Basement waterproofing in Clifton, NJ
Water gets into a Clifton basement in a handful of ways: at the joint where the floor meets the wall, through a crack, around a window, or up through the slab when the ground is soaked. Call about basement waterproofing and you will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company that can tell you which one you have.
You will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company. Calls may be recorded.
Start from what you can see
You do not need to know the name of the repair. Pick the description closest to your basement and read what it usually points to.
- Water along the bottom of the wallA thin wet line where the floor meets the wall, a few hours to a day after heavy rain.What it means
- One crack that weepsA dark streak or a trickle from a single crack, a pipe hole or a window.What it means
- White powder, musty airChalky deposits on block or concrete, peeling paint, a smell that never quite goes.What it means
- A pump that never restsThe sump pump runs every few minutes, or hums and moves nothing.What it means
- Soft floor over a crawl spaceBounce, a cold damp room, or puddles under a porch or an addition.What it means
- Something elseTen common signs are sorted on one page, each with what to read next.See the whole list
What a waterproofing company can do about it
Each job below has its own page: how it works, what it disturbs and what to ask. The services overview sets them side by side.
- Interior drains and wall linersA channel cut into the floor along the wall catches water and leads it to a pump. The usual answer for water at the foot of the wall.Read this page
- Exterior waterproofingThe wall is dug out, coated and drained from outside. A bigger job, used when one wall is the trouble or the inside cannot be opened up.Read this page
- Sump pump installationA pit, a pump and a pipe that move collected water out of the house, with a battery pump for when the power fails.Read this page
- Basement leak repairOne crack, one pipe hole or one window letting water in. Often mended from indoors with no digging.Read this page
- Wet basementDamp air, white powder, a musty smell. How to tell condensation from seepage, and what each one calls for.Read this page
- Crawl space encapsulationA sealed liner over the ground and walls of a crawl space, with the vents closed and the air kept dry.Read this page
- Crawl space repairStanding water, fallen insulation or soft wood under the floor, put right before anything is sealed in.Read this page
- Yard drainage and French drainsDownspout lines, grading and stone trenches that keep roof and yard water off the foundation.Read this page
What happens when you call
You describe the problem
Where the water shows, how soon after rain, and which town the house is in. A minute is enough.
You are put through to a local company
An independent waterproofing company that takes work in your area picks up. This website steps out at that point.
The company looks at the house
It arranges a visit with you, inspects, and gives you its findings and its price in writing. Whether to hire it is your decision. More on how this works.
A river and two brooks
The Passaic River runs along the edge of Clifton, and Weasel Brook and the Third River cross the city on their way to it. If your street is close to any of them, look the address up on the flood map before paying for a drain system. Drains and pumps handle groundwater. They do not hold back a brook that has left its banks.
Flood maps and river gauges near Clifton shows where to look. Where a sump pump can discharge in Clifton covers the city's rule on pumped water.
Before you hire anyone
- Choosing a waterproofing companyWhat a proper inspection covers and how to look up a New Jersey registration.
- What affects the priceWhy two houses on one street get very different numbers.
- How it worksWhat this website does, and what it leaves to you and the company.
- QuestionsShort answers on the service, the work and Clifton's rules.
Near Clifton too
Homeowners in neighbouring towns can call as well. Three of them have a page of their own, and the towns page names the rest.
Quick answers
Is this a waterproofing company?
No. It is a referral service. The inspection, the price and the work all come from the independent local company you are put through to.
Does calling commit me to anything?
No. You can end the call, decline a visit, or get other prices from other companies. Nothing is agreed until you sign a contract with a company, and New Jersey gives you three business days to cancel even then.
Do I need basement waterproofing, or just a repair?
If water comes in at one spot, a repair may do. If it shows along a whole wall or in several places, it is usually a drainage job. What are you seeing? helps you tell them apart before anyone visits.
My house has a crawl space, not a basement. Same number?
Yes. The companies that do basements here also do crawl space encapsulation and crawl space repair.