After weeks of heavy rain, a Roswell, Georgia homeowner found water in their basement and a downspout dumping runoff right beside the house. They expected the fix to be drainage work, basement waterproofing, or an interior system with a sump pump. Inspection pointed somewhere else entirely: a foundation finger space hidden behind the brick veneer. Schmitt Waterproofing repaired it from the outside in a single day, stopping the water before it could reach the basement.
| Location | Roswell, GA 30075 (Fulton County) |
| Project Date | July 8, 2026 |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Project Type | Fingerspace Repair, Downspout Drainage |
| Lead | Josh Schmitt, Schmitt Waterproofing, LLC |
| Warranty | 5-Year Transferable Warranty on Finger Space Repair |
Project Overview
After weeks of heavy rain, a homeowner in Roswell, Georgia discovered water entering their basement. They had also noticed one of their gutter downspouts was discharging directly beside the home and assumed the solution would involve improving drainage, waterproofing the basement, or even installing an interior drainage system with a sump pump.
Following a comprehensive inspection, Schmitt Waterproofing determined the primary source of the leak was actually a foundation finger space, a hidden pathway behind the brick veneer that was allowing groundwater to enter the basement.
Instead of recommending an interior system to collect water after it entered the home, we repaired the problem from the outside by intercepting the water before it could reach the basement.
The Challenge
The homeowner originally contacted us because a gutter downspout had been discharging water directly alongside the house, raising concerns that poor drainage was causing the basement leak.
While redirecting roof runoff was certainly part of the solution, our inspection revealed the leak was occurring through the home’s foundation finger space.
A finger space is the narrow cavity between a brick veneer and the poured concrete foundation wall. During heavy or prolonged rainfall, groundwater can collect within this cavity and travel down to the footing. If left unaddressed, water can enter the basement where the finger space meets the foundation.
Because the leak originates behind the brick veneer, simply managing water once it enters the basement, or installing an interior drainage system, does not address the actual point of entry. This is what makes finger space leaks easy to misdiagnose. The visible symptom is water inside the basement, and the obvious suspect is the downspout in plain view, but the pathway carrying the water is hidden behind masonry where nobody thinks to look.
The Solution: Exterior Finger Space Repair
To permanently address the source of the leak, we performed an exterior repair at the affected foundation corner. Our crew:
- Excavated the affected foundation corner down to the footing.
- Removed a narrow section of brick veneer to expose the finger space.
- Installed a custom finger space drain designed to intercept groundwater before it could enter the basement.
- Installed approximately 10 linear feet of 4-inch SDR-35 piping to carry collected water safely away from the repair area.
- Backfilled the excavation and carefully restored the disturbed brick veneer.
Excavating to the footing is what makes this repair work rather than merely look like a repair. The finger space carries water all the way down, so a drain installed partway up the wall would simply let water pass beneath it. The drain has to sit where the water is actually collecting.
This repair specifically addresses water intrusion through the finger space and is backed by Schmitt Waterproofing’s warranty against water intrusion through the repaired area.
Roof Runoff Improvements
Because the existing gutter downspout was emptying directly beside the home, we also improved drainage around the repair area by:
- Installing approximately 15 linear feet of 4-inch SDR-35 pipe.
- Connecting the nearby gutter downspout to the new underground drainage system.
- Routing roof runoff to a pop-up emitter where it could safely discharge away from the foundation.
Redirecting roof water helps reduce saturation around the repaired corner and complements the exterior finger space repair. The homeowner’s instinct about the downspout was sound, it just was not the whole picture. A single downspout can deliver a remarkable volume of water to one spot during a storm, and dropping all of it next to a foundation keeps the surrounding soil saturated. Correcting it reduces the load on the repair rather than replacing the need for it.
Why the Repair Went Outside Instead of Inside
The homeowner came to us expecting one of three answers: drainage work, basement waterproofing, or an interior system with a sump pump. Each of those is the right call in the right circumstances, and none of them was the right call here.
An interior drainage system collects water after it has entered the home and routes it to a sump pump. That is genuinely the correct solution when groundwater is pushing up beneath the floor slab. But water traveling down a finger space enters at the wall, not under the slab, and an interior system would have been managing a symptom while the pathway stayed open behind the brick.
Repairing from the outside meant intercepting groundwater in the cavity where it was collecting and giving it somewhere to go before it ever reached the basement. It also meant the homeowner did not pay for a system they did not need, or lose basement floor space to one.
The Results
By combining a targeted finger space repair with proper roof runoff management, we addressed both the source of the leak and one of the conditions contributing to excessive moisture around the foundation.
Rather than installing an interior drainage system to collect water after it entered the basement, the homeowner received an exterior solution designed to stop water before it could get inside.
The full scope, including excavation, drain installation, veneer restoration, and the underground downspout extension, was completed in a single day.
Project Highlights
Services Provided
- Exterior Finger Space Repair
- Foundation Excavation to Footing
- Custom Finger Space Drain Installation
- Underground Downspout Extension
- Pop-Up Emitter Installation
- Brick Veneer Restoration
Materials Used
- Custom Finger Space Drain
- 4-inch SDR-35 Discharge Piping (approximately 10 linear feet)
- 4-inch SDR-35 Downspout Piping (approximately 15 linear feet)
- Pop-Up Emitter
- Backfill and Brick Veneer Restoration Materials
Warranty
- 5-Year Transferable Warranty on Finger Space Repair
Water in Your Basement with No Obvious Source?
If your home has a brick exterior and you are seeing basement water that does not line up with an obvious crack, a finger space is worth ruling out before anyone sells you a system. Schmitt Waterproofing offers free, no-pressure inspections throughout Fulton County and North Georgia. We find where the water is entering and recommend the repair that addresses it, including when that repair is the smaller one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a foundation finger space?
It is the narrow cavity between a brick veneer and the poured concrete foundation wall. Homes with brick exteriors have this gap by design. During heavy or prolonged rain, groundwater can collect in the cavity and travel down to the footing, then enter the basement where the finger space meets the foundation.
How do I know if my basement leak is a finger space leak?
Finger space leaks are difficult to identify from inside because the pathway is hidden behind masonry. Common signals are a four-sided brick or brick veneer exterior, water appearing after prolonged rather than brief rainfall, and intrusion that does not correspond to any visible crack. A proper exterior inspection is what confirms it.
Why repair from the outside instead of installing an interior drainage system?
An interior system collects water after it has entered and pumps it out, which is the right solution when groundwater is rising beneath the floor slab. A finger space delivers water at the wall, so an interior system would manage the symptom while leaving the pathway open. Repairing from outside intercepts the water before it gets in.
Does the brick have to be removed, and can it be put back?
A narrow section of veneer is removed to expose the finger space, and yes, it is restored as part of the repair. On this project the crew backfilled the excavation and carefully restored the disturbed brick.
Was the downspout the real cause of the leak?
It was a contributing condition rather than the source. Discharging roof runoff directly beside the house keeps the surrounding soil saturated, which increases water available to the finger space. We corrected it by running the downspout underground to a pop-up emitter, but the finger space repair is what stopped the leak.
How long does a finger space repair take?
This project was completed in one day, including excavation to the footing, drain installation, veneer restoration, and the underground downspout extension. Duration depends on the length of the affected area, access to the foundation corner, and soil conditions.
