Basement waterproofing in Lancaster, PA

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your town and where the water or dampness shows up.

2. We pass it along

   Your request goes to an independent waterproofing company that serves Lancaster County.

3. They follow up

   The company calls, inspects the basement and gives you a written proposal.

Who is this site for?

Homeowners and buyers in Lancaster city and the towns and townships around it: Manheim Township, Lititz and Warwick Township, Elizabethtown, Lancaster Township, Millersville, Strasburg and the rest of Lancaster County. Some houses here are older than the country: the county's oldest dwelling, the Hans Herr House in West Lampeter Township, was built of sandstone in 1719. If your cellar has stone walls, a dirt or patched concrete floor, and a puddle that shows up after every soaking rain, you're the person this site was built for.

Why do Lancaster County basements take on water?

Rain, clay and old walls. Lancaster averages a little over 44 inches of precipitation a year under NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, spread across every season. Much of the farmland in the county sits on soils that formed from weathered limestone. The Hagerstown series, a classic example, was first established in Lancaster County, and the USDA describes it as silt loam on top over a subsoil of silty clay and clay. That clay layer slows water down, so after a storm it can sit against the outside of a foundation instead of draining straight past it. A few other things make it worse:

• Lime mortar that has washed out. Stone walls laid two centuries ago were built to breathe, not to hold back water. As the mortar erodes, water finds the gaps between stones.
• Cellars dug for storage. Many farmhouse cellars were built for root crops, with no footing drain and sometimes no floor slab.
• Roof water at the corners. Short downspouts and clogged gutters drop a big share of the roof's water right beside the wall.

What makes stone foundations different?

They move and breathe. A rubble-stone wall is many separate stones in a soft mortar bed, and hard cement mortar or a thick interior coating can trap moisture and speed up damage. Good work usually means repointing with a compatible mortar, managing water at the floor edge with an interior perimeter drain, and keeping the inside air dry. Our stone foundation repair page walks through it.

Does limestone ground change the fix?

Yes, in one important way: where the water goes. Limestone and dolomite slowly dissolve, and Pennsylvania's geologists say moving water is the main trigger for sinkholes in carbonate areas, often when stormwater is concentrated in one spot or a pipe leaks. The Pennsylvania Geological Survey has published a county-wide set of maps of sinkholes, depressions and caves in Lancaster County. Warwick Township tells residents that sinkholes are common here where there's limestone soil, and that redirecting downspout runoff may be part of stopping one from growing. So a sump line or downspout that dumps everything in one low corner isn't just a wet-yard problem. Ask how discharge water will be spread out, and read more in our Lancaster County wet basement guide.

Signs your basement needs a closer look

• A wet band where the wall meets the floor after heavy rain
• Sandy, crumbling mortar collecting at the base of stone walls
• Water seeping up through cracks in an old floor patch
• A musty smell that never fully leaves, even in winter
• A sump pump that cycles for days after a storm
• Soil settling or a small hole opening near a downspout

Which fix fits the problem?

It depends on where the water enters and what the wall is made of. Seepage at the floor edge on several walls usually points to an interior perimeter drain feeding a sump pump system. Loose, weeping mortar in a stone cellar calls for repointing or partial rebuilding. A wall that must stay dry for a finished room may justify exterior excavation, and a cellar that's damp but never wet often needs moisture control and better gutters more than anything else.

What can I check myself first?

Put on a raincoat during the next downpour and walk around the house. Look for overflowing gutters, downspouts ending at the wall, and beds or walks that slope toward the house. Clean gutters and add extensions that carry water several feet out onto ground that slopes away. If water still comes in after a few storms, it's time for an inspection.

Buying an old farmhouse or city house?

Check the cellar after a rain if you can, and look for tide lines, fresh paint low on the walls and rusted appliance legs. Ask the sellers about water and sinkholes on the property; the state Department of Environmental Protection also suggests checking whether your homeowner's insurance covers sinkhole damage. A waterproofing inspection during your inspection window tells you what you're taking on.

Are you a waterproofing contractor?

No. Lancaster Waterproofing is a referral service. We connect you with an independent waterproofing company that serves your part of Lancaster County, and that company inspects, prices and performs the work and sets its own terms. Before you sign anything, see how it works and what Pennsylvania's home improvement law says in our wet basement guide.

Areas we cover

• Lancaster city
• Manheim Township
• Lititz and Warwick Township
• Elizabethtown

Doing your homework first? Read the Lancaster County wet basement guide.