Groundwater finds every crack and seam in a foundation that lacks proper waterproofing. Detroit Concrete digs to the footing, applies a bonded membrane, installs drainage board and new weeping tile, then backfills with stone that channels water away from the wall. The result is a dry basement that stays dry. We handle new pours before backfill and retrofit existing foundations showing water damage. Every project includes a free written estimate.
The water is pressing on the outside of the foundation wall. Interior sealers and paints address the leak after it has already soaked through the concrete, which means the wall is still saturated, still expanding and contracting with freeze-thaw cycles, and still deteriorating. The paint flakes, the efflorescence returns, and the homeowner thinks the problem is fixed when it is not.
Real waterproofing means excavating to the footing, cleaning the wall surface, bonding a membrane that stays bonded, covering it with drainage board, installing new weeping tile at the footing, and backfilling with clean stone that lets water move down to the tile instead of pooling against the wall.
This is the same system we install on every new foundation pour before backfill, and it is what we retrofit onto existing foundations that have started leaking. Combine it with foundation crack repair when the wall has structural damage, and you have a complete solution. The basement stays usable for decades.
Recent work
The sequence
How Foundation Waterproofing Gets Installed
Assess the wet spots
We identify which walls are leaking, check the grade and gutter system above, and determine whether the weeping tile is clogged, failed, or never existed. This tells us what the real cause is.
Excavate to the footing
We dig down the full height of the wall sections that need work, expose the concrete, remove old coatings and any deteriorated waterproofing, and inspect the wall for cracks or structural issues before proceeding.
Bond the membrane
A waterproofing membrane is applied to the cleaned wall from footing to grade, drainage board is installed over it, and the system is allowed to cure before any backfill touches it.
Install drainage and restore
New weeping tile is laid at the footing in clean stone, the trench is backfilled with drainage stone over the tile, the grade is restored, and gutters are extended away from the wall.
Why interior fixes fail
Paint and Sealers Don't Stop Groundwater Pressure
We regularly see basements that have had interior sealer applied once, twice, or three times. The paint peels, the white efflorescence blooms again, and the wall is still damp. The water is still on the outside, still pressing against the concrete, and the interior coating is not addressing the source.
Pairing exterior waterproofing with structural foundation repair when the wall has moved or cracked is the only approach that actually works long-term. This is what we install on every basement renovation we complete, and it is what keeps the space dry and usable for the life of the house.
Interior vs exterior, weeping tile, retrofit work and what waterproofing actually keeps out.
Because the water is on the outside of the wall. Interior sealer paints over the symptom; the foundation behind it is still saturated and still freezing and thawing, which keeps working the wall apart. Exterior waterproofing stops the water from ever reaching the wall.
On almost every job, yes. If we are excavated down to the footing for waterproofing, replacing or installing weeping tile then is the right call. Bedding it in clean stone and tying it to the drainage system finishes the system.
Yes, if the leak is localised to one wall or one corner, we can excavate and waterproof that section only. We will be honest in the assessment about whether the rest of the wall is likely to fail next.
It seals over them from the outside, but a structural crack still needs crack repair on its own. The two services often go together, and we sequence them so the crack is properly addressed before the membrane covers it.
A properly installed exterior membrane with drainage board and new weeping tile is a decades-long fix. We use the same systems on new installations that are designed for the full life of the building.
Homeowner reviews
What Detroit Homeowners Say About Their Waterproofing Jobs
Two interior sealer jobs failed before we called Detroit Concrete. They went to the outside, did it right, and the basement has been dry through two springs since.
B. G.
Detroit
★★★★★
Excavated one wall, replaced the weeping tile, put on a proper membrane, restored the landscaping cleanly. Wall is dry, yard looks like nothing happened.
J. P.
Warren
★★★★★
Honest that the leak was just one corner and we did not need to do the whole foundation. Saved us a lot. Corner has stayed dry through the rain we had since.
E. L.
Ann Arbor
★★★★★
Big excavation, big mess on day one, but they put the yard back together by the end and the basement is bone dry. Worth doing once and properly.
O. N.
Sterling Heights
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Describe where water is entering the basement, when it started, and what has been tried before. We will assess the foundation at no charge and provide a written quote for any waterproofing work.
