Waterproof and regrade the leaking areaway of an invited Sandtown rowhouse

Where clearing the drain isn't enough — the areaway floor pitches toward the door, or the walls seep — the basement keeps flooding until the areaway itself is fixed. Patching, sealing, and re-pitching the small below-grade entry is the intermediate rung that actually dries the cellar. Standard: Below-grade entry waterproofing practice per HUD Healthy Homes; SDG 11. Proof: Stage photos plus the final pitch-and-drain water test Method (Below-grade entry waterproofing practice per HUD Healthy Homes; SDG 11.): 1. Confirm the host invitation and verify the drain is clear and flowing first. 2. Patch wall and floor cracks with hydraulic cement. 3. Apply masonry waterproofing coating to the areaway walls. 4. Re-pitch the floor with a thin topping so water runs to the drain, checked with a level and water test. 5. Photograph each stage and the final water test with GPS and date. Done when: Stage photos plus the final pitch-and-drain water test

Where

Invited rowhouse areaways, Presstman Street blocks, Sandtown-Winchester, Baltimore, MD 21217

Pay

$105 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Stage photos plus the final pitch-and-drain water test

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-09-01

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 90–180 minutes. Method of record: Rowhouse areaway regrade + waterproof coating — intermediate ground-level masonry/drainage repair, no excavation below the existing areaway floor

Bring

• masonry patch compound + trowel
• waterproof/damp-proofing coating + brush or roller
• sand/gravel for regrading the floor slope
• camera + level + tape measure

Steps

1. 1. ASSESS: confirm via the prior drain-clear job's finding that the areaway still ponds after a clear drain; photograph the floor slope, wall face and drain location; confirm the areaway walls are sound (no active structural cracking) before regrading.
2. 2. Regrade the areaway floor with sand/gravel fill to a positive slope toward the drain (minimum 1/4 inch per foot), tamping as you go; re-test water flow to the drain.
3. 3. Patch any minor wall cracks with masonry compound, let cure, then apply a waterproof/damp-proofing coating to the below-grade wall face per the product's instructions.
4. 4. Let the coating cure per spec, then photograph the finished areaway (floor slope, coated wall, clear drain) and re-run the water test showing drainage with no ponding.

If it does not match the plan

• A structural wall crack, bulge, or sign of foundation movement -> STOP, do not coat over it; route to a licensed structural/foundation contractor.
• Any excavation below the existing areaway floor level (deeper drain-line repair) is outside this job's scope -> route to a licensed plumber/excavation contractor.

What counts as done

• Floor slopes positively to the drain (measured, not just visual)
• Wall coating fully cured with no missed spots in the after photos
• Water test after the work shows no standing water

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.