Yard Drainage Solutions

Posted by cynthia in Basement Flood, Basement Leaks, Basement Waterproofing, Drainage, Uncategorized, Wet Basement Repair | 0 comments

Many basement leak problems can be prevented or, at least helped, with simple and inexpensive measures.

First, make sure that the soil around the foundation is properly graded. It should slope away from the walls.

If you have concrete sidewalks, a driveway make sure they too are diverting the water away and not towards the house.

Keep in mind that that soil, which was once dug out in order for the basement to be built, is not as compact as the undisturbed portion of the terrain surrounding the area, and tends to settle overtime and might need to be re-graded. It also soaks up more water than the surrounding soil, creating a false water table. In the industry, we call it the “clay bowl effect”, which is the main cause of most basement leaks.

Solutions for Leaky Basement Windows

Posted by cynthia in Basement Flood, Basement Leaks, Basement Wall Cracks, Basement Waterproofing, Featured, Uncategorized, Wet Basement Repair | 0 comments

Basement windows are meant to bring some much needed natural daylight into the basement.. They make that area, which otherwise would look like a dark dungeon, a bit brighter and safer.

However, if your basement windows are old and rusty, if the well is rusty and full of debris, and there is water coming into the basement because of them, your basement windows become a source of problems rather than daylight. They might be inviting in pests and, having an impact on your home’s energy efficiency as well.

It almost defeats the purpose of having a basement window in the first place.

If you have a leaky basement window, here are three possible solutions for the problem:

Ugly Stains In Basement Walls: What Are They?

Posted by cynthia in Basement Leaks, Basement Mold, Basement Wall Cracks, Basement Wall Systems, Basement Waterproofing, Featured, Uncategorized, Wet Basement Repair | 0 comments

Unfinished basements aren’t exactly eye candy, and for those of us who use it mainly for laundry and storage, looks aren’t really important.

That is, except when ugly, suspicious stains begin to appear on the walls. When ugly stains of any color set on the walls, or when undetermined substance starts to deposit on, peel, flake, fall  or ooze off the wall, homeowners usually wonder if they can be a sign of other major problems.

Most of them are worried about mold, and the implications it has on their home, indoor air quality and health.

Foundation Water Damage: What to Do When It’s More Than Just a Basement Leak.

Posted by cynthia in Basement Wall Cracks, Basement Waterproofing, Drainage, Foundation Repair, Foundation Settlement, Foundation Underpining, Structural Damages, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Water on expanding soil caused this basement wall to bow.

Bill Loden, a seasoned home inspector from Madison, AL tells Consumer Reports: “If there are 10 things that can go wrong with a house, 15 of them have to do with water.”

Having dealt with water intrusion problems for the past 20 years we know that he is not exaggerating.

Water can be especially hard on foundations because, being entirely or partially buried in wet soil, they are the areas of the house that are in constant contact with water. Rain water, if not properly controlled and diverted, can inflict an enormous amount of damage in a home’s foundation, sometimes compromising its structural integrity.

Water affects foundation in three main ways:

Hydrostatic Pressure:

It can cause more than just basement leaks. When the soil around the foundation is over saturated with water, the resulting hydrostatic pressure can push the walls inward, causing them to crack and bow. This can happen all of a sudden, during a period of heavy rains, or overtime.

Are you Flood Smart?

Posted by cynthia in Basement Flood, Basement Leaks, Basement Waterproofing, Basement Waterproofing Contractors, Consumer Alert, Drainage, Uncategorized, Wet Basement Repair | 0 comments

This was the year in which many homeowners, especially in the Northeast, learned a tough lesson the hard way.

When it comes to flood safety, there is hardly a home in the U.S. that sits in an absolutely flood-free zone. And if the home happens to have a basement, it is not even a matter of if, but when the basement is going to flood. Mother nature is not the only one that can get it under water.

A single inch of water in a basement, especially in a finished one, can cause thousands of dollars in damages.

How much? This little calculator, from Floodsmart.gov, will give you an idea of just how much a flooded basement can cost.

Repairing Flood Damaged Drywall

Posted by cynthia in Basement Flood, Basement Insulation, Basement Insulation, Basement Wall Systems, Finishing Basement Walls, Home Improvement, Uncategorized, Waterproof Basement Finishing, Waterproof Basement Walls | 0 comments

It’s been a rough winter for Connecticut residents. One of the harshest in recorded history.

We had an unprecedented amount of snow accumulation causing roofs, buildings and fixtures to cave in.

The situation was so serious that on 03/ 03/2011 the Federal Government declared Connecticut a Major Disaster area, making cities and towns around the state eligible for emergency disaster recovery funds.

Then came the rain, and the snow melt presented area residents with yet another set of concerns: floods and flash flood related problems.

At Connecticut Basement Systems, the phones rang off the hook as many area residents, especially in Fairfield, Stamford and Greenwich, had their basements under water. Our crews worked around the clock to help homeowners in the affected areas.

A basement flood is never something that can be taken lightly, but for homeowners with a finished basement, the cost of cleanup and restoration can be enormous and, to make matters worse, most of it might not be covered by their homeowners or even flood insurance.

If the basement is finished with drywall, and if the studs, insulation and drywall aren’t completely dry in 48 hours – and in a basement they hardly dry that quick –  there is a huge chance that mold will start to develop in the areas that came in contact with water.