Basement and crawl space waterproofing in Caledonia
Caledonia has more open ground than the city: larger lots, roadside ditches and the Root River crossing the village. Keeping a basement dry here is as much about where the water leaves the lot as about the wall.
One utility district for sewer, water and storm water
The Caledonia Utility District runs all three. On the storm water side it manages the storm sewers, sump collection pipes, road culverts, drainage ditches and the public ponds.
That makes it the office to ask two questions before a sump or yard drain is installed: is there a sump collection pipe or storm sewer on my street, and may a private pipe be connected to it?
For a water main break or a sewer backup outside office hours the district gives an after-hours phone, (262) 939-3409, and notes that it is for use after 2:30 in the afternoon. Village Hall is on 262-835-4451.
Ditches, culverts and the end of your pipe
Where the road has a ditch instead of a curb, the ditch and the culvert under your driveway are part of the drainage system. A culvert packed with leaves backs water up across the front of the lot and toward the house.
A larger lot is an advantage. Downspout pipes and sump pipes can run a long way from the foundation and end where the ground falls away. Ask the company to walk the route with you and show where the water will go in a thaw, when the ground is still frozen and nothing soaks in.
Near the Root River
Caledonia is not one of the places covered by Racine County's zoning ordinance, so questions about digging or filling near the river go to Village Hall, not to the county office. Look up the address on FEMA's flood maps first.
The county's river levels page links to gauges on the Root River Canal at Raymond and the Root River at Racine. If your sump pump runs hardest when those are high, the groundwater under the house is tied to the river and a battery backup is not optional.
Franksville
Franksville is part of the village, so the same utility district and Village Hall apply there. Say "Franksville" or "Caledonia" at the start of the call, whichever your mail uses.
Reading on from here
Yard drainage covers grading and buried pipes. Crawl space repair is the page for water under an addition or an older farmhouse wing.
Talk it through with a local company
Call and describe what the water is doing. You will speak with an independent local waterproofing company about coming out to look at your house.
For homeowners: basements, crawl spaces, sump pumps and drainage.
Call (262) 555-0112Racine Basement Waterproofing Help is a referral service, not a contractor. Calls may be recorded. Referral disclosure.