Serving Holland
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Holland, MI
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
The yard never holds water and the basement does.
Permeable sand works in both directions. It lets rain through immediately, which is why nothing stands on the surface, and it lets groundwater travel toward a foundation just as easily. With two connected lakes setting the table, that water arrives on a schedule driven by lake levels rather than by any storm. Perfect surface drainage and a wet basement are entirely consistent here.
Do lake levels really affect a house set back from the water?
Through the groundwater, yes, and further inland than most owners expect. In permeable sand the influence of a lake level extends well beyond the shoreline, so a basement cut close to that elevation is wetter in high-lake years and drier in low ones. If dampness follows a pattern that does not match the weather, comparing it against lake level records usually explains it.
What should we do about the roof in a heavy snow winter?
Watch the eaves rather than the middle. Ice dams form where a warm upper roof melts snow that then refreezes at a cold edge, backing water up under the covering, and that is a heat-loss problem rather than a snow problem. Sealing attic bypasses and getting insulation right at the eaves stops it recurring; clearing snow off the edge only treats the symptom.
Read it with the local conditions on the Holland page.