Boston homes have wet basements more than other cities. Your house might sit on old-filled land near the water, or there’s a hidden stream running underneath that you never knew about. The clay dirt here moves around every winter, and old houses weren’t built to keep water out. We’ve been fixing wet basements all over Boston for over 40 years. Every neighborhood has different water troubles, and we know them all.
Boston Sits Too Close to the Water
Boston was built right next to the harbor and rivers. Back Bay used to be actual water before they filled it with dirt and rocks. When big storms hit, that water has to go somewhere – usually your basement. Streams run under many Boston streets, but nobody knows they’re there until water starts coming up through the floor. The ocean keeps underground water levels high all year long. Spring snow melting and summer rainstorms make it even worse. We’ve worked on basements from fancy Beacon Hill houses to regular homes in Dorchester. Each part of the city floods differently because of how the land was made years ago. Some areas flood from below, others from rainwater that can’t drain away fast enough. Check out our waterproofing work that handles Boston’s water problems.
Old Houses Were Built Wrong for Keeping Water Out
Most Boston homes went up in the 1800s and early 1900s, way before anyone cared about dry basements. These old foundations are made of stone or brick with no waterproofing at all. The cement between the stones falls apart after 100 years of freezing and thawing every winter. Water walks right through these old walls like they’re not even there. Many foundations don’t go deep enough into the ground, so they move and crack when the soil freezes. Basement floors are often just dirt or thin concrete that can’t stop water from coming up from underneath. We see this same problem in Victorian houses in Jamaica Plain and old three-family homes in Somerville. Back then, people just expected basements to be wet and didn’t know how to fix them. Get our foundation repair help for old basement walls that let water through.
Clay Dirt and Winter Weather Crack Everything
Boston dirt is packed with clay that gets bigger when wet and smaller when dry. This puts pressure on your foundation walls all the time. Clay doesn’t let water drain through, so it stays damp and keeps pushing against your basement walls. Winter makes everything worse because wet clay freezes and gets even bigger. When spring comes, everything thaws and moves around, creating new cracks in your foundation. We see this happen every single year – foundations that looked fine in the fall have new cracks by spring. Water gets into tiny cracks, freezes at night, and splits the crack wider open. After a few winters, small cracks become big holes where water pours in. Neighborhoods like Roxbury and parts of Cambridge deal with this constantly because of the clay dirt underneath their houses. Call us for crack repairs that fix both the crack and what caused it.
Inadequate Drainage Makes Water Pool Around Your House
Most Boston houses don’t have good ways to move rainwater away from the foundation. Gutters dump water right next to the house foundation, or they’re full of leaves and overflow everywhere. Driveways and sidewalks tilt toward the house instead of away from it. Small city lots mean water has nowhere to go except down into your basement. Old neighborhoods weren’t planned with good drainage. Streets flood when it rains hard, and that water ends up in basements. Many houses have old pipes that connect to city storm drains that back up during storms. Without proper slopes around your house, water sits against the basement walls until it finds a crack to get through. We put in drainage systems all around Boston that move water away from houses before it becomes a problem. Learn about our drain systems that keep water away from the basement walls.
Boston Weather Hits Basements Hard All Year
Boston weather attacks your basement from every direction throughout the year. Spring brings melting snow and heavy rains that soak the ground around your house. Summer storms drop vast amounts of rain in just a few hours, filling up storm drains and flooding basements. Fall leaves block gutters and drains, making water back up and overflow. Winter freezing and thawing break foundation walls and make new places for water to get in. High underground water levels, inadequate drainage, and harsh weather create perfect conditions for basement flooding. We get busy in spring when snow melts, busy again in summer during storm season, and busy in fall when heavy rains hit. Boston’s location near the ocean means storms can be terrible and come without much warning. Big storms and nor’easters bring flooding that tests every basement in the city.
Get Help Before Your Water Problems Get Much Worse
At B-Dry Systems, we’ve helped over 35,000 Massachusetts families fix their basement water troubles with our special waterproofing system. Our crew knows every Boston neighborhood and understands what causes problems in each area. We don’t just patch up leaks – we build complete systems that keep basements dry forever. Water problems in Boston basements only get worse if you ignore them. Small, damp spots turn into big floods that ruin your stuff and damage your house. Mold grows in wet basements and makes your family sick. Floor beams rot when they stay moist, which costs a lot of money to fix later. Don’t wait until a small problem becomes a big disaster that costs thousands to repair.
Need to fix your basement water problems now? Call B-Dry Systems today at (978) 262-1405 for your free check-up, or contact us online to set up an appointment. Our Boston team will figure out what’s making your basement wet and build a solution that works for your exact situation.
