About Patrick Smith
Researcher and Writer — Basement Protection Center
Patrick Smith is the researcher and primary author behind Basement Protection Center. He developed this content in close collaboration with JLB Foundation Repair & Basement Waterproofing's field team — the waterproofing veterans who have worked in thousands of Kansas City and Des Moines basements over the course of JLB's history. The content on this site draws on that hands-on experience directly.
What This Site Is and Why It Exists
Most homeowners encounter basement water problems — bowing walls, cove joint seepage, sump pump failures, efflorescence deposits — without any framework for understanding what's happening. When they search for information, they find pages written to close a sale, not to educate. The contractor who shows up at the door has a financial interest in the homeowner's understanding (or misunderstanding) of the problem. That's the gap Basement Protection Center was built to fill.
Patrick's role is to translate complex building science — hydrostatic pressure, lateral earth pressure, soil mechanics, drain tile hydraulics — into practical guidance that a homeowner can act on before and after hiring a contractor. The goal is not to replace professional evaluation, but to give homeowners the vocabulary and framework to participate in the conversation intelligently.
How the Research Process Works
Each page on this site is developed through a specific research process. Patrick reviews the USDA Web Soil Survey data for Kansas City's Wymore-Ladoga clay series and Des Moines' glacial till profiles to ground any soil-related claims. Water table records from USGS monitoring wells in Polk County (Des Moines) and Jackson/Johnson counties (Kansas City) inform the seasonal pressure patterns described throughout the site.
The engineering claims — pressure formulas, deflection staging, repair load ratings — are drawn from geotechnical engineering literature and cross-referenced against JLB's field observations from actual installations. When the site says "JLB installs carbon fiber straps at 4-foot spacing in KC block wall applications," that's a specific installation practice observed in the field, not a generic industry claim.
Patrick collaborates with JLB technicians on specific soil and installation conditions to verify that what's described on this site reflects what actually happens in Kansas City and Des Moines basements — not what happens in textbook examples from different soil conditions.
The Site's Editorial Approach
Every claim on this site is grounded in engineering principles, local soil data, and JLB's field observations — not marketing copy. That means the site acknowledges when repair options have limitations, when costs are genuinely high, and when the honest answer is "it depends on your specific wall, soil, and water table conditions."
Patrick does not claim engineering credentials, PE certifications, or formal training in geotechnical engineering. What he brings to the collaboration is the ability to research and communicate technical material accurately — and a commitment to keeping the content specific, testable, and useful. The JLB team provides the field expertise that makes the specificity possible.
The content on Basement Protection Center is designed to be useful whether you hire JLB or not. A homeowner who reads this site and calls a different contractor should still be better equipped to evaluate what they're told, ask the right questions, and recognize when a recommendation is well-matched to their actual problem.
Patrick believes that homeowners deserve straight answers. The content on Basement Protection Center is designed to educate, not to create urgency or fear. Understanding the forces acting on your basement is the first step toward protecting your home — and that understanding should be available to everyone, not just people ready to sign a contract.
What Patrick Covers on This Site
About This Site
Basement Protection Center is an educational resource created by JLB Foundation Repair and Basement Waterproofing, in partnership with The Nashville Business Foundry. Our mission is to give Midwest homeowners clear, science-based information about the water and structural forces that affect their homes.