Nixon has been battling water seeping into his basement for more than a decade. Dan Gattuso, of "Dry Guys Waterproofing" installed Nixon's first basement pump and they developed a friendship. Nixon had a stroke a few years back, while in the middle of another round of fighting the ever-present water. It had to be a low point for Nixon, who Gattuso says, lives in a very low point in the township.
" We have a large industrial base that is shut down," Gattuso said. "They no longer pull the volume of water they used to, from the aquifer. And on the other side of town, there's a quarry that has gone out of business and we have a most beautiful lake you'd ever want to see. But now the underground water table is back to where it was about a hundred years ago."
That seeping water, Gattuso said, puts a lot of pressure on Nixon's basement walls, causing cracking and buckling. A lot of work was needed. But with the help of donated materials, including carbon straps for the wall, Gattuso led an effort to save Nixon's home.
"It's a community service thing. Mr. Nixon suffered a stroke some years back. We've become quite good friends and we continued to help the family over the years. It's just what you have to do in a community."
Gattuso said that a company called "Basement Systems" donated two high tech pumps that normally cost $2,400 each and can clear out 62-hundred gallons of water an hour if needed.
Gattuso says he prefers cutting edge techniques and equipment. But Lester Nixon might say that his friend certainly practices old-time neighborly service.
