with this particular house:
- Reduction of lateral loads on the foundation wall. Expansive clay can cause pressures, which create substrate deflection. Stone backfill will drastically reduce these lateral loads in removal of the adjacent expansive clay.
- Stone backfill assists with hydration of the footing area due to the immediate passage of water through the washed stone to the perforated weeping tile installed beside the footing. The perforations help with footing area hydration. This hydration is important during drought seasons where the expansive clay we have dries out and shrinks, creating settlement. This is especially imperative in your situation where you have a very shallow footing (within the active soil layer) that is more susceptible to changes in seasonal moisture changes.

What our customers say

Abarent provided a 3-page, itemized list of the specific work to be done at each stage of the project, including descriptions of optional issues (including additional costs) that might arise during the work. The company president did the initial walk-through for their estimate and later went through it, line by line. He pointed out potential problems and things we had to prepare for during the work (extra cracks, concrete dust, effects on neighbors, etc.)... Repairing a foundation is a very traumatic event for any householder because all of your house investment is (literally!) in the air. If you have to do it, call Abarent. They are professional - we cannot recommend them highly enough.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
John Baker

It is terrific to see that your company's motto of "Quality without Compromise" is more than just words... The job was completed ahead of schedule and the workers ensured that when they left, the yard looked just like it did when they arrive. Well, actually it looked better...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Don and Eve Neil

It's no surprise that repairing a home's foundation and all that comes with the project would be a stressful, messy and unpredicatable job. Kevin and his team took the time to ensure the job was done well and done right. Kevin communicated with us every step of the way and always told us the truth whether it was good news or not. Personally, feeling secure that someone is being truthful is a big deal for me when dealing in an area that is not my forte. I appreciated his candor.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Bobbi Beeson

Access to the site was a challenge. Material to be removed and replaced had to be loaded into wheelbarrows and pushed uphill and down. It was an arduous undertaking and the men on the job worked very hard. The work ethic and discipline of the crew was impressive. As well, we were very pleased with the workmanship and clean-up following completion of the project.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Owen and Linda De Bathe

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