Dave Marcotte's crew did a stellar job tackling our waterproofing project, which involved a 124 foot perimeter excavation on our 100 year old foundation. He also installed a driveway trench drain as well as a concrete swale between homes to manage water runoff. His own crew called it 'a big job' yet they tackled it with ease, on schedule, and with no surprises. Our thoughts about the process:
--Before construction:
Dave's assessment of our foundation condition was consistent with that of a structural engineer whom we independently hired prior to work. Dave also correctly planned to work in very tight confines, with as little as 2 feet distance between homes where hand excavation was not only necessary, but there was concern around the neighbour's foundation being higher than ours where digging space had to be cautiously measured. Dave properly assessed all risks from the start. We had no surprises as a result.
--During construciton
Dave's crew worked tenaciously during a week of 32C+ heat, and that's a testament to their impeccable work ethic. They started every day on time, pumped it out, took their scheduled breaks, and got right back to work. They were respectful and courteous to my family & neighbours. The job completed within the 2 week target. By comparison, we have seen other foundation companies in our neighbourhood that would start jobs, leave an open trench for weeks on end, and return much later to finish up. Our landscaper saw Dave's work and was impressed with the amount of clearstone (gravel) backfill used for weeping tile drainage, which he said was substantially more than many others he has seen. Final clean-up was excellent, with the lawn properly graded, the yard ready for re-planting, and no debris or piles of dirt left behind. The construction was quiet enough that my 10 month old not only slept through all of his twice-a-day naps during the 2 week period, but the babysitter was playing with him indoors while excavation was happening just 8 feet away.
--Effectiveness:
After the July 2018 torrential rainstorms dumped nearly 4" of rain in 48 hours, our basement was bone dry. Also, we used to have 2 humidifers in the basement that ran constantly. Now only 1 runs part time and it keeps the basement humidity level at/below 50%. The musty smell has abated.
--Final thoughts:
After seeing Dave's crew in action, we understand why he can price his work competitively and be so well rated. His team is very productive, he has multiple crews which allow him to scale up/down at each job site depending on the day's activities, and he has an effective rolodex of subcontractors who made themselves available on short notice. Most importantly, Dave is a good communicator who genuinely cares about his customers and works to keep them informed & happy. We plan to hire Dave's crew to lower our basement in the future.
