Basement and crawl space waterproofing in Middlesex County

New Brunswick is the county seat, but our Middlesex County work centers on the eastern towns closest to the Arthur Kill and Raritan Bay. In Woodbridge Township, split-levels, colonials and capes with pitched shingle roofs fill the residential streets, many with crawl spaces under additions or lower wings. Carteret's side streets are lined with one- and two-family houses. Perth Amboy has older frame and brick houses near the bay. These are very different buildings, and they get wet in very different ways. That's why our first questions on the phone are about the kind of house you own and when the water shows up.

The suburban houses usually suffer from moisture rather than flooding. A crawl space with a dirt floor and open vents pulls in humid summer air, which condenses on cool framing and leaves the rooms above smelling musty. Basements seep at the cove joint when leaders dump water beside the foundation. The older houses closer to the water face harder weather: wind-driven rain off the bay pushes into worn mortar and window joints, and stone or brick foundations weep where the mortar has washed out. One county, two very different sets of fixes. Knowing which set applies is half the work. We sort that out on the first visit.

On suburban lots, we usually have room to park in the driveway and work around the whole house. That lets us start outside, checking gutters, leaders, grade and window wells before going in. Excavation along a wall is possible when needed, and drainage lines can run across the yard to a safe outlet. Inside, we measure basement and crawl space humidity, since summer readings above 60 percent are common and a target of roughly 45 to 55 percent keeps odors and mold growth down. Those readings decide whether a dehumidifier belongs in the plan, and how large it should be. Bigger isn't always better.

Older houses on tighter streets, especially in Perth Amboy, are a different setup. Masonry work often needs ladders or scaffolding over the sidewalk, with protection for pedestrians and neighboring walls. Basement work happens from inside, since there's little room to dig. In both settings, we explain what we found, show photos of the problem areas and give a clear scope. A sealed crawl space for a suburban addition and a repointed foundation for a bay-side house are both common outcomes of that first visit. If the fix is small, we say so, and if it can wait until after the next storm, we say that too.