Serving Lowell
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Lowell, MA
Basement seepage, failed sumps, and hydrostatic pressure against the foundation are extracted and dried, and the path from the ground is identified so the loss does not repeat. Groundwater and basement seepage are extracted and dried only after the path from the soil is identified — a wall, a slab, a drain, or a failed sump. Drying the interior without stopping that path returns the same water to the same floor.
Frequently asked questions
We are nowhere near the river but the cellar is always damp.
The canals are the likely reason. Those channels run several miles through the city and hold water at managed levels, which keeps the groundwater around them high regardless of the weather. A property well back from the Merrimack can still sit close to a canal reach. It explains cellars that are damp in dry spells and never really dry out, which is a different problem from a storm event and needs a drain and sump rather than better grading.
A pipe burst on the top floor of our three-decker.
Expect the damage to be found below rather than where it started. Plumbing, wall cavities, and floor framing all run vertically through these buildings, so water from the top floor reaches the first floor and the cellar quickly, often before anyone on the top floor notices. Drying has to cover every level it passed through, which means arranging access to all three units at once. That coordination is usually the slow part, not the equipment.
How long should a brick mill building take to dry?
Considerably longer than a wood-framed house, and the difference is worth planning around. Solid masonry absorbs a large volume of water and releases it slowly, so plaster and framing can hit their targets while the brick behind is still wet and re-wetting them. Ask for readings taken in the masonry itself, and treat an equipment removal date set from framing readings alone as premature.
This FAQ belongs to the Lowell page; it is repeated here.