Basement waterproofing that starts by finding the leak

Usually not in Toronto, where waterproofing repairs to a basement need no building permit. Underpinning and structural repairs do. Digging has its own rules. Ontario law requires a locate request through Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Call, before any excavation. Toronto protects trees 30 cm or more in diameter on private land, and all City street trees. Digging inside a protected tree’s protection zone needs a permit. Other GTA municipalities set their own rules. We book the locates and check permits before we dig.

Dampproofing is a coating that slows moisture moving from damp soil into the wall. The Ontario Building Code requires it on the outside of foundation walls below ground, paired with drainage at the footing. Waterproofing is a membrane that holds back water under pressure. The Code requires it wherever hydrostatic pressure occurs, continuous across joints and protected during backfill. When we excavate a wall, it gets a membrane and drainage board, not just a coating.

Often, yes. Injection pumps resin into the crack from inside, so there is no digging. Polyurethane stays flexible and is widely used to seal leaking cracks. Epoxy is rigid and bonds the concrete, but if the crack is still moving, cracking will likely return. Injection won’t stop water entering along the floor joint or at many points along a wall. A widening crack or a wall that has shifted goes to our engineers before any repair.

No. The City of Toronto lists two causes of basement flooding. Seepage comes through cracks, poor grading, or failed weeping tile and sump pumps. Sewer backup comes from blocked or overloaded sewer lines. Waterproofing deals with seepage. A backwater valve deals with backups, and Peel Region notes it does not stop water coming through foundation cracks. The City adds that clear water usually points to drainage, while muddy water can mean a blocked sewer line. We find which you have and tell you if the fix is drain work, which is licensed separately.

Yes. Under Municipal Code Chapter 681, every Toronto property owner must keep downspouts disconnected from the City’s sewer system. The City may grant an exemption where disconnecting would be hazardous or isn’t technically feasible. It expects owners to try moving downspouts or correcting the grading first. Water should drain away from the foundation, ideally two metres out, without damaging a neighbour’s property or running onto a driveway or sidewalk. We regrade and extend downspouts so roof water drains away from the walls.