For 45 years, the homeowners of this Lynchburg, OH, home had dealt with persistent water intrusion near their hearth and stove fireplace. They had tried exterior solutions over the years—excavating the soil outside the foundation, tarring the walls, installing drainage tile, and backfilling with gravel—to keep water out. While these methods can provide temporary relief, exterior systems often fail over time due to clogged tiles, shifting soil, or degraded sealant. The repeated maintenance and the constant digging that this system required over the years made it difficult to fully solve the problem, leaving the homeowners frustrated and concerned about ongoing leaks.
Solution
Our interior waterproofing solution gave the homeowners a permanent, low-maintenance way to stop water intrusion. The team carefully removed the brick hearth, preserving as much as possible per the homeowner’s request, and installed WaterGuard along the leaking wall. WaterGuard sits directly on top of the footing and is pitched toward the SuperSump Plus, and we drilled weeping holes just above the footing to efficiently channel water into the drainage system. Installation required only minimal excavation—about six inches away from the wall—so the project was less disruptive than traditional exterior solutions. This system creates a reliable interior drainage path that safely directs water away from the home. WaterGuard is designed with service ports for easy inspection and maintenance, and it’s far simpler to install compared to exterior systems that require extensive digging and backfilling. Plus, the system comes with a lifetime warranty, giving the homeowner confidence that their home is fully protected for years to come. With the system in place, they can reinstall the hearth without worry, knowing they now have a durable, low-maintenance solution to keep water out for good.
This was the photo our inspector took of the leaky hearth upon the initial inspection.
This photo was also taken upon the initial inspection. The homeowner was fed up with their exterior system due to constant leaks.
The homeowner showed our inspector photos of the exterior waterproofing installation back in 2015. Since then, this section of the home had been excavated three times for repairs, including re-sealing the wall and drainage replacing.
The exterior drainage tile was installed deep down below this gravel bed. Exterior drains are prone to clogging, which is common in many homes. Over time, the black tar also deteriorated, wearing down every few years.
The homeowner had wasted a lot of time, energy, and money trying to keep their fireplace dry. Their latest leak was the last straw, so they contacted us for a permanent fix. The hearth had to be removed in order for us to install our system, but the homeowner was more than willing to do what was necessary to stop the issue once and for all. Along the base of the wall you can see where we installed our WaterGuard drainage system, concealed beneath the floor. Our WaterGuard drains come with wall flanges that allow moisture to seep down from the walls and into the drainage system.
From this photo, you can see one of our service ports in the floor. This port allows us to clean/check the system very easily. Unlike the exterior solution, (which required digging all the way down to the footing of the home) our service requires minimal time/effort. Our drains sit above the footing of the foundation, where there is no muddy soil that can clog them. Now the homeowners can finally put their fireplace back, (after the concrete cures) without the worry of leaks.
This is the SuperSump Plus we installed in the corner of the basement. It comes with an airtight lid, an airtight floor drain, and an alarm system.
