Serving Helena
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Helena, MT
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 oldest part of town is right on the watercourse.
It is, and that is why it is there: the creek is what brought people. The consequence is that the most historically valuable fabric sits closest to the channel and lowest in the gulch, with stone foundations that were never built to keep water out. Protection for those buildings is mostly about managing water before it arrives rather than sealing anything, and about what is kept at the lowest level.
What should a contractor know about a historic stone building?
That the materials behave differently and that replacement in kind is often impossible. Old stone and lime mortar tolerate dampness but are damaged by rapid drying, cement repointing and modern sealants, all of which trap moisture in the wall. A contractor experienced with historic fabric will work more slowly and know what can be saved. Ask about that experience before the work starts.
Does the snow matter more than the rain here?
For most buildings, yes. Under three inches in the wettest month is not much, while a winter of mountain snow released over a short spring window onto frozen ground produces far more water at a foundation than any storm does. Where the snow is piled through the winter, and whether the ground beside the building falls away, matter more than the rainfall figures suggest.
Read it with the local conditions on the Helena page.