Michael Atkin
8 reviews
“Knowledgeable, professional, reliable. Sent 6 masons to get the waterproofing job done quickly. Highly recommended. Has the knowhow to get the job done right the first time. A trustworthy expert firm.”
Below-grade French drains, exterior protective coatings, foundation damp-proofing, and sump pump installation. The most-requested service in our service area.


This page documents how A. Pennacchi & Sons waterproofs and finishes a basement, photographed start to finish on a real New Jersey project. The walls get a bonded three-product coating system. The floor gets real crack repair and a light gray epoxy finish. Every step is below, in the order the crew works it, and every project is Paul-led from the site visit to the final coat.

Every basement starts with the walls. The crew cleans and preps all exposed foundation walls, then caulks and seals around the basement windows, sewage lines, copper pipe, and every penetration through the foundation. Thoro Acryl 60 bonding adhesive goes on the prepped block so the coating system grips the wall, followed by the first coat: Tamseal, trowel grade, worked tight across the full foundation. Coating over a dirty or failing surface is the number one reason previous waterproofing attempts peel, so the wall is made right before anything goes on it.

Over the cured Tamseal coat, the walls receive Coronado Aqua Stop Sealer in white as the final coat. This is not a hardware store sealer rolled over damp block. It is the second layer of a bonded two-coat system on a prepped foundation, corner to corner and grade line to sill. The white finish brightens the basement immediately and protects the Tamseal coat underneath it.

Cracks in the concrete slab get repaired, not painted over. The crew routs out each existing crack, injects Sika epoxy into the cleaned and prepped crack, then applies Daraweld bonding agent and a high strength patch compound to lock the repair flush with the slab. The perimeter joint where the floor meets the foundation walls is caulked and sealed as well. It is the difference between a floor system that lasts and a coating that telegraphs every crack back through in a season.

With the cracks repaired and the perimeter joint sealed, the complete slab is cleaned, prepped, and coated with light gray epoxy floor coating as the final coat. The result is the photo above: a bright, dry, sealed basement that resists moisture from the walls and the slab, wipes clean, and is ready for storage, laundry, and utilities. The same crew that prepped the first wall lays the last coat.
Michael Atkin
8 reviews
“Knowledgeable, professional, reliable. Sent 6 masons to get the waterproofing job done quickly. Highly recommended. Has the knowhow to get the job done right the first time. A trustworthy expert firm.”
Lauren Hilton
1 review · 1 photo
“I had a roofer come out for a small leak in my attic. He fixed it and while up on the roof took pictures of my chimney. Told me I had a big problem. Lot of mortar missing. I called A. Pennacchi & Sons. Paul came out the next day. He told me what needed to be done and gave me a price. I asked him if I should add a few bricks to the top. He said "why do you want to spend more money?" What contractor says that? The men came out a few days later. On time, polite, got right to work, and cleaned up like they were never there. Paul had given me a choice of colors. His price was the best one. My chimney now looks absolutely beautiful. I would give them 10 stars.”
Rich Treichler
11 reviews
“Great experience with Paul and the Pennacchi team. We contracted this firm to waterproof our basement and replace our basement windows. Nick was excellent at coordinating the effort, including preparation, window replacement, waterproofing, clean up, and follow up to inquire about and resolve a few questions. Happy to recommend Pennacchi and Sons.”
Brenda Giannacio
1 review
“A. Pennacchi & Sons has offered outstanding service since our first meeting. Honest, reliable, knowledgeable, and very responsive. The staff take pride in their work and are very respectful of your home. We highly recommend using them if you are having issues with a wet basement. We cannot thank them enough.”
Jackson Adolph
2 reviews
“Pennacchi sealed our basement 2 years ago. After a recent heavy rain we noticed seepage and asked Pennacchi to look at it. They sent Nick, who did an excellent job diagnosing the problem, finding the most likely seepage site, and then repairing it. Nick came by the next day, inspected the repair, and also improved sealing of 2 utility pipe entries. The rapid response, competency, diligence, and follow-up were excellent.”
Mmm Aaa
Local Guide · 19 reviews · 24 photos
“We are so impressed with Pennacchi & Sons. Multiple people recommended this company as the best in the region. For a company with a huge legacy, working throughout the county, there was no hesitation to see what our small job looked like and whether they could help. The crew was friendly, timely, and efficient. Ray walked us through the process, gave us a play-by-play for the best understanding of the work, and answered tons of questions. The end result was better than the original.”
Michael Su
Local Guide · 11 reviews · 1 photo
“Pennacchi has an exceptional reputation and we now have firsthand experience of their stellar work. The precision craftsmanship and professionalism are impressive. We had our chimneys repointed, brickwork restored, and a basement wall resealed. It all blends seamlessly and looks gorgeous. Ask for Sam as your foreman if you can, he was amazing. The entire crew was fantastic. Kudos to Paul and the leadership for building a great team. Impeccable service and beautiful finished product.”
Adam Arif
Local Guide · 98 reviews · 1,020 photos
“Pennacchi & Sons does amazing work. They restored my front door steps which were in bad condition. They fixed all the chips and cracks and painted them. Very professional and great service.”
Victoria Chow
9 reviews · 9 photos
“Water was getting into my house because of the old brick exterior. It needed to be repointed and painted on the interior. Although this was a very small job, Paul and his son Paul Junior were incredibly professional, listened, and addressed my concerns. I left their crew to complete the work without being home and everything was safe and secure when I got back. They kept their work areas clean and took away their trash. Paul’s price was the most competitive. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.”
Wayne Richardson
8 reviews · 1 photo
“My basement was leaking really bad and had 2 different companies come out and try to fix the problem with no luck. Decided to try a third time and luckily I came across APS. They came out and did amazing work and solved all my issues. Put in a French drain, sump pump, and stuccoed the walls. They had to fix all the problems the other companies did, and it was a great experience working with them. Paul was extremely professional. Highly recommend if you need the job done right the first time.”
S. B.
Local Guide · 14 reviews
“These guys did a great job on my chimney with stucco.”
Shibani Sharma
8 reviews
“Excellent work. Very professional.”
Ellen Scanlon
Local Guide · 13 reviews · 1 photo
“Pennacchi is the best. We had several jobs done in the past few months and found Paul and team to deliver exceptional work and service for reasonable prices. Very knowledgeable and professional. We had the basement waterproofed, foundation redone, and steps repointed. Extremely satisfied.”
Bill Cunningham
Local Guide · 78 reviews · 265 photos
“The best in the business. Ask for Paul. Tell him Billy C. sent ya.”
Katia Ten Eyck
Local Guide · 24 reviews · 69 photos
“We hired Pennacchi and Sons to waterproof our basement. We did not necessarily have issues, we just wanted to prevent any moisture problems in the future. We consulted with a few other people before speaking with Paul, the owner. Paul came up with an effective and cost-effective solution for us. We are very happy with the service and highly recommend Paul to everyone.”
John Monsport
7 reviews · 1 photo
“These guys did an amazing job for us. 20 years of trying to get my basement dry and these guys finally got it to work. We actually had another company do it 15 years ago but we always got water back. Paul and his brothers worked hard and they cleaned us up as well. Thanks for letting me tell this story guys.”
Mike Salvador
2 reviews
“I hired Pennacchi and Sons to do repair work on my chimney. In the 3 days they were here, they did an excellent job from start to finish. They also left my home in the same condition as it was before they came. I could not recommend this company more and would definitely hire them again if I needed future masonry work done.”
MeghanB
16 reviews · 2 photos
“Gorgeous job repairing and painting my chimney.”
B. K.
Local Guide · 56 reviews · 1 photo
“You want the best, call Paul at Pennacchi & Sons. Great work and he stands by all his work. A++”
Marcus Padulchick
Local Guide · 102 reviews · 32 photos
“I would use them again. We needed a front porch and patio repaired. They did a great job and are very responsive to follow up. Attention to detail is certainly something I was impressed with.”
Call the Hamilton headquarters or submit the form. A specialist replies promptly to confirm scope and schedule a site visit.