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Grand Forks, ND

Basement Waterproofing and Foundation Repair in Grand Forks, ND

Lots of snow during the winter makes Grand Forks susceptible to flooding in the spring. If your foundation isn’t prepared for the melting snow, water damage can easily overtake your home. IBA keeps your home protected from snowmelt with various industry-leading solutions!

Fargo Local Office

Innovative Basement Authority

1330 41st St. N
Fargo, ND 58102
(320) 626-0002



Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday: 6 am – 10 pm
Saturday: 7 am – 10 pm
Sunday: 9 am – 10 pm

Award-Winning Solutions in Grand Forks

Innovative Basement Authority (IBA), a Groundworks Company, helps homeowners with their foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and concrete needs. Our top priority is providing high-quality home repair solutions and personalized service throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin. With fully trained technicians, industry-leading products, and nationally backed warranties, IBA is here to restore your foundation or basement.

The Innovative Basement Authority Process

Schedule Free Inspection

One of our contact center representatives will reach out to you to determine your problem and set the best time for one of our certified field inspectors to visit your home.

Consult with Our Certified Inspector

Our certified field inspector will visit your home to observe the problems in your home and inspect other areas of your home that may have been impacted.

Installation of Customized Solutions

Our professional production crew installs patented, American-made solutions in each home with care and strives to leave the area better than we found it.

Schedule Inspection

Why Homeowners Choose Innovative Basement Authority

Founded in 2005, Innovative Basement Authority – a Groundworks Company – is the premier provider of trusted, cutting-edge water management and foundation repair solutions. Keeping homes safe, dry, and structurally sound is important to us. We understand how harsh winters, humid summers, and year-round precipitation impacts homes. That’s why we developed fully customizable basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation and repair, foundation repair, and concrete lifting solutions.  

Our services and solutions are nationally recognized and award-winning, and have been trusted by homeowners throughout Minnesota, the Dakotas, eastern Montana, and western Wisconsin for more than 15 years. We have glowing customer reviews and awards to prove it, and you can experience the excellence for yourself. Simply contact us today to book your free inspection and repair estimate, and you will be one step closer to creating a safer and healthier living environment. 

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Our Services for You

Crew installing basement gutter in basement

Basement Waterproofing in Grand Forks

Basements in Grand Forks are susceptible to damage after rain or snow, especially in the spring when snowmelt is absorbed by the soil. Water drains below the surface and builds up next to basement walls. Over time, the water exerts a force known as hydrostatic pressure on your basement and causes the walls to crack. As a result, water is able to leak inside your basement and leads to various kinds of water damage such as flooded stairs, efflorescence, or wet drywall. Internal plumbing leaks may also cause these same issues in your basement. Preventing water buildup in your basement is possible with IBA’s waterproofing solutions including a basement dehumidifier, sump pumps, and our interior drainage system.  

Crew installing push pier

Foundation Repair in Grand Forks

Winters are snowy and freezing in Grand Forks, which creates a challenging environment for your foundation. When water in the soil freezes, it expands in size and makes the ground uneven. As a result, your foundation also becomes uneven and will experience settlement sinking. This leads to other structural issues around your home like wall cracks, stuck doors and windows, and bowing walls. Protecting your foundation from problematic soil is important to maintain your safety and the value of your home. Correcting these problems in possible with IBA’s various foundation solutions such as pier systems, wall anchors, and carbon fiber wall reinforcement.  

Crawl space encapsulation

Crawl Space Repair & Encapsulation in Grand Forks

After the snow has fallen in Grand Forks, spring melts it away and often causes bouts of flooding throughout the area. This moves water below most crawl spaces which are often flawed in design with open exposure to the outdoors. Standing water in your crawl space creates an environment where problems like rising humidity, mold, wood damage, and high energy bills easily arise. Protecting your crawl space from moisture is easy with crawl space encapsulation from IBA. Using a variety of solutions, such as vapor barriers, crawl space drains, and vent covers, your crawl space stays dry and controlled even during the snowmelt. 

Proudly Serving A Metro Near You

FAQs

About Waterproofing, Crawl Spaces & Foundation Repair in Minneapolis, MN

Most homeowners are able to recognize when their  current drainage systems are faulty. However, smaller issues can quickly grow out of control, too.  

It can be difficult for homeowners to pinpoint the true origin of these issues. Here are a couple of ways to know your basement is facing any waterproofing issues you might not be able to spot 

  • Consider the Climate  

The climates in Midwestern states like Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and eastern Montana all tend to be the same. You face hot, humid summers and cold, snow-laden winters. Both can result in excess moisture soaking into the soil around your foundation and infiltrating your basement. This leads to leaks, flooding, and foundational issues.  

Excess moisture threatening this space can be especially dangerous. A severe storm might wash away the supporting soil under your foundation and cause it to shift or even crack altogether. As a result, you might find your basement flooding more often. 

  • Hire a Basement Inspector  

While some projects like painting can be completed through DIY work, basement waterproofing is not one of them. It’s important to have the right solutions at hand to fix the specific problems you are facing with your leaking basement. 

Therefore, you need to leave any basement repairs or installations to the basement experts at Innovative Basement Authority. We have worked in countless basements and implemented several different basement solutions tailor-made for each home. Leave any repairs to us and reap the benefits of a dry basement today! 

What Are Some Other Basement Waterproofing Issues I Might Miss? 

The average homeowner will be able to spot obvious damage such as leaking, floods, or cracks around their basement. However, there are often other, subtler signs of damage that you might not catch that will help you prevent the worst damage from occurring. 

  • Musty Smell  

If you notice a rather rank smell permeating throughout your first floor but nowhere else in your home, it is possible your basement has flooded or is facing other moisture-related issues. It will not help if this space grows overly warm and makes any water or even raw sewage that managed to seep through smell even worse. 

It is also good to keep in mind that this musty smell may come from other additional sources as well. Mold and mildew often tend to give off musty stenches of their own. Pests may also emit certain odors to attract others of their kind to your home as well. 

  • Shifting Walls  

Pay attention to any shifts in your home’s infrastructure. Your home’s foundation is meant to keep your home steady and upright. It also keeps the lower levels of your home relatively dry. Of course, if your basement is constantly facing moisture issues, chances are your foundation might also face similar damage without your knowledge. 

When your walls, doorways, or window sills begin to tilt out of alignment, you can bet that the problem lies with your foundation. A shifted or uneven foundation allows more moisture to flood your basement. It is a vicious cycle that only feeds into more property damage. This is why you need to call the basement experts at Innovative Basement Authority to inspect your basement right away! 

One would think that leaving the vents in your crawl space open may seem like a good idea, especially since their purpose is to allow air through the crawl space to condition and dehumidify it. However, this can do more harm than good in the long run.  

Consider Your Local Climate 

Moisture and humidity are the enemies of crawl spaces. Indeed, open vents can exacerbate the problems that come with moist conditions. As such, areas that are at high risk for moisture damage in crawl spaces are those that experience a decent amount of rain and snow in the winter or humid days in the summer. 

Rush City, MN, is characterized by frigid, snowy winters and somewhat humid summers. The annual average rainfall sits at 32 inches of rain. This, combined with the annual snowfall average of 49 inches, can add up to a lot of water. Similarly, Fargo, ND, experiences similar climate trends, having around 24 inches of rain and 49 inches of snow each year. When the snow melts or when rainwater enters through any open vents into your crawl space, this can result in a multitude of problems.  

Open Vent Damages 

Water in any shape or form, whether it be rainwater, snow, sleet, ice, or fog, can enter your crawl space vents if they are open. This can result in many water-related damages, including but not limited to: 

  • Wood rot 
  • Dry rot 
  • Mold and mildew 
  • Structural damage 

Moisture in your crawl space is also an invitation for many common pests. Crawl spaces are typically colder than other areas of your house, but more comfortable than remaining outside. They are suitable for retaining moisture and protecting bugs from the elements. Furthermore, many humans do not even go near their crawl space, making it the ideal place to live and proliferate. Some particularly damaging pests that can enter through open crawl space vents are cockroaches and wood-eating insects, such as the termite, but other harmless insects can live in crawl spaces as well. 

Now that you know how dangerous foundation wall cracks can be, you might want to take steps to avoid the wall cracks in the first place. Avoiding foundation wall cracks can be an important element of ensuring that your foundation stays as healthy as possible for a long period of time. 

  • Always Invest in High-Quality Work  

Never spend your money on low-quality fixes for anything in your home, especially foundation repairs. Remember, the foundation is the basis of your entire home. If anything, you want to make sure your home’s foundation has the highest quality of anything so that it can keep your home safe and secure for longer.  

In this same vein, it’s a bad idea to try and DIY foundation work. If you take the DIY approach, it’s more likely that you’ll end up with significant problems regarding your foundation as a whole. DIY responses to foundation problems are never a good idea because they’re unlikely to fix the underlying problem. Instead, they’re much more likely to exacerbate the problems.  

  • Do Regular Inspections   

Even if you’re the one doing regular inspections yourself, it’s still a good idea to do those inspections. When you do regular inspections, you can make sure that you’re paying attention to anything that might have changed from the last time you inspected the area. Plus, professional inspections are more likely to catch problems as soon as possible.  

When you get inspections from an expert, you’re going to fix your problems more effectively. With an expert’s advice, you’re less likely to end up with serious foundation problems that can require incredibly invasive and difficult procedures to fix the home. Talk to an Innovative Basement Authority expert today to make sure you get the appropriate fix.  

A wall anchor system is an effective way to solve problems related to wall bowing, which might arise in your foundation due to hydrostatic pressure. Here’s how a wall anchor system really works. 

  • Wall Plate 

The first main portion of the wall anchor system is the plate that goes on the inside of the wall. This is typically a square or rectangular metal plate that is fairly thick, but can go relatively unnoticed once it’s installed. Especially if you install the plate before you finish the basement, it can be very easy to add the finishing over the plate. 

This plate allows the wall anchor system to dissipate its energy over a much larger area, which means it can utilize more force overall. It also makes it much less likely that the anchor system will fail. Lastly, it helps to ensure that the wall anchor system itself won’t cause cracks in the wall, as there isn’t a single spot where cracks might otherwise form. 

  • Anchor 

The other component of the wall anchor system is the anchor itself. The anchor is typically a metal rod that sits 6-10 feet into the ground outside of the wall. This is why you need at least 6-10 feet available on the outside of your basement; if you don’t, the anchor itself won’t have enough space to have an impact on the wall anchors. 

The anchor is attached to a rod, which ties the anchor and the wall plate together. An expert can tighten that rod to bring the anchor and the wall plate closer together; because of the strength of the soil holding the anchor in place, the wall plate will pull back toward the anchor, causing the wall to straighten. The distance of 6-10 feet allows the anchor to have enough staying power that it keeps the wall straight over time. 

Innovative Basement Authority Service Map

Our Locations

Fargo, ND

1330 41st St. N
Fargo, ND 58102

Minneapolis, MN

6265 Carmen Ave.
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076

Rush City, MN

1325 S Frandsen Ave
Rush City, MN 55069