Exterior Waterproofing · Riverside South, ON
Foundation waterproofing in Riverside South
Korvex Construction waterproofs foundations and repairs basement leaks from the outside in Riverside South, on the established streets and the newer phases between the Rideau River and Bowesville Road. We excavate the wall that leaks, repair cracks, waterproof the wall, renew the weeping tile and restore the lot grading. Book the free on-site estimate.
- Waterproofing layer
- Weeping tile
- Clear stone
- Compacted backfill
- Dimpled membrane
The local picture
Exterior Waterproofing in Riverside South
Riverside South was mostly farmland until its first homes went up in 1996, and it is still building out. The City’s community design plan calls for tree planting standards suited to marine clay soils, the same soil that sits against the basement walls here and holds water after every storm.
Lots here are graded to pass runoff along swales to catch basins, and on to the stormwater ponds and Mosquito Creek. An excavation beside a house interrupts that chain while it is open, so the swale and the side-yard grade are rebuilt to the lot’s plan once the wall is done.
Marine clay and the City’s clay soils policy
Established streets and newer phases
Korvex Construction excavates, repairs and waterproofs basement walls from the outside for Riverside South homeowners, and replaces weeping tile at the footing where it has stopped working. The free on-site estimate looks at the wall from inside and out, and the written quote follows with the scope for that wall.
The City has treated sensitive marine clay as a foundation question for years. Its Clay Soils Policy grew out of a 2005 report on trees and foundations in areas of sensitive marine clay, and the 2017 guidelines that updated it call for foundation walls in new subdivisions on those soils to be reinforced at least nominally, as confirmed in a geotechnical report. On many newer streets the visible result is small ornamental street trees, planted back from the houses.
Structure is an engineer’s field. Our part is the water: soil against the wall kept drained, cracks sealed from the outside, ground sloped away. Where a crack is wide, growing or paired with a wall that has moved, we bring in an engineer before the waterproofing is planned.
Swales, ponds and Mosquito Creek
Mosquito Creek runs through valleys and ravines that the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority describes as actively eroding, and two stormwater management facilities sit on its most westerly branch. Water from Riverside South roofs and yards reaches that system through rear swales and catch basins.
For a foundation job, that sets the order of work. Excavated clay goes to a stockpile clear of the swale and the catch basin, is covered when rain is coming, and the surplus leaves the site. With the backfill in, the side yard is shaped back to the swale, so water from your lot and the next one keeps moving.
At the site visit
What we check on a lot in Riverside South
- 01
Where water enters: a crack, a pipe opening, the floor joint or a window well.
- 02
The side swale and the rear catch basin near the dig.
- 03
Any sign the wall has moved, which brings in an engineer.
- 04
How close the dig comes to the Mosquito Creek valley or the Rideau River slope.
- 05
Downspouts and where they discharge.
- 06
Patios, decks or fences on the strip along the wall.
What we plan around
Local conditions in Riverside South
Each point links to the public source it was checked against. At the site visit we check how it applies to your lot.
- Marine clay soils
The community plan calls for tree planting standards suited to marine clay soils. Clay under a new yard holds water, so base depth and compaction are planned for it.
How we build it
What exterior waterproofing involves
Every wall is different, so the drawing shows the parts most exterior jobs share. The order matters: the wall is repaired and sealed while it is open, the drain at the footing is renewed while the trench is down to it, and the ground goes back so it carries water away.
- Find where water enters
Stains, damp patches and the yard outside are read together, so the dig opens the wall where the water actually comes in.
- Locates first
Buried lines are located before any digging along the house.
- Repair, then seal
Cracks are repaired and the wall cleaned before the waterproofing layer goes on, all while the wall is exposed.
- Drain at the footing
The existing weeping tile is checked where the trench reaches it, and replaced where it is clogged, crushed or blocked by roots.
- Backfill that stays put
Backfill is compacted as it goes back, so the ground beside the wall does not sink into a dip.
- Weather
Frozen ground cannot be compacted properly, and coatings need temperatures above freezing, so on most Ottawa sites this is spring-to-fall work.
- Regraded surfaceShaped to fall away from the house, so rain and snowmelt run off.Graded to drain
- Compacted backfillPlaced back against the wall and compacted, so it does not settle toward the house.Compacted in layers
- Waterproofing layerOn the outside face of the wall, between the concrete and the soil.On the outside face
- Foundation wallExposed, cleaned, and cracks repaired from the outside before anything covers it.Cracks repaired outside
- Clear stoneAround the drain, so water from the soil reaches the pipe.Open and free-draining
- Weeping tile at the footingA perforated foundation drain led to an outlet planned for the lot.Led to an outlet
“Vlad and his crew installed my patio in 2 days. Did excellent work and vlad answered any and all questions I asked. I highly recommend Korvex Development for any job you may require.”
Joe Ayoub · Patio installed
“Did awesome work! had them repair a leany fence and they were on time, cheap and super professional”
Josh Cohen-Collier · Leaning fence repaired
FAQ
Exterior Waterproofing in Riverside South: common questions
Do we need an engineer for a foundation crack?
It depends on the crack. Many cracks that leak are shrinkage cracks, sealed from the outside as part of the waterproofing. A crack that is wide, keeps growing, offsets the wall or comes with doors and windows that start to stick is a structural question, and we bring in an engineer before planning the repair. The site visit decides which kind you have.
We back onto the Mosquito Creek valley. Does that change a foundation dig?
It changes where soil and water go. The valley slopes are eroding, so excavated soil is kept back from the top of the bank and surplus clay leaves the site. Within the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s regulation limit, site grading and fill need its permission, and we check your lot on its map before the work is planned.
Our Riverside South house is under thirty years old. Why is the basement leaking?
Age is only part of it. A wall can crack as the clay under and around it moves, a pipe opening can lose its seal, and settled backfill can tilt the ground toward the house. We look for the entry point inside, then at the grading and downspouts outside, and quote the exterior repair for that wall.
Do you work in Riverside South?
Yes. Korvex Construction builds fences, interlock, decks and backyards across Riverside South, on established streets and newer phases between the Rideau River and Bowesville Road. Most lots here follow a recent grading plan, and we set patio height and slope to keep it working. Request a free estimate or call 613-880-7679.
Book a free exterior waterproofing estimate in Riverside South
Tell us what you want built and send a few photos. We come out, look at what sits under the job, and give you the scope and the price in writing.