Exterior Waterproofing · Stittsville, ON
Foundation waterproofing in Stittsville
Korvex Construction waterproofs foundations and repairs basement leaks from the outside in Stittsville, in Fairwinds, Hartsmere and the Fernbank area and on the older streets near Stittsville Main Street. We excavate the wall that leaks, seal cracks from outside, waterproof the wall, renew the weeping tile and restore the lot grading. The free on-site estimate comes first.
- Waterproofing layer
- Weeping tile
- Clear stone
- Compacted backfill
- Dimpled membrane
The local picture
Exterior Waterproofing in Stittsville
About 44% of Stittsville’s homes have been built since 2016, so many basements here are young. A leak in a newer house tends to trace back to a short list: a crack in the wall, a gap where a pipe or wire passes through it, backfill that has settled and tipped the ground toward the house, or a downspout emptying at the corner.
Stittsville ground adds its own pattern. Around Poole Creek, about 37% of the catchment is mapped as bedrock at the surface and almost a third as organic deposits. Organic soil stays wet and soft, so on those lots the soil against the wall is replaced with backfill that lets water drain down to the footing.
Leaks in a newer basement
Fairwinds, Hartsmere, the Fernbank area
Korvex Construction repairs basement leaks and waterproofs foundations from the outside for Stittsville homeowners. The free on-site estimate starts outside the wall where water shows inside, and the written quote follows with the scope for that wall: excavation, crack repair, waterproofing, weeping tile and regrading.
Backfill is the soil pushed back against the foundation once the house is built. It settles over the first years, and a strip along the wall that once sloped away can end up flat or tipped toward the house. City guidance says a lot should slope away from the home; when it stops doing that, rain soaks the soil right at the wall. In a young subdivision this is one of the first things we check, with how far each downspout carries its water.
Rock, organic soil and the Goulbourn Wetland
Poole Creek rises in the Goulbourn Provincially Significant Wetland Complex near Highway 7 and Hazeldean Road. Some Stittsville lots sit on soft organic ground near that wetland, and others meet bedrock close to the surface. Both shape an exterior dig. Organic soil holds water and slumps once it is opened, so the trench is kept short and refilled with free-draining material. Rock can stop the excavation above the footing, and then the scope is agreed again with you.
Keeping the grading plan intact
A new lot comes with a grading plan, and the City expects owners to keep its elevations and leave swales and catch basins open. A dig along the side of a house often crosses the swale between two lots. We set the swale back on its line, shape the ground so it falls away from the wall, and keep soil and stone out of the catch basin while the excavation is open.
At the site visit
What we check on a lot in Stittsville
- 01
How the backfill along each wall has settled since the house was built.
- 02
Gaps around pipes, vents and wires that pass through the wall.
- 03
The side swale and any catch basin near the dig.
- 04
Rock or soft organic soil along the excavation line.
- 05
Window wells: sealed to the wall, as City guidance advises, and draining.
- 06
Cracked parging on the band of wall above the ground.
What we plan around
Local conditions in Stittsville
Each point links to the public source it was checked against. At the site visit we check how it applies to your lot.
- Wetland and organic soils
Almost a third of the same area is organic deposits, the soft wet ground around the Goulbourn Wetland. Soft spots under patios and walls are dug out and replaced with compacted granular base.
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 Stittsville: common questions
Can a leak be fixed from outside without touching the finished basement?
Often, yes. Exterior work reaches the wall from the yard side, so the drywall and flooring inside can stay in place. We find the entry point from inside first, then dig and repair from outside. Tell us when you book if the basement is finished, and we plan the visit around it.
Digging along our house will cross the swale. Is that allowed?
The swale can be opened for the work and has to be restored. City of Ottawa guidance expects owners to keep the grades from the original grading plan and keep swales open, so the excavation is backfilled and shaped back to the swale line, and water from the neighbouring lot keeps moving.
Our Stittsville house is only a few years old and the basement leaks. Where do we start?
Start outside, where most leaks in newer houses begin. Look at the ground along the leaking wall after rain: a flat or sunken strip, a downspout ending close by, or water standing at the corner. At the site visit we match that to where water shows inside and quote the exterior repair for that wall.
Do you work in Stittsville?
Yes. Korvex Construction builds fences, interlock, decks and drainage across Stittsville, from the streets near Stittsville Main Street to newer subdivisions like Fairwinds, Hartsmere and Fernbank. Many of these lots still follow their original grading plan, and the new work is set to keep it working. Request a free estimate or call 613-880-7679.
Book a free exterior waterproofing estimate in Stittsville
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.