“Not worth the shortcut.”
Couldn’t agree more. Prepping for epoxy is all about patience—skip a step, you’ll regret it. French drains with a good sump pump (battery backup, always) have been the most reliable combo I’ve seen. Water alarms are cheap insurance too.
Yeah, cutting corners with basement waterproofing always comes back to bite you. I’ve seen folks try to just slap on some sealer and hope for the best—never works long term. French drains and a solid sump pump setup have saved a lot of headaches for my clients, especially in older homes. Had one guy skip the battery backup, lost power in a storm, and ended up with a mini swimming pool down there... Water alarms are underrated too—cheap peace of mind.
- Couldn’t agree more about not cutting corners. Here’s what’s worked for me over the years:
- Always install a sump pump with a battery backup—no exceptions. Power outages and storms go hand in hand.
- I also add a water alarm in every unit. Cheap, loud, and they’ve saved me from disaster at least twice.
- French drains are solid, but I’ve found gutter extensions outside make a bigger difference than most people think. If you don’t move the water away from the foundation, you’re just inviting trouble.
- Not a fan of just painting on sealant—never lasts. I’d rather pay up front for doing it right than deal with tenant complaints and repairs later.
Funny thing, I once had a tenant unplug a sump pump to charge their phone... basement flooded during a rainstorm. Now I label everything and check on it myself during inspections.