Professional basement waterproofing has become more and more popular in recent years as materials and technology improves. Basement waterproofing techniques used by plumbers today is vastly superior to the methods used last century, and advances in building and sealing materials give us the ability to permanently fix some difficult flooding problems. In addition, new compact excavating equipment allow contractors to quickly dig up basement foundations to repair and replace footer drains and block walls that might be allowing water and moisture to seep into your basement.

While some complete basement waterproofing projects can cost thousands of dollars and involve extensive excavation and wall replacement, most waterproofing is as simple as ensuring that your basement drains are properly cleaned. Professional drain cleaning is much less expensive than other basement waterproofing techniques, can be done on a regular annual schedule, and in many cases will completely prevent rainwater from backing up into your basement and causing moisture damage. There are two basic types of drain cleaning that can be done to bolster your basement waterproofing: footer drain cleaning and basement floor drain cleaning.

Footer drains are usually installed on the outside of your basement walls, at the base of your foundation footers, and their purpose is to draw water out of the ground and redirect it away from your home before it can cause moisture damage to your structure. Footer drains are arguably the most important ingredient in effective basement waterproofing, and if installed correctly they can save your block walls and floor from succumbing to cracks, leaks, mold and mildew. But in order to operate properly, your footer drains need to be free of debris that can build up over the years. A professional drain cleaning company should be able to tap into your footer drains and jet any clogs from them if they are obstructed.

Your basement floor drain is usually tied into your main sewer line, which leads through your yard and into the city sanitary sewer system. The basement floor drain is there to allow any water that might flood your basement an escape point from your home. Obviously, if there is a clog in your basement floor drain or the main sewer line itself, then any floodwater in your basement will have no place to escape and can cause significant water damage to your property. Scheduling a regular annual drain cleaning for your main sewer and basement floor drain is a great way to act proactively for basement waterproofing.

As you can see, professional drain cleaning and basement waterproofing really go hand-in-hand. By keeping your footer drains, basement floor drain, and sewer main properly cleaned and free of clogs and obstructions, you can make a flooding emergency much less likely, even during heavy rains. Most basement floods catch homeowners by surprise, but by calling a licensed drain cleaning specialist, you can get a free estimate of how safe your home is from water damage and leaking. Making that call today, before you have a problem, could end up saving you a huge amount of time, stress and money.