Basement Waterproofing in Bucyrus, Ohio

Bucyrus is the Crawford County seat, on the Sandusky River. On August 20 and 21, 2007, the city received 8.68 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, and much of Bucyrus was underwater. The Sandusky River's peak near Bucyrus was estimated as a greater-than-500-year event.

Bucyrus also flooded badly in March 1913, when about 10 inches of rain fell over four to five days. Across Crawford County, about half of all homes were built before 1960, so many basements here predate modern drainage practices.

Bucyrus at a glance

Protecting a Bucyrus basement from big storms

Storms like 2007 overwhelm almost everything, but most basement water in Bucyrus comes from smaller, more frequent events: gutters that overflow, downspouts that drain at the foundation, and groundwater that rises after a few days of rain.

Interior drainage with a sump pump handles the groundwater. A battery backup matters because big storms often cut power. A backwater valve on the sewer line can help homes that have had sewage back up through a floor drain, which is a separate problem a plumber can evaluate.

• Look at the joint where the wall meets the floor after a heavy rain. Damp lines there usually mean water pressure from outside, not a plumbing leak.
• Check block walls for white, chalky deposits (efflorescence). They are left behind by water moving through the masonry.
• Walk the outside of the house during a storm. Downspouts that dump next to the foundation are one of the cheapest problems to fix.
• If you have a sump pump, pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it starts, empties the pit and shuts off.

Also serving nearby Crawford County villages

We also take requests from New Washington, Tiro, North Robinson and Chatfield.