Great Lakes Waterproofing for Basements and Foundations

REAL WATERPROOFING!©

Serving Minneapolis, Saint Paul, the Metro Area and beyond

  • Wet Basement with beaver dam system

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    Beaver Dam System Leaking Everywhere

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  • Foundation waterproofing using bentonite

    Wet Foundation Holes and Cracks

    Foundation Cracks and Holes Allowing Water Into Bloomington Apartment Building

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  • Foundation waterproofing using bentonite

    University Using Exterior Waterproofing

    Real Waterproofing, On The Ouside!

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  • Foundation waterproofing using bentonite

    Mixing Bentonite for Real Waterproofing!

    Bentonite For Exterior Waterproofing

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  • Foundation waterproofing using bentonite

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    Saint Paul Home With Water Leaks

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  • Foundation waterproofing using bentonite

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    Drain Tile in Older Minneapolis Building

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  • Minneapolis Drain tile is leaking

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    Minneapolis New Drain Tile is Still Leaking!

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    Drain Tile Pipe Is Full Of Sand!

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  • Waterproofing paint is not working

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    Basement Waterproofing Paint Is Peeling Off

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  • Using dimple board for inside the wet basement

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    Dimple Board is Not Working on The Inside of my Basement!

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  • Drain Tile Pipes Are Plugged Up

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    Drain Tile Pipes Are Plugged Up

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  • I Have A Drain Tile But My Wall Is Still Leaking

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    I Have A Drain Tile But My Wall Is Still Leaking

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  • Bentonite, The World's #1 Waterproofing Material

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    Bentonite, The World's #1 Waterproofing Material

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  • Basement Waterproofing Sealing Cracks

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    Targeting The Wet Areas at a Fraction of The Cost of Drain Tile.

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  • Real Waterproofing on The Outside of The Foundation

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    Real Waterproofing Starts on The Outside of The Foundation

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Industrial, Commercial, Apartments

Industrial, Commercial & Apartment Foundation Waterproofing

Great Lakes Waterproofing's Exterior Waterproofing has proven the Midwest's Choice for large projects including:  hospitals, apartment buildings, university and colleges.  Exterior bentonite waterproofing means most work is done on the outside foundation with little to no work is done inside. Tenants, renters and others will not be disrupted while the waterproofing work is going on outside the building, our equipment is portable and we can stage it away from foot traffic so day to day operations can continue without interuptions.


Waterproofing existing large buildings can be extremely difficult or very expensive when done on the inside.  Great Lakes Waterproofing is the source for exterior bentonite "Real Waterproofing", stopping water before it passes through the wall.  In most cases this can be done in a timely manner, clean up is quick and  in most cases the area looks the same as before we started.  We target the wet areas which can be a fraction of the cost of a full drain-tile system.


Architects and Engineers, feel free to call us if you need Section 7 Specifications for your waterproofing projects, we can brief you and your clients on why bentonite injections is the right method to solve your lower-level foundation water issues.

Great Lakes Waterproofing is fully insured with basic and umbrella coverage along with Minnesota Worker's Comp.

Here's some of the waterproofing projects we work on a daily basis.

UNDERGROUND TUNNEL WITH WET WALLS AND FLOOR 

Underground Tunnel Waterproofing Using Bentonite

Great Lakes Waterproofing works on a lot of "oddball" projects, waterproofing foundations that other waterproofing companies are unable to do.   Most "waterproofing" companies don't really waterproof, they allow water in the home or building collect it through a drain-tile pipe system and then pump it outside, this is called water management and should  not be considered "Real Waterproofing."


This underground tunnel with block wall construction and a concrete ceiling had water leaking onto the floor in several areas.  These areas had the signs of water moving through the blocks including bubbling paint, a crusty surface along with the visible water stains.  


Due to the size and location, a drain-tile system was out of the question and the owner went with our exterior foundation waterproofing solution using all-natural bentonite.  We were able to treat the areas where water was coming in, stopping it on the outside for Real Waterproofing.  With wet basement projects like this, we can target the areas for the greatest cost savings.

WATERPROOFING APARTMENT BUILDING FOUNDATION 

Waterproofing Apartment Building Foundation

This apartment building had water leaking into one of the units, while not too bad, it only leaked during the big storms, it still needed to be fixed.  The management company had two options, exterior waterproofing or interior drain-tile water management.  The company chose Real Waterproofing from Great Lakes Waterproofing.


We call these apartments "Garden Level," they only go down 3'-5' but this is a perfect application for exterior bentonite waterproofing.  Work was done in one day, on the exterior, the tenant didn't have to leave and the interior didn't need to be cut up for an interior drain-tile system.


Great Lakes Waterproofing's Portable Equipment is compact so we can get into tight areas without destroying the landscaping.  The bentonite injection wand and supply hose can be seen in this photo.

APARTMENT WITH LIMESTONE FOUNDATION AND WET BASEMENT

Waterproofing Limestone Foundation using bentonite

This 120 year old "brownstone" apartment building is pretty common around the Saint Paul and Minneapolis, the basement is about 6'-8' below the sidewalk and was experiencing a lot of water coming through the limestone foundation creating a wet basement.


Great Lakes Waterproofing Exterior Foundation Waterproofing, using bentonite injections, once again proved to be the perfect solution to the wet basememt.  We don't need a lot of space, we try to work within a foot of the foundation wall and the waterproofing equipment is placed in a more open area.

Waterproofing Limestone Foundation using bentonite injections

This Saint Paul Condo Building also had a limestone foundation, a perfect candidate for exterior bentonite injection waterproofing.  We slowly went down the wall to seal off the areas water was moving through the wall.  Real Waterproofing is when you stop water on the outside, before it moves through your wet basement wall.


Since most work was done outside, the tenents didn't have to move and walls weren't ripped out.  There was about 24" of landscaping next to the building, plenty of space to work. 

HOSPITAL BUILDING WITH LEAKING FOUNDATION AND WET BASEMENT

Waterproofing Old Hospital Foundation

This building was being converted to a quick visit hospital but the basement area was getting wet and that had to be fixed before the project was done.


On these old buildings, interior drain-tile systems is not a good option, the floors can be several inches thick and provide support for the walls.  These foundation walls are solid poured concrete which is not a good application for drain tile since most of these walls leak above the floor level, never making it to the underfloor drain-tile system.


Great Lakes Waterproofing Exterior Bentonite Waterproofing was the perfect solution, we sealed up the outside for Real Waterproofing.  The nooks, crannies, holes and cracks are filled with bentonite which naturally keeps water from flowing through.

NEW FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION USING BENTONITE WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE

Waterproofing Foundation With Benonite Membrane

Sure we do new construction!  Using products from CETCO, the world's leader in bentonite waterproofing protection.  Bentonite Membranes provide some of the best below-grade waterproofing.


This building was going to be buried but the customer stored raw metal products in it and needed it to be very dry.  CETCO Swelltite, Hydrobars and Bentoseal were the perfect solution.  The tarps on the top are just for protection.


First Bentoseal is smeared on the metal left imbedded in the concrete wall, this will keep any water out if the metal rusts through the wall.  Bentoseal is also smeared at the wall/footing junction and a bar of raw bentonite powder is place on top of it.  Swelltite, a bentonite membrane is attached to the wall and capped off with a stainless steel termination bar.  When done correctly, these products will not leak, providing a permanent barrier against water.

UNIVERSITY BUILDING CLASS ROOMS WITH WET FLOOR

Waterproofing College Building Foundation

This university building didn't have much below grade but they were still getting water on the first floor. Even though these walls are close to 2' thick, holes and cracks had developed.  Great Lakes Waterproofing Exterior Waterproofing Bentonite Injections provided the perfect waterproofing solution using all-natural bentonite based products, we stopped the water outside for real waterproofing.


Without disruption to students or faculty , we were able to do all of the work outside.  The plants took a little bit of a beating but in most cases Great Lakes Waterproofing can work around flowers and shrubs without damage.  Unless we have to drill holes through sidewalks or patios, our equipment does not make a lot of noise and we can schedule it around the students holidays.

SCHOOL GYMNASIUM HAS WATER MOVING THROUGH WALLS ONTO GYM FLOOR

Waterproofing School Gymnasium

Schools can present different problems like this gymnasium, an interior drain-tile system would have been cost prohibitive and anytime you remove portions of the interior floor, your taking away some of the structural integrity of the wall which uses the floor to brace the bottom section of the wall.


The school district tried to make an industrial "French Drain" System, you can see the rocks and drains on the left but it didn't help.  Large amounts of water were flowing down a hill to the left, hitting the all above and below the system.


Great Lakes Waterproofing solution was to waterproof the exterior using bentonite injections, filling in voids and pathways water was using to move through the wall.


Great Lakes Waterproofing Portable Equipment can be staged close to this area, if possible we need access to power and water but in remote areas we have industrial water tanks and generators for power.

UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE WITH WET WALLS AND FLOOR

Waterproofing Underground Parking Garage

Great Lakes Waterproofing has worked on a lot of underground parking areas, usually located under 3-5 story apartment buildings, with wet floors and walls.  This building had basement water everywhere, they even had an original drain-tile waterproofing sytem but all of the water was not being collected and ended up on the floor.


The solution was exterior foundation waterproofing using all-natural bentonite injections, the work was done outside without any disruption to the tenants.  Buildings with spancrete ceilings might require a little more work than normal, as you can see they leak from the top down and all areas may need to be addressed.

SCHOOL BUILDING WORKOUT ROOM WITH WET BASEMENT ISSUES

Waterproofing High School  Basement

This school had an below-grade area with a work-out room, pool and shower area with water issues.  After looking into all of the options, the school district decided to go with exterior bentonite waterproofing injections.


Holes needed to be drilled through the concrete (they will be filled when done) and a slurry of thick bentonite is pumped through the wand going down 10'.  The bentonite will follow the water pathways and fill voids, once fully set up but still flexible, it will stop water from moving through the wall on the outside for Real Waterproofing.


The sidewalk area also had hollow voids which collected water and provided an unobstructed path to the building, you can see a small pile of bentonite coming up near the right side of the brick column, this will all be cleaned up when done.

OFFICE BUILDING WITH WATER COMING IN ON THE FIRST FLOOR

Slab On Grade Foundation Leaking

This Woodbury Dentist's Office had water coming in through this side of the building, Great Lakes Waterproofing was able to offer exterior waterproofing on this side only.


Interior drain-tile waterproofing was not an option, the work area could not be shut down, equipment moved and then rebuilt without causing a major disruption to the owner and customers.


The area was sealed with bentonite based products including hydraulic cement and Bentoseal, stopping water on the outside for Real Waterproofing!  The landscaping was put back and the customer now has a dry basement.

HOSPITAL WITH WET FOUNDATION BASEMENT

Hospital With Large Pipe Is Leaking In The Basement

A local Saint Paul Hospital had a courtyard area with landscaping and a wet basement in this area.  It's common to get a lot of water collecting in enclosed areas and it can't get out.


The solution to stopping the water, for Real Waterproofing, was to seal the area with all-natural bentonite using Great Lakes Waterproofing Exterior Waterproofing Injection System, you can see our injection wand next to the building, the pumping and mixing equipment is portable and did not disrupt traffic.


By injecting waterproofing benonite next to the foundation, the water will not penetrate the basement walls through cracks and holes, just like when new.  Now the water follows the designed path towards the parking lot.

UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM ENTRANCE WITH WET BASEMENT

University Basement Leaking Under Doorway

We try to do as little damage as possible with our exterior foundation waterproofing, in most cases, no digging is required and we can clean the area using water.


This building had a nice classic brick walkway, we removed bricks where injections were done (the tan stuff is our Bentogrout), once the area was satisfactorily pumped, the bricks were replaced and the area was clean up.


Our pumping and mixing equipment was set up in a area so traffic could still move through the doorway if needed, with little to no disruption to the students.


Bentogrout Bentonite for basement waterproofing was the perfect material for this project, mixed into a chunky slurry we can pump it up to 16' below grade (more if needed).  Bentonite will fill voids that are common along exterior foundation walls that are now filling with water and moving through cracks and holes.  This all-natural material gets to the consistancy of Silly-Putty, preventing further moisture intrusion into the basement.


We worked with a water flow engineer on this project, interior drain tile waterproofing was out of the question.

GREAT LAKES WATERPROOFING WATERPROOFS PRESIDENT BENJAMIN HARRIS'S HOME

Waterproofing President Benjamin Harris's Home

President Benjamin Harris's Home was waterproofed by Great Lakes Waterproofing.  After looking through all of their options the owners decided exterior waterproofing using bentonite would be the perfect solution for this older structure.


Very old buildings like this usually have block stone walls with degrading mortar.  Exterior waterproofing fills voids and water pathways, preventing water from moving through the walls.


No damage or work was done inside the structure, keeping it all original or as found.  Exterior waterproofing is perfect for historic structures.

MULTI-STORY OFFICE BUILDING WITH WET BASEMENT

Office Building Leaking Basement Foundation

This Twin Cities Office Building has another two lower levels underground, the bottom basement area wasn't getting wet but the floor just below grade was, about 10' down.  It would impossible to install a drain tile system on this floor so the owner went with Great Lakes Waterproofing Exterior Foundation Waterproofing.


All of the waterproofing work was done outside with no disruption to the tenant and no digging was needed saving the garden area.  The area was fully cleaned at the end of the project.


The building had developed voids around the foundation which collected water, over time the water was moving through utility connections and seams between concrete panels.  Great Lakes Waterproofing was able to fill these voids using bentonite waterproofing preventing future water intrusion into the basement.

FACTORY TURNED INTO CONDOS WITH WET BASEMENT

Remodeled Factory Leaking Near Wall Repair

This utility room was part of a factory recently converted to condominiums and is typical what we see with these older structures.  The foundation walls of this corner has had additional work done over the years with the addition of the blocks added on top of the original poured foundation, maybe there was a fire or the top part of the wall became unstable but it pretty common to see these areas leak, when wet concrete is added to dried concrete it's called a "cold joint."  This joint can have very small pores that allow water to move through creating a wet basement.


If you look closely on the floor you can see two piles of benotogrout waterproofing slurry, which is slowly flowing down the wall near the utility panels.  Our guys are pumping material on the exterior which is filling the water pathways and working it's way through the wall, just like the water used to do.


Once the exterior bentonite waterproofing is done, the area will be cleaned and the inside holes will be filled with concrete.  A drain-tile system would not have worked in this situation, the wall was leaking about 3'-4' above the floor level and in some of these buildings the bottom floor is up to 18" thick providing structural support for the foundation wall.

BASEMENT WATERPROOFING IF THERE IS NO EXTERIOR ACCESS

Waterproofing Foundation From The Inside Using Bentonite

If the building  or home has a deep basement or there's something on the surface that doesn't allow access, we can waterproof the wall by injecting bentonite through wall.  Holes as small as 1/2" are drilled through the walls and bentonite is injected to the other side.  Great Lakes Waterproofing has used this method in elevator pits and parking ramps.

  

By filling voids and the  water pathways with all-natural bentonite, a barrier is created between the wall and moisture.  Once the process is done, the holes are sealed with a concrete product.

NEW CONSTRUCTION WITH POURED FOUNDATION WATER LEAKS

New Foundation Is Leaking Water

This is a poured wall building with the bottom floor about 20' below grade.  This building was new and contractors were starting to install equipment when the walls started leaking water.  The product the company makes needs to be as dry as possible so a wet basement is not an option.  


The three parts of a building are poured when the previous part is dry, first the footing then the wall then the floor.  These "cold joints" will have porous concrete where they make contact allowing water in if there's enough pressure.  Exterior waterproofing using bentonite products was used to seal up this building;  no work was needed to be done on the inside.  Bentonite filled the exterior water voids and pathways turning into a permanent barrier for a dry basment.

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