If you are building a new home, be sure that you can enter and exit from your basement. Oftentimes, because of the landscaping a walk out door is not possible, but you can have a bulkhead.
Bulkheads are useful because they are large enough to be able to remove items that are being stored or to allow technicians in and out easily. Bulkheads open to a set of stairs that go down into the basement and most often are made of steel.
When you are reviewing your home plans, be sure that the contractor applies a water sealant between the stairway and the basement foundation walls. This sealant will help prevent water entering.
Most bulkhead leaks are a result of movement of the bulkhead unit from the foundation. Bulkheads are typically separate units that are bolted to the foundation wall. When the installation is performed during the home building process a black rubber seal is put between the foundation wall and the bulkhead unit. This rubber seal is designed to stop water.
Due to the design of bulkheads, movement occurs during the winter months and can compromise the seal. A-1 Foundation Crack Repair will inject between the bulkhead and foundation. Because bulkheads are susceptible to movement we offer a return visit to perform another injection at no charge.