Short answer
Edgewood is a post-war suburb: two-thirds of homes were built before 1960 and 94% before 1980 (Census ACS). Its ground is wet in spring: the soil survey estimates a seasonal water table within 3 feet under all sampled land and within about a foot under 56%, and 98% is rated very limited for basements (USDA NRCS). Aging block basements on that ground leak at the walls and floor.
Edgewood grew up as a neighborhood of single-family homes next to Anderson, and most of its houses date from the same few decades. That means most basements here share the same construction, the same age and the same ground, and they tend to develop the same problems around the same time.
Edgewood in numbers
- 1956: median year homes were built (16% before 1940, 94% before 1980)
- 98% of sampled land rated very limited for basements
- 56% somewhat poorly to very poorly drained
- 56% with an estimated seasonal water table within about a foot, 100% within 3 feet
- 43.8 inches of precipitation a year at the nearest NOAA station
| Main soils in our sample | Share of points |
|---|---|
| Crosby silt loam, fine-loamy subsoil, 0 to 2 percent slopes | 32% |
| Miami silt loam, 6 to 12 percent slopes, eroded | 16% |
| Miami silt loam, 2 to 6 percent slopes, eroded | 14% |
| Cyclone silt loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes | 10% |
| Treaty silty clay loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 10% |
Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Soil figures are USDA NRCS soil-survey estimates for 50 random points inside Edgewood’s Census boundary; they describe mapped areas, not any single lot, and “very limited” is a building-suitability rating, not proof that basements leak. Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Anderson 1 N station, about 3 miles away. Methods: data and methods.
The ground
Crosby silt loam on wet till is the most common soil (32% of sampled points), with Miami silt loam on slopes and Cyclone silt loam in low areas. About 56% of sampled land falls in the poorly drained classes and 44% is moderately well drained. The soil survey estimates a seasonal water table within about a foot at 56% of points and within 3 feet at all of them, and rates 98% very limited for basements.
The houses
The median Edgewood home was built in 1956. About 67% predate 1960 and 94% predate 1980 (Census ACS). About 93% are owner-occupied, the highest share in our sample. Many basements are hollow concrete block with original footing drains now 60 to 70 years old.
What tends to go wrong
- Seepage at the floor-wall joint in spring as old footing drains fail.
- Block walls with stair-step or horizontal cracks under saturated soil. See bowing walls.
- Efflorescence and damp lower walls on block foundations.
- Old downspout lines buried in the yard.
The local angle
Because so many Edgewood houses were built in the same era on the same soils, neighbors are a useful source of information. If the house next door has had drain tile installed or a wall reinforced, ask what the contractor found and what it cost. Similar houses on similar ground often need similar fixes, though your own walls, drains and grading still decide the scope.
What usually fixes it
Downspouts and grading first. Then interior drain tile with weep holes for block walls, a sump pump and a backup. Measure and monitor any cracked or bowing wall, and reinforce it along with the drainage work when it’s moving.
Guides to each fix: interior drain tile, sump pumps, battery backups, crack repair, bowing walls, exterior waterproofing, yard drainage. Prices are on the cost page.
Compare nearby
Anderson, Alexandria, Chesterfield. For the bigger picture, read why Anderson basements leak.
See what you’re seeing and typical costs.