OUR HISTORY

The History of Vulcan Basement Waterproofing

“We’re not just in the basement waterproofing business… We invented it” is not just a slogan, it is a fact. Vulcan Basement Waterproofing was founded in 1947 and we were the country’s first basement waterproofing company. In our early years we tried all different ways to waterproof buildings. Through this trial and error process we pioneered and patented the Vulcan interior drain water management system which has become the industry standard worldwide.

For many decades basements were relegated to heating furnaces and coal bins. As heating systems advanced away from coal, once uninhabitable space in the home was now being considered as possible living space.

In the early 1940s, the founding fathers of Vulcan were in the home improvement business and were often called on to renovate basements and make them livable. The request was easy enough to accomplish but later, after heavy rains, oftentimes water would appear on the floor.

After several basement renovations had similar water problems we came to a realization that there was a genuine need for a business to specialize in keeping water out of basements. This was the birth of the basement waterproofing industry and Vulcan Basement Waterproofing, as we know it today.

The first attempts at keeping water out of basements were done assuming all the water came from the walls. We would raise the ground around the walls that were leaking. The problem was this only worked about half the time. We then tried digging up around the outside of the house and applying tar or pitch to the walls. That didn’t always work either. The next attempt was to try to patch existing cracks from the inside as well as the excavation from the outside. That didn’t always work either.

The military had a substance they used to seal underground tanks and since we were the only company specializing in water in basements, they asked us to try it. It was a slurry solution that when applied around the basement walls at set intervals, was to expand and seal the wall to prevent water penetration. It seemed like the perfect solution to our customer’s biggest complaints… no digging, no damage to lawns, shrubs, driveways, etc. We developed a pressure pumping process and patented it. The solution was so well received that others approached us for permission to use the process as well. Soon there were over 80 franchises in the U.S., Canada and even England.

When applied in perfect soil conditions the process seemed to work to keep the water from coming through the treated walls but it didn’t always work. In clay soil the substance expanded and cracked walls or pushed in blocks. In sandy soil the substance expanded away from the walls and did not seal out the water as expected. Even when the walls were sealed perfectly there was often water on the floor.

Our chemists and engineers created cements and epoxies to seal the area where the wall and floor meet (commonly referred to as the cove) but it didn’t always work. Next, channels were created on the floor along the walls to direct the water to a collection pit or dry well. When it was realized that a dry well was not the solution, pumps were placed in the wells to remove the water that was directed there. Floors and walls continued to crack and leak. It was determined that the problem was not just water it was water “pressure”. We decided to try cutting and trenching the floor next to the wall to give the water a place to run and not exert pressure on the floor. Now we were on to something. From this point we continued to improve and polish the concepts of relieving the pressure from the foundation.

Our vast experience and knowledge has enabled us to design the most efficient and effective redirection of water through the use of the proper size, type and depth of pipes and the proper size, type and placement of stone to obtain maximum drainage. Our state-of-the-art installation techniques and customer service practices have withstood the test of time. We have successfully waterproofed over 800,000 homes and commercial buildings over the past 70+ years.

Today, Vulcan Basement Waterproofing remains the nation’s oldest, largest and most experienced basement waterproofing company. As the nationally acclaimed leader in our field, Vulcan continues to look for new and better ways to help our customers solve their basement water problems.