Waterproofing Cobblestone Foundation, Lowell, MA

A homeowner in Lowell, Massachusetts has lived in a home over 200 years old. For 10 years, he has experienced water seepage ruining his basement walls and floor. Concerned about the health of his foundation, he reached out to Erickson Foundation Solutions.

Design Specialist, Victor Tapia, visited the home to provide a free home inspection. Although many people consider a French Drain (an outside perimeter drainage system), Victor explained how trenching outside the exterior of the foundation wall can be harmful. With durable soil being removed from along the foundation walls, the structural integrity is at risk, especially an old cobblestone foundation. This could cause basement walls to bow, lean, and even collapse. Victor instead recommended an indoor perimeter waterproofing system. This system is composed of our WaterGuard perimeter drainage, UltraSump sump pump, and CleanSpace vapor barrier. The system collects water along the border of the foundation and distributes it to the sump pump basin. From there, the sump pump expels water safely out of the home through an exterior discharge line. The CleanSpace vapor barrier captures any additional water that seeps through the wall and filters it to the WaterGuard system. With the wall encapsulated, moisture in the basement is also alleviated.

With a little TLC, this 200-year-old chamber is turned into a beautiful dry basement!