We have had localized dampness in our basement for several years, but no obvious flooding, or visible points of water entry. We had our eavestroughs repaired, and downspout re-directed. We wanted to renovate our home, but were worried about future water entry. We contacted several companies which were highly rated on HomeStars. The first one wanted to charge an estimate fee to cover the cost of their initial visit. While we have no objection to compensating someone for their time, if a waterproofer charges for estimates, that tells us that they don't actually get many of the waterproofing contracts, and should be avoided at all costs. The next told us that our basement had never been waterproofed (it had - as evidenced by the black membrane over our benched walls) and that we were to call him once the demolition crew (which we would have to find ourselves, since he didn't know who to recommend) had ripped out our finished basement. His rough estimate was that our job would end up costing us $70,000 plus (including demo, waterproofing and restoration).
Dominic came to take a look at our basement at the end of a long work day. He was extremely honest with us, and said that he wasn't sure what was causing the water seepage (as our basement is currently dry). He advised us to remove the stained carpets, and just wait. Then, if we see any water, to call him, and he would be right over. We believe him, and we respect his honesty. The man is in the business of waterproofing basements, and he may have been talking himself out of a 'sale'. We knew that in the end, we may, in fact, have to do an interior waterproofing, with a 'to the studs' gut. To us, it only made sense to approach things conservatively, and if you don't know the answer, say so.
We took Dominic's advice and waited about six months. Not a drop of water to be seen - anywhere. We completed our home renovations, and saved ourselves a lot of money, and needless headaches. Thank you Aqua Tech.
