Old Forge sits southwest of Scranton in the Lackawanna River valley, a tight-knit borough with a coal-mining history as deep as any in the region — and a reputation as the “Pizza Capital of the World.” Its housing stock is largely older, close-set, and valley-floor, built during the anthracite era to serve the collieries that once defined the area. Homes of that vintage, on that ground, are prime candidates for the water and foundation issues common across Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Scranton Foundation Pros connects Old Forge homeowners with experienced waterproofing and foundation specialists — free inspections and warrantied repairs.
Call for a free basement inspection in Old Forge.
A Heavily Mined Borough on the River
Old Forge combines two of the biggest foundation risk factors in the valley. First, its position low in the Lackawanna River valley means a high water table and seasonal groundwater that pushes against basement walls, particularly during spring melt. Second, the borough sits above extensive former anthracite workings — Old Forge was one of the most heavily mined communities in the area — which makes settlement and subsidence a genuine consideration when diagnosing foundation cracks or uneven floors.
The older homes here frequently rest on stone or early block foundations where mortar has eroded over the decades, letting water seep in through many small points rather than one obvious crack — a situation interior drainage handles particularly well.
Services Available in Old Forge
- French drains & interior drainage — the workhorse fix for wet valley-floor basements and seeping stone foundations.
- Sump pump installation — pumps and battery backups for Old Forge’s high river-valley water table.
- Foundation repair — stone repointing, crack repair, and settlement solutions, with attention to the borough’s mining history.
- Crawl space encapsulation — moisture control for homes over crawl spaces.
Free Inspections Throughout Old Forge
Wherever you are in the borough, a local specialist will evaluate your foundation, drainage, and moisture conditions — and, given Old Forge’s mining past, assess whether any movement looks subsidence-related. You’ll get a written, no-obligation estimate. Pennsylvania’s low-cost mine subsidence insurance through the DEP is worth knowing about here, since much of Old Forge sits over undermined ground.
📞 Call today for your free Old Forge basement inspection.
Serving Old Forge and all of Lackawanna County. See our full service area.