We purchased our home in Middletown in 2020. At closing, it was documented that the house we were purchasing had no issues with water. Nothing could have been further from the truth. After trying to self waterproof by myself, in 2024 the water issue in my basement was beyond my control. We contacted Nelson from Premier Waterproofing and scheduled an estimate. Nelson came to our home at first chance. Upon examination of our basement, he discovered that a decorative molding at the bottom of our sheetrock was installed to cover up scored sheetrock that was cut previously as a result of water damage. Also our sump pump, which had malfunctioned several times since we had purchased the home was inefficient and too small. We contracted with Nelson's firm to install a French Drain and to replace the sheet rock that was damaged. After excavation to install the French Drain, he discovered there had been an existing French Drain, which was laying in the dirt and had become disconnected, or rotted away at several points throughout the entire basement! The last and most disturbing part of this nightmare was that during excavation, he discovered a solid stream of fresh water flowing in on an exterior wall under the deck area by our patio. It was mind blowing to say the least. However, Nelson and his exceptional crew assured us that it could be remediated. True to their word, they worked quickly, with a professional attitude, and answered any questions we had to our satisfaction, no matter how many and how many times we asked. In 4 to 6 weeks the work order was completed. That included moving and and all personal properties from the work zone, sheet rocking the entire basement, painting and molding replacement, installing an new larger pump, a battery backup and an alarm system to advise us of any breakdowns and malfunctions to the pump. Our basement was always very humid, so Nelson suggested an industrial size dehumidifier to assist with that problem. His crew cut two vents into the workroom wall was to provide coverage of the living room area to ensure moderate humidity levels.The last piece of the project was to level the workroom/laundry room area floor which was another troubling concern for us.
I have a very substantial collection of valuable sports cards that I always worried about with the water issues, along with a lot of sports memorabilia. Water and humidity are not friends of cardboard and the like. But since Nelson and the Premier Waterproofing employees worked their magic, we can sleep well again and are eternally grateful to them. We lived in our home in Staten Island for 48 years and never once had an issue with water. New Jersey is a different animal. I think we tend to take water issue too lightly. Water is a very powerful entity and will always find the weakest link in the surroundings to find its way in. We have had some heavy rains and snowstorms these past few years. I am happy to say there has not been one issue since the job was completed. The French Drain was laid on top of a bed of stone, and not just lying the the dirt and mud, like my previous French Drain was. Also some genius had put concrete in the previous drain to close it up for whatever reason.
In closing, I cannot say enough good things about Nelson and his entire crew. Be careful when considering home repair contractors. But my wife and I will always attest to the work that was done by Premier Waterproofing and consider ourselves fortunate we made the right choice.
Louis and Renee Marotto
Middletown NJ read more
