Wet Basement Waterproofing

Take a look at the picture above.  Has this happened to you?  A hot water heater has a life span of about 7 years.  When your hot water heater goes out you can be left with a massive flood.

You don’t have wait for a disaster when your hot water heater leaks.  You can can actually prevent a flood from occurring when this happens with a  system called the FloodRing.  It’s unique design goes around the bottom of your hot water heater without having to move it.  If and when it leaks, the FloodRing’s special design collects and drains the water into your sump pump or other waterproofing system.

Contact Our Office TODAY At 1-888-743-7464 - Never Worry About Flooding Again When Your Hot Water Heater Leaks!

If you are a homeowner with a basement, then you most likely have a sump pump in your basement.  If you don’t have a sump pump you should definitely have one installed!  Take a look at the picture above.  Does your sump pump system look like this one or does it look more like a hole filled with nasty water in the basement floor?

Having any old sump pump in your basement simply will not do.  There are different sump pump system options you can chose from to find the best for your basement. Installing a sump pump in basement is not something you should consider doing yourself, however.

Installing a sump pump in basement incorrectly can cause problems such as:

• Mold Growth & Musty Smells
• Harmful Gases
• Dangerous Well Openings That Children & Pets Can Fall Into
• Further Flooding Problems

Click Here Today For More Information On Sump Pump Installation & How You Can Get Your FREE Basement Evaluation!

Homeowners with finished basements know how important it is to keep the basement air clean and dry.  You would not want to waste money spent to convert your basement into a livable space because of humidity, mold and/or musty smells.

How do you know which is the best dehumidifier for YOUR HOME with all the different systems out there now - all claiming to be the best?  You first need to understand what to expect from a dehumidifier and what the system will do for you.

The SaniDry Basement Air System is not only a dehumidifier but an air purification system as well.  It has a two-stage filter system that will keep your air pure and dry.  The SaniDry can be used in not only finished basements, but unfinished basements and crawlspaces as well.

Request A Free In Home Evaluation Today & Find Out Why The SaniDry Basement Air System Is The Best Dehumidifier For Your Finished Basement!

In this picture you can see water damage to the home owners basement walls and floors.   There are actual wet spots and a white powder called efflorescence - which is caused by water moving through the wall, bringing out salts that are not ordinarily part of the cement stone.  The salt dries and you are left with the powder.

You may think that using a concrete sealer on your basement walls or floors will stop water from entering and solve all your wet basement problems… and it might temporarily.

Trying to correct your wet basement problems yourself can actually do you more harm than good.  For example, did you know that using a concrete sealer can actually trap the water behind the walls, causing the water to build up and put MORE PRESSURE on the walls… which in turn causes new cracks and leaks.

Your best option is to have a Professional Inspector come out and do a no cost evaluation of your basement.  They can then tell you the best options for your particular situation and prevent any further damage.

 Contact Our Office TODAY At 1-888-743-7464 To Get Your FREE Basement Evaluation And Fix Your Wet Basement Forever!

Take a look at the picture above.  What do you see wrong?  See how this homeowner had to stack their furniture and belongings on top of a couch?

I’m willing to bet that their minor wet basement problem has turned into a major inconvenience.

If you have a minor basement leak now, don’t wait for it to turn into a major issue before repairing it.   Your wet basement will get worse if you do not have a professional repair it!

Save yourself time and money… and headaches!  Visit our website today for more information on different types of basement leaks and find out what your options are.

You might not find anything wrong with this picture… and that is going to end up costing you. A LOT.

Many homeowners like this one have sump pumps in there basement that might as well not even be there.  The sad fact is that you might not even know your sump pump is worthless until it fails you at the worst possible time.

There are many different sump pumps out there now that have features such as:

•  Air tight lid
•  Battery back up
•  Alarm in case of pump failure
•  Multiple pumps and more…

You’ll no longer have to deal with bad odors, harmful gases or the fear that the unattractive hole in the floor may or may not save you from a flood.

Stop putting your home and family at risk.  Speak to one of our Certified Professionals today… don’t wait until it’s too late.

See what water coming into your basement will do to the things you store there? This homeowner lost a couch due to a wet basement.

You can see where they have pulled back the carpet to expose a large wet area on the basement floor. It may not look like much… but it was obviously enough to ruin their belongings.

There are different wet basement systems that can be installed to keep your basement AND belongings dry.

Have One Of Our Certified Inspectors Do A FREE EVALUATION Of Your Wet Basement To Find The Best System For Your Home!

Tornado’s tore through Virginia on Monday… and caused some serious damage.

Suffolk was hit very bad.. with buildings destroyed, tree’s uprooted, and power pylons damaged.

And with Tornado’s… comes lots of rain. Boy did it ever rain!

Luckily, we have all of our certified basement waterproofing inspectors working in the field and not at the various trainings they attend annually.

Need help finding out why water is coming in your basement, and what you can do about it? Visit our FREE online evaluation page by clicking here.

So this is the final option available for waterproofing your basement, and it’s the one that I still recommend over all other options.

It’s the Waterguard System. Here’s a nifty picture:

So what’s so great about this? Well… quote a few things!

First - it uses the same concept as the standard interior basement waterproofing approach. We still install it from the inside of the basement, so all of the outside digging and disruption is avoided. But there are a few differences:

First - you take out a much smaller section of the concrete. Instead of the trench being 2-3 feet wide, you only need about 8 inches or so with Waterguard.

Secondly, and most importantly, the system sets on top of the footer, instead of down in the dirt beside it. Due to it’s design, this is allowable and it will collect water from all 3 places that entry occurs (beneath the floor, where the floor/wall meet, through the wall). However, because the system is not in the dirt, IT CAN NEVER CLOG! This is the major benefit that waterguard offers over all other interior basement waterproofing approaches.

So how about some more info on Waterguard? Here are some links:

Waterguard Product Info Page - http://www.wet-basement-waterproofing.com/products1/waterguard/

Video on Waterguard - http://www.wet-basement-waterproofing.com/products5/waterguard1/

Nifty Product Brochure - http://www.wet-basement-waterproofing.com/products5/waterguard2/waterguard.swf

So there you have it! If you’re looking to keep your basement dry, permanently, with the least amount of disruption possible - Waterguard most likely is the option you’ll want to choose.

Did you know you can get an evaluation and estimate for this product free of charge through our site? Take a look at this page here.

OK, so now let’s talk about interior basement waterproofing.

It’s the most common method that nearly all standard basement waterproofing companies offer.

It goes by many names - interior drainage system, french drain, drain tile, sub-floor piping system, etc. Regardless of what you call it - it has several pro’s and con’s to consider.

First of all - it’s a MUCH better option than outside excavation. The idea is that you remove a section of the floor around the perimeter of your basement - usually between 2 and 3 feet wide. Then you dig out all of the dirt and debris, until you reach the footer.

Next, you install a perforated black pipe along the perimeter, and attach it to a sump pump.

Finally, you put in drainage gravel, replace the concrete floor, and you’re done!

So sound’s perfect eh? Well, let’s look at that.
The Advantages of Interior Drainage Systems

• Much cheaper than outside excavation
• Much less disruption than outside excavation
• The guarantee is typically much better (Many offer lifetime warranties)
• The system will correct the hydrostatic pressure problems (water rising up from the bottom) that outside excavation will not correct.

Now, Let’s Look at The Disadvantages

First and foremost - it’s a system that will fail. When you put a perforated pipe down in the ground with the dirt, the water washes that dirt into the pipe. over time, they have an extremely high tendency to clog. Take a look at this picture:

Look at the end of the pipe - it’s completely filled with mud! You’re not going to get a lot of water through that pipe!

The next biggest issue is the material being used. It’s the exact same process that was done when they first built the house. The only difference is that it’s on the inside of the footer instead of the outside. Given this, you still have the same problems facing you.

Obviously, the pipe can clog. Secondly, it’s not an expensive product at all. It’s the same thing you buy at Home Depot or Lowes for about 15 cents per foot. Have you seen homes with black pipes extending off of the downspouts? Well, that’s what this material is. The only difference is that the drainage pipe is perforated… to allow water INTO the pipe.

The third most important con against this method is the installation. It’s VERY, VERY important NOT to work with a company that subcontracts the work out. Many companies will sell you a product, and then hire outside labor to install the job. These laborer’s could be doing a deck one day, then siding, then putting on a new roof, and here they come to waterproof your basement.

So what’s the big deal?

If you have someone who is inexperienced in this work, they can easily install the system improperly. The worst case scenario is that they install the piping too low, or beneath the footer. When this happens, the dirt that washes into the pipe comes from underneath of the footer. The footer is what holds your home up. If there’s nothing supporting the footer, there’s nothing supporting your home.

This can quickly lead to a structural repair job, which can cost you the big bucks!

So, everything I’ve talked about so far has a downside, doesn’t it? Next time, we’ll talk about a method that does not have these downsides - and is the proper way to correct a basement water problem.