Serving Long Beach
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Long Beach, NY
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
It came from the bay side and the ocean was calm.
That is the more common way water arrives here. The bay responds to wind pushing water into it and to the tide behind that, and it does so without any surf being involved. Streets on the north side go under on days when the beach looks ordinary. Following what the bay is forecast to do, rather than the surf report, is the habit worth having.
The house next door was raised and this one was not.
That changes the ground between them as well as the two buildings. A raised structure has open space beneath it that water passes through, while the one beside it presents a solid obstruction, and the flow concentrates around whatever is still in its way. It also changes the insurance arithmetic sharply. Whether raising is worth it is a question about the whole block over twenty years, not about one storm.
How deep does the ground stay wet here?
Shallow, and it does not vary much with the weather. The table under a barrier island is held up by the water on both sides, so a below-grade room is effectively sitting in it year-round rather than during wet spells. That is why waterproofing a cellar here behaves differently from waterproofing one inland: there is no dry season during which the pressure comes off.
The Long Beach overview carries this FAQ with the city research.