Kansas City drainage
Exterior waterproofing stops water at the outside face of the foundation. The soil is excavated down to the footing, the wall is cleaned and sealed with a waterproofing membrane, and a drain is laid in gravel along the footing to carry water to an outlet. It is the most disruptive fix and the most complete one, and it suits a finished basement where the inside cannot be torn up.
Interior systems manage water after it reaches the foundation. Exterior waterproofing stops it at the outside face of the wall. The soil against the foundation is excavated down to the footing, the wall is cleaned and repaired where it is cracked, and a waterproofing membrane is applied from the footing up to grade. At the base, perforated drain pipe is laid in gravel along the footing to collect water and carry it to an outlet, so pressure never builds against the wall.
It is the most disruptive fix, and sometimes the only sensible one. A finished basement with drywall, flooring and built-ins would have to be partly torn out for interior drain tile; digging outside leaves it untouched. A wall that needs sealing, not just drainage beside it, is only reachable from outside. And a single problem wall, often the uphill side of a house on a sloped lot, can be done on its own rather than the whole perimeter.
Expect a deep trench along the wall, soil piled on the lawn, and anything within the dig line removed: shrubs, flower beds, sometimes a section of patio or walkway. Utilities are marked before digging, through Kansas811 on the Kansas side and MO811 in Missouri. After the membrane and drain are in, the trench is backfilled in layers and the surface is graded to fall away from the house, which ties this job to regrading anyway.
The early 1900s homes in Kansas City and Independence often stand on limestone or block foundations with many mortar joints. Exterior work there starts with the condition of the wall itself, since repointing or parging may be needed before any membrane can bond. On those houses the outside water management, downspouts and grading especially, carries even more weight. Tracing the leak first tells us how much of the wall actually needs opening.
How long does it take? Typically several days per wall, depending on depth, access and what is planted or built against the house.
These often come up on the same property, and can be planned in the same visit:
A drain along the inside edge of the basement floor that collects water before it spreads, with a sump pump to send it outside.
How it works →Water in the basement after rain has a source outside. We trace it, then fix the cause rather than the stain.
How it works →Reshaping the soil so surface water runs away from the foundation instead of back toward it.
How it works →Free drainage check request
Tell us where the water shows up and roughly when it started. We call back to set a time to look.
We'll call to set a time. If it can't wait, call (816) 857-9277
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