Frequently Asked Questions

Generally speaking, there are two ways that your basement will begin to take on water. Either water will build up around the house, finding its way through a crack or hole in the wall and leaking out, or the hydrostatic pressure is building up under the basement floor, as water tables rise after periods of long rain falls. Our patented system is designed to alleviate both of these problems. By installing a perimeter drain tile around the exterior walls, catching that water as it builds up under the house and by installing our Scubaguard to catch and collect all wall water.

The three-inch perforated drain tile we install is packed and surrounded by large, three-inch river rock. Using large rock around our tile allows water to flow freely, without clogging.

When American Perfection Basement Waterproofing was founded in Des Moines in 1957, we offered a 20-year transferable guarantee, and simply have never changed that. Since that time, a lot of waterproofing companies have come and gone, many of them offering a lifetime warranty. We believe a guarantee is only as good as the man who writes it. We stand firmly behind our work, offering a 20-year guarantee on a product that will last a lifetime.

There is no need to cut out and remove drywall or any other finished walls from your basement in order to have it waterproofed by us. We have a style of our patented Scubaguard designed specifically for finished walls and our system can be installed without damaging or removing drywall.

Many homeowners believe that simply installing a sump pump will eliminate their water problem. However, without installing a tiling system to direct the water into your sump pump pit, there is no way to guarantee your basement will stay dry. We have seen homes with six sump pumps still leaking because there is no tiling system in place.

Yes, we can! We install eight inch C channel steel beams to reinforce your basement walls to keep them from bowing any further, and in some cases, actually straighten your wall back out.

We like to think of your basement as a concrete damn in the earth. As water builds up around your foundation, it will find its way in any way it can. You will spend tens of thousands of dollars trying to prevent the water from getting to your basement, and tear up your yard in an attempt to fix the problem from the outside. By trying to stop the water, you are actually allowing it to build up, which could lead to severe foundation problems, making a bigger mess than you already had. By installing our patented system, and giving the water a place to go, we are able to direct it away from your basement; preventing foundation problems and saving you a lot of money and time in the process.