Basement waterproofing in the City of Johnstown
For the river-valley wards, from Kernville and Moxham to Cambria City and the West End.
The City of Johnstown counted 18,411 residents in the 2020 census. It grew up at the meeting of the Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh rivers as an iron and steel town, and its neighborhoods, including Kernville, Hornerstown, Roxbury, Moxham, Cambria City, Morrellville and Coopersdale, fill the valley floor and climb the slopes above it.
How has flooding shaped the city?
Johnstown is known for its floods. The South Fork Dam failure of May 31, 1889 killed 2,209 people, according to the National Park Service. The St. Patrick's Day flood of 1936 led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reshape about 9.2 miles of river channel through the city, starting in 1938. Then in July 1977, the National Weather Service says 10 to 12 inches of rain fell over southern Cambria County in one night, and 78 people died. That's history, not a basement forecast, but it explains why so many city homes have stained walls and decades of patching.
What's typical in city basements?
- Stone or brick foundations with worn mortar
- Rowhouses and tight lots that rule out digging outside
- Old pumps, or no pump at all, in low basements
- Water from the hillside behind the house reaching the back wall
Permits in the city
The City of Johnstown requires building permits for all repairs, renovations, remodels and new construction except painting and flooring, and it uses the Laurel Municipal Inspection Agency for building code services. Expect a permit for most waterproofing and foundation work, and ask your contractor to handle it.
Common questions
Does basement waterproofing need a permit in Johnstown?
Most likely. The city requires building permits for repairs and renovations other than painting and flooring. Ask the contractor or the city's code enforcement office before work starts.
Will waterproofing protect my house from a river flood?
No. Waterproofing deals with groundwater and seepage, not surface flooding. Flood insurance and flood-risk questions belong with your insurer and the city.
Services in Johnstown
- Interior drainage systemsA drain pipe under the floor along the walls that collects seepage and carries it to a sump pump.
- Sump pumpsNew pits and pumps, replacements, battery backups, alarms and discharge lines that carry water away.
- Wall crack repairInjection for leaking cracks in poured walls, plus mortar and crack repairs in block, brick and stone foundations.
- Exterior waterproofingDigging to the footing, sealing the outside of the foundation and adding a footer drain to keep water off the wall.
- Basement dehumidifiersProperly sized, self-draining dehumidifiers and moisture control for basements that feel damp or smell musty.
Nearby areas
Wet floor after a storm, a crack that weeps, or a sump that never rests?
Call and we'll put you in touch with a waterproofing company that works in the Johnstown area.