Why You Still Get Water in the Basement After Waterproofing

You paid for waterproofing. Your contractor said, “All fixed.” But now there’s water in your basement again — and you’re wondering what exactly you paid for.

We hear this more than you’d expect — especially in Toronto homes where DIY jobs or cut-corner contractors didn’t get to the real problem. Waterproofing is one of those services that sounds simple… until it isn’t.

Here’s the truth: if you’re still getting water in your basement after waterproofing, it doesn’t mean waterproofing doesn’t work. It means the wrong method was used… or worse, something was missed altogether.

 So Why’s the Basement Still Wet?

One of the biggest myths is that “waterproofing” is one thing. It’s not. There’s interior waterproofing, exterior waterproofing, weeping tiles, sump pumps, membranes, crack injections — and they all serve different purposes.

If the wrong system was installed for your specific leak, the water will come right back — just through a different path.

In some homes, we’ve seen “waterproofing” that was nothing more than a bit of tar slapped on a wall. Other times, the company skipped crack repairs, didn’t address slope issues, or failed to install a sump pump even though the ground conditions screamed for one.

 What UPR Does Differently in Toronto

We start with what others skip: a proper diagnosis.

• Where is the water coming from — wall, floor, window, joint?

• What’s your soil type and slope?

• Is the foundation shifting?

• Is your drainage working? What’s going on at the street connection?

In short: we find the “why” before we touch the “how.” That way, when we waterproof, it’s final — not just cosmetic.

And if someone else already did the work? We’ll walk you through what went wrong — no judgment, just solutions.

 This Happens a Lot in Older Toronto Homes

Toronto’s housing stock is full of 50+ year-old basements with shifting foundations, clay weeping tiles, and zero vapor protection. Add patchy renos or cheap flips on top, and leaks are almost guaranteed to return without a real fix.

 Pro Tip:

If you have interior waterproofing but no sump pump — or exterior waterproofing but water still pools beside the foundation — it’s not a mystery. It’s a misdiagnosis.

Call 647-833-6743

Contact UPR

If your basement’s still damp and nothing has worked — UPR finds the source where others have shirked.
Serving Toronto & the GTA with real waterproofing that solves the problem for good.