Residential
Rainwater Restoration & Waterproofing has the right tools and know how to fix your residential leak
From your roof and windows, all the way down to your basement
Our goal is to repair your leak the first time out !
Residential Leak Detection & Repair
Rainwater Restoration & Waterproofing is a locally owned residential leak detection and repair specialist in Austin Texas. RR&W will come out to your home and inspect your leak and give you our assessment of exactly where we think the water is coming in at and the steps necessary to solve your problem. We perform all kinds of waterproofing and rain water leak repairs and can often do the work the same day. We will provide you with before pictures of the damaged areas and suspected entry points and after pictures of the work performed. On bigger jobs, we will provide you with a proposal for the recommended work and a timeline of how long we think the work will take to finish the job.
Some companies may want to start out by cutting open drywall or with a water test to determine where the water is getting in at. This is usually not necessary unless requested by the customer and will just increase the cost of the job, often with little or limited results. With over 20 years in the business we see the same types of leaks over and over again and can often pinpoint the leak within the fist few minutes on the job.
We will almost always find at least 3 of 4 points that need to be sealed first before spraying water on the problem in an area that you already know is leaking. Sealing these areas first will almost always save you both time and money and prevent more water from coming in and damaging your property.
We use only commercial grade sealants, like MasterSeal NP 1, Tremco Dymonic FC and GE SCS 1000 Silicone Sealant. We also give a 2 year warranty on all sealant work. So whether you have a 16,000 sf house on Lake Travis or an 800 sf house in Travis Heights, give us a call today. RR&W is your residential leak detection and repair experts in Austin Texas !
Below-Grade Waterproofing
Common types of Below-Grade Waterproofing are Cold Fluid Applied, Cementitious and Hydro-Active Grout Injections.
Below-Grade Waterproofing is an important step for any below-grade structure. Cold Fluid Applied Waterproofing is a liquid membrane applied with a brush and roller that usually involves a bitumen or rubberized solvent based coating. Therefore, it cannot be used in ponds or potable water applications . This process is done on the outside of the structure ( Positive Side ) and is performed on concrete below-grade, or basement, walls before the dirt is backfilled to keep water from penetrating the wall.
On existing homes, digging out the dirt and removing any loose material before cleaning and drying the wall is required. It will also be required to install a protection board. The protection board keeps sharp rocks and other objects from penetrating and damaging the coating while exposed.
Cementitious Waterproofing is a salt crystalline mixture that is also applied with a brush or roller. It can be used in ponds and potable water tanks. This process is done from the inside of the structure ( Negative Side ) and saves both time and money. This is because no digging out or back filling of the outside wall is required. It can also be performed on wet walls or even while it is raining. The salt crystalline solution will expand when water penetrates the pores of the concrete, therefore blocking the water. It does not, however, work on cracks and holes where water can leak in. Therefore, the wall must be solid and in good condition. When there are cracks and holes in the wall, other techniques, like the application of hydraulic cement can fill these gaps. Then the cementitious waterproofing can be installed.
Hydro-Active Grout Injections is a technique that involves drilling holes in the bottom of a concrete wall. The holes will be drilled in the wall to intersect the keyway in the slab. Then a hydro-active grout, that expands with water, will be installed. It is a process that is also done from the inside (Negative Side Waterproofing) and can also be performed while it’s raining or when the wall is wet. Injections, whenever possible to use, will save both time and money by not having to dig out the dirt from the outside wall. It will require cutting out the drywall, however, to get to the concrete wall so additional drywall repairs will be required during this process.
Window Leak Detection and Repair
Window leaks are the most common type of leaks that occur in houses. Therefore, it is important to seal your windows properly in order for them not to leak and do damage to your property. Unfortunately, rather that having a waterproofer professionally seal your home in the construction process, home builders almost always use an inexpensive caulk to seal your windows. This caulk is very rigid when it dries and when there is significant movement in your structure, the caulk will fail by separating from one side and that is when leaks can occur. This happens when the damp proofing around your windows, or the vapor barrier on your walls, is not installed properly or has failed and does not flash out water that gets in these openings caused by cracks in sealant, grout and mortar.
At RR&W we will seal your windows properly using only a commercial grade sealant, not a caulk, applied with the right tools and techniques so your windows will hold up with movement. Our sealant will adhere to your structure during settling and with the seasonal changes in temperature, remaining flexible which allow it to move and flex like it needs to. The commercial grade sealant we use will last around 10 to 15 years depending on the amount of direct sunlight that hits it, compared to around 2 to 5 years for the typical caulk that builders use.
Brick & Stone Leak Detection and Repair
Another common type of leak we see far too often has to do with cracks in brick and stone mortar. This usually happens due to the architect or builder not putting enough expansion joints in your wall. You will often see this cracking in driveways too that don’t have enough expansion joints in them. Expansion joints allow for your wall to expand and contract with the seasonal temperature changes and extreme Texas weather. Just like with window leaks, mortar cracks occur due to the inevitably movement with temperature changes and settling. The vapor barrier behind the wall is made to keep moisture in the air out of your home. It also is there to flash out any the water that gets in when mortar cracks. This should have, and could have, easily been prevented in the building process.
When these cracks occurs there are a few choices you can make. Do you tear down the wall and install the moisture barrier properly to solve your leaks and then rebuild your wall ? Some people with an unlimited budget may choose this option but obviously this will get expensive very fast. The other option is to simply seal the cracks in your wall to keep water from getting in altogether. To do this you can have a Mason come out and tuckpoint the cracks with new mortar. The other option is to have a Waterproofer seal the cracks in your wall. They are both good choices which will save you a lot of money, and at the same time, keep water from damaging your structure.
So which do you want to do ? Most people go with the less expensive solution of simply sealing the cracks or replacing the mortar. The main difference is the way the finished product will look. Another important difference has to do with the fact that mortar will remain brittle. This means it could just end up cracking and falling out again with more movement of your home. A sealant, on the other hand, will remain flexible and move with your brick or stone which will allow it to stay in place and keep doing it’s job.
As far aesthetics go, it can be hard to exactly match the mortar color. Therefore, it can create an eyesore so you will want to make sure that you have an experienced Mason. It’s also a good idea to do a couple of test areas and make sure that the mortar will dry to the color you want before proceeding with the whole project. At RR&W we often seal mortar cracks with a clear sealant for most colored brick and stone. For Limestone block, an off-white NP-1 sealant is a great choice to closely match your mortar. Undoubtedly, as long as you keep water out, then both are good choices. Obviously, it’s going to be up to the owner of the property as to what you are looking to achieve visually. Likewise, consider how long you want it to last. After all, in the end you want to make sure you get your money’s worth and good value for your purchase.
Stucco Leak Detection and Repair
Leaks in stucco walls usually happen for the exact same reason as they do in brick and stone walls. It’s a matter of movement and not enough control joints to prevent the cracks. Just as with brick and stone structures, an improperly installed moisture barrier behind the wall that fails to flash out water is often to blame. Stucco can also crack due to a poorly mixed recipe and by drying to fast during the construction process. Only one thing is guaranteed however, your stucco wall will eventually crack. It is extremely important to keep up with maintenance on these types of structures. The best thing you can do is to inspect your house once or twice a year for cracks. You will want to keep up on your maintenance by painting over any stucco cracks you see with a good Elastomeric paint to match your walls. It’s best to do this while they are still hairline cracks which the paint will easily cover. Otherwise, you will want to install sealant or stucco in the cracks and then paint over them once the sealant or stucco is dry.
Just as with brick and stone mortar cracks, if you have a leak then you have a few choices to make. Do you tear down the wall and reinstall the moisture barrier properly or do you simply seal the cracks to keep water out ? Obviously, most people choose to simply seal the cracks with sealant or a fresh coat of stucco. Repairing the crack with stucco will look great if done by a skilled contractor who can match the texture of your wall. However, there is that possibility that the wall could just crack again with any movement since this is where your wall is wanting to crack in the first place. Again, this is due to a lack of control joints in that area. At RR&W we can install a sealant over your cracks. This will last a lot longer than paint by itself, and possibly longer than a stucco patch too. For large or recurring cracks, we can install a larger “band-aid” of sealant over the crack. This will be thicker and span the crack which will allow for the continued movement of your stucco wall.
Once again, you have a choice to make and it boils down to aesthetics. Do you want to use sealant or stucco ? It totally depends on what you are looking to achieve and how long you want the work to last. Most of our customers just want the problem fixed and are happy for us to do the work while we are out there. They are more concerned about water entering their home and the damage that it may cause. At RR&W, we use a commercial grade urethane sealant that best matches your wall color. Using a urethane allows the paint to stick. Painting over silicone could eventually cause the paint fail and come loose from the sealant with any movement. This will won’t let water in, but will cause your wall to look bad. This happens because silicone is slick when it dries and doesn’t allow for all types of paint to stick to it permanently if there is any movement. Either way, as long as water is not getting in your home, both procedures are better than the alternative. If price is a concern then our process is a simple, quick and relatively inexpensive way to solve your problem.
Hydro-Active Grout Injections
As described above in our Below-Grade Waterproofing section, Hydro-Active Grout Injections are a great way to solve below grade and basement leaks on concrete walls. This process involves a technique that requires drilling holes in the bottom of a concrete wall to intersect the keyway. Next, we fill the holes with hydro-active grout which expands with water. This process is great because it is one of the few waterproofing techniques that you can do while wet. In fact, it needs water to activate the grout. This allows us to do it during floods and can have an immediate impact on stopping water from coming in your home. We can stop water from coming in without having to dig out the outside wall, which takes more time and money too !
Most Below-Grade Leaks only happen a few times a year during very heavy rains and flood like conditions. This is due to the water pressure building up and finding it’s way in small cracks and holes in the concrete wall and keyway. This process doesn’t always stop all water from getting in 100%, but often will make a big difference on the amount of water that gets in. It can, however, take multiple trips and drilling holes in all the right places to stop the leak. Therefore, this is one of the waterproofing techniques that we cannot give a 2 year warranty on. This is because water will travel and rise to find the next easiest place to get in. One thing is for sure though, this technique has helped us solve a lot of leaks and make a lot of customers happy over the past 20 years.
Do you have a Basement Leak ?
Reach out to us today !
Some of our Residential Services Include
- House Sealant - Windows, Siding, Driveway, Basement, Below grade walls
- Roof Sealant - Exposed nails, screws, boots, jacks, vents, chimney, flashing
- Waterproofing for balcony, pool, pond, planter, deck, and stucco or concrete walls
- Power wash mold and mildew from house, sidewalk and driveway
- Apply water repellent to brick and stone
- Clean and seal gutters
- Below Grade Waterproofing - Cold fluid applied Butimen, Cementitious and Hydro-Active Grout Injections
- Provide an inspection of house and a proposal for recommended work
With over 20 years of experience in the field we have seen almost every kind of leak. We offer a 2 Year Warranty on All Sealant work and we only use commercial grade materials so you get the most for your money
