Business ProfileforDiSabatino Landscaping & Tree Service

Index structure is an historic house in Wilmington, DE. This building has a basement water penetration problem that creates humid interior air and, thus, toxic mold growth. Evaluation of the outside landscape revealed that the soil was graded towards the house foundation and that the existing hardscape, such as the patios and walkways, had deteriorated and were also directing water towards the foundation. Surface water needed to be redirected away from the building foundation. DiSabatino Landscaping said they could do the job and they were hired to regrade the soil and rebuild the hardscape to International Residential Code standards for surface water drainage. A complex system was designed with outside engineering assistance that included raising the ground surface 6 inches, constructing drainage swales with underground water conduits below the swales and swale grates where water entered into the underground conduits. The conduits were tied into the city storm sewer system. Soil was to be graded away from the house to direct water into the swales. Hardscape was to be rebuilt so as to direct surface water away from the building foundation, as well. After the work was completed, water continued to penetrate the foundation but mostly at one foundation wall. Otherwise, water penetration diminished at all other foundation walls. Measurement of the new outside landscape grading revealed many of the grades were not at code but the worst errors were adjacent to the foundation wall with the ongoing water penetration. Inspection revealed several major construction errors. First, when decorative stones were removed from around the swale grates it was revealed that the 2 swale grates nearest the area of ongoing water penetration were above grade. One was 3 inches above grade and the other was one inch above grade. No surface water could enter the underground conduits in that problem area. Second, the adjacent patio was pitched towards the house meaning the new hardscape was directing water towards the foundation wall that continued to leak water into the basement. I called DiSabatino Landscaping about these problems. Mr. DiSabatino himself came over to evaluate along with the supervisor who had directed the work. Mr. DiSabatino’s response was dishonest. He blamed soil erosion for the above grade swale grates. There was no evidence of soil erosion. Also, the system was new. It would have taken a large amount of water over a long time to wash away 3 inches of surface soil. And why was there erosion only in one area? Besides these 2 grates, other swale grates were at grade. He agreed to regrade that area but that was months ago. Crickets since then… Worse, he denied the patio was a problem. His denial was self-serving. He and his worker admitted the patio was pitched toward the house, but he denied that was the reason water was still penetrating the foundation in that area. They blamed the water table. Why would the water table penetrate the slab only in one corner of the basement? Irrational logic except they had suggested I hire them to install a French drain and sump pump to remove the water from that corner. Oh, now I get it. I hired DiSabatino Landscaping because their online reviews were good. This was a complicated project and maybe it was too complicated for them. Nonetheless, they took the job and the job went badly. Honorable contractors stand behind their work. DiSabatino is not an honorable contractor.