Basement Waterproofing in Denver
Permanent Solutions. Guaranteed.
A wet basement isn't a basement problem. It's a water problem that has already reached your foundation.
Van Matre Construction diagnoses where the water is coming from, then installs the system that stops it. Interior, exterior, or both, specified for your site rather than pulled off a menu.
BBB A+ Rated | Member, International Society of Micropiles | Serving Boulder Since 2001 | Lifetime Warranty on Every Solution
Why Denver Basements Take on Water
Denver sits on expansive clay. It swells when it takes on water and shrinks when it dries out, and Front Range soils cycle through that several times a year. Freeze-thaw adds to the load all winter. Snowmelt and heavy summer thunderstorms saturate the ground faster than it can drain.
The Colorado Geological Survey identifies expansive soil as the state's most significant geologic hazard, causing more property damage than any other natural hazard in Colorado. Water is what activates it.
That soil movement opens the paths water uses to get inside: cracks in foundation walls, joints, and the gap between slab and wall. Then hydrostatic pressure does the rest.
"We approach problems thoroughly and scientifically, taking the time to diagnose and understand the issue fully before implementing the solution."
- Brady Van Matre, Founder and Owner, Van Matre Construction
Signs Your Denver Basement Needs Waterproofing
Most homeowners we meet are blindsided. If you don't spend much time downstairs, the early signs are easy to miss.
Visible water intrusion
- Standing water on the floor, which means significant pressure against your foundation and warrants prompt attention
- Hairline cracks with moisture collecting around them, most noticeable during spring runoff
- Staining or water marks along walls and the wall-to-floor joint, which are established infiltration paths rather than normal basement conditions
Hidden moisture
- Persistent musty odors, even with no visible water
- Cold, clammy, or damp-to-the-touch walls, a sign the structure is absorbing groundwater
- Efflorescence, the white chalky deposits left behind when water evaporates out of concrete
- Black, green, or white patches near corners and baseboards, which point to active mold growth
Structural warning signs
- Wider gaps or horizontal cracks in walls and floors, which indicate pressure from expanding soil
- Walls bowing or curving inward under hydrostatic pressure
- Uneven floors, or doors and windows that stick
Left alone, these progress. Water damages drywall and stored belongings first, then starts costing you structure.
If you're seeing the structural signs on that third list, water management and structural repair belong in the same conversation.
See our foundation repair services and our foundation wall repair page for bowing and cracked walls.
Our Basement Waterproofing Solutions
Every property is different, and every water problem has its own story. What we recommend follows from what your site actually needs.
Exterior Waterproofing
We excavate the outside of your foundation to the footings. It's the only way to stop moisture before it contacts your foundation walls.
We clean and inspect the wall, then cover it with AquaDrain, a solid rigid plastic panel with dimples and a weep gap that channels water down instead of letting it seep through, backed by geo-textile fabric that prevents clogging. Below that, perforated pipe wrapped in geo-textile and bedded in gravel, sloped to a cast-iron sump pump. After backfill, we grade the lot to direct water away from the house.
This work involves temporary disruption to landscaping near the foundation. We're straightforward about that from the start, and restoring the site is part of our process.
Interior Waterproofing
When exterior access is limited or preserving what is above the foundation is a priority, we install a drainage system just inside the foundation wall, beneath the slab. We remove a narrow strip of floor, install the drain, and patch the slab.
This is a drainage management solution, not a barrier. It collects water that enters and moves it out, using interior perimeter drains, urethane and epoxy sealants, and high-capacity sump pumps. It's the right call when moisture is presenting at or below floor level.
Crack Injection
Flexible polyurethane seals the active leak, then rigid epoxy reinforces the wall. This is appropriate for non-structural cracks where the surrounding wall is otherwise sound. We evaluate crack type, width, and movement history before recommending it, because injecting a crack that's still moving buys you a season.
Concrete Foundation Repair
Where the concrete itself is compromised, we repair and reinforce existing cracks and apply protective coatings. Our full-structure background is what tells us whether concrete repair alone will hold or whether it has to be paired with drainage.
Sump Pump Installation
The pump is the last stage of an interior system, not a system on its own. Correct pit sizing, pump capacity, discharge routing, and a secondary pump with backup power are all part of a design that keeps working during an outage.
Which Approach Is Right for Your Home
Both approaches work. Which one fits depends on your site, not on which is cheaper to install. Some homes need a combination.
Interior is usually the right fit when:
- The basement is finished and excavation would tear up the living space
- Tight lot lines, mature landscaping, a patio, or a driveway block exterior access
- Water is presenting at or below floor level
Permanence depends on the quality of the diagnosis and the installation, not on the system type alone. That's the part most homeowners are never told.
Exterior is usually the right fit when:
- The basement is unfinished, or a remodel is coming and the timing is right
- Grading and drainage problems are chronic, or the water table is high
- The foundation is already compromised and the priority is stopping water at the wall face
Waterproofing and Structural Repair Go Together
On the Front Range, water is almost always part of the structural story. That's why we treat basement waterproofing as a structural discipline rather than a cosmetic one, and why addressing water early often reduces how much structural work is needed later.
The distinction matters when it comes to method. Limited-access micropiles and helical piers correct structural movement. They don't solve water intrusion. Water intrusion is a separate problem that calls for an engineered drainage or waterproofing solution. Any contractor who tells you piers will dry your basement is selling you the wrong thing.
Because we do both, you get one diagnosis and one plan instead of two contractors arguing about whose scope the water belongs to.
Basement Waterproofing FAQs
Service Areas
We serve homeowners and property owners throughout:
- Denver
- Boulder
- Lafayette
- Broomfield
- Arvada
- Louisville
- Westminster
- And surrounding Colorado Front Range communities
Our team are Front Range residents with firsthand knowledge of the soil behavior, drainage patterns, and permitting requirements specific to each community we serve. We run into our clients at the grocery store, and our reputation here is worth more to us than any single job.
Schedule Your Complimentary On-Site Assessment
Most Denver basement water problems are solvable permanently. The first step is knowing exactly what you're dealing with. Our on-site visit is a diagnostic conversation, not a sales pitch. We explain what we find and why before recommending anything.
Call (303) 668-2222
Permanent Solutions. Guaranteed.
