Center Point's Late Incorporation, Same Old Clay
Center Point stayed an unincorporated Jefferson County crossroads for well over a century before residents voted to become a city on March 12, 2002, with incorporation finalized March 28, 2002 -- one of the last communities in the Birmingham suburban ring to take that step. The ground underneath didn't wait for city hall: like the rest of the metro, Center Point sits on Valley and Ridge shale and limestone weathered into heavy red clay.
Foundation Water After Center Point's 2012 Tornado Rebuilding
The January 23, 2012 EF3 tornado that tore through the Center Point–Clay area damaged 231 homes and businesses, and in the rebuilding that followed, more than a few replaced foundations and additions were graded without much thought to where clay-slowed rainwater would end up. On clay, water doesn't soak in -- it sheets across the surface until it finds a low spot, which is often the nearest basement or crawl-space wall.
Project Paths
Planning a basement waterproofing Project in Center Point
Roof runoff, grading, hydrostatic pressure, wall cracks, floor joints, drainage, and interior humidity can create similar symptoms with very different solutions.