Basement Waterproofing in Fremont, Ohio

Fremont is the Sandusky County seat, and its homes are old even by Ohio standards. Homes sold in Fremont in 2024 had a median build year of 1926. Countywide, more than half of single-family homes were built before 1960, compared with about 40% statewide.

The soil is the other half of the story. Sandusky County sits in the former Great Black Swamp, and most of its soils are poorly drained or very poorly drained clay loams. Clay holds water and swells when wet, which pushes on basement walls and keeps the ground around a foundation saturated long after a storm.

Fremont at a glance

Fremont's flood history

The March 1913 flood on the Sandusky River flooded about 550 homes in Fremont, destroyed 50 and forced more than 1,000 rescues. Repeated damage over the years led the Army Corps of Engineers to build levees along the river, and ice jams remain a risk.

In August 2007, the National Weather Service reported that hundreds of basements were flooded in Sandusky County during the regional flash flooding.

What Fremont homeowners usually need

With old foundations in heavy clay, the most common permanent fix is an interior drain tile and sump pump. Bowing block walls are also more common in clay soils, so if you see a horizontal crack or a wall leaning inward, ask for a structural evaluation along with the waterproofing quote.

• 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.