Waterproofing Moldy, Damp Basement in Kalamazoo, MI

Friday, May 1st, 2020 by Amanda Waldmann

Challenge

Jodi called us with water coming through the walls of her basement and mold slowly creeping up from the floor. She was concerned about the long term effects of the water and mold and wanted her basement to be dry, safe, and more pleasant to look at. We sent our system design specialist Jeff W out to do a full inspection of the house and determine the cause of the problem as well as create a custom solution.

Solution

With water entering the walls at both high and low points, as well as the cove (where the walls meet the floor), Jeff determined that a full perimeter waterproofing system was needed in order to provide complete protection. This included the WaterGuard below-floor drain system to collect the water and a TripleSafe sump pump to actively discharge the water collected.

Due to the size of the basement, we also installed feed line across the floor. Feed line is another water collection system that can be used to connect low points in the basement to create a sort of water superhighway of shortcuts to the sump pump. This allows for faster and more thorough water discharge.

When water is leaking in through walls, not all of it collects and can instead just enter the air as ambient moisture (humidity). Even with a waterproofing system in place, this can contribute to mold growth. Because of this, we installed a SaniDry dehumidifier to control moisture and prevent mold moving forward.

During the inspection, two walls were found to be especially problematic in different ways. One was the biggest source of incoming water between the wall and an old window, and was a bit of an eyesore. On this wall we installed Brightwall panels as well as a new window. Brightwall not only gives a wall a clean, bright look, but also ties right into the WaterGuard system to direct water. The other wall was beginning to bow, which could lead to major problems down the road. On that wall we installed CarbonArmor to stabilize it against further bowing. CarbonArmor is stronger than steel and provides full protection against bowing while maintaining a low profile for minimal disruption.

Water can wreak havoc in expected and unimaginable ways. If you’ve seen water stains or mold in your basement like Jodi did, call us to schedule your free inspection.

Project Summary

Products: WaterGuard, TripleSafe sump pump, SaniDry dehumidifier, Brightwall panels, CarbonArmor

System Design Specialist: Jeff W

Water seeping in through the basement walls causes significant damage. Here you can see the chalky white powder left behind on these concrete walls. This is efflorescence left behind when water evaporates off the surface of the wall.

Mold had already started growing on this basement wall and is at risk of spreading as long as moisture persists.

To install the WaterGuard sub-floor draining system, we jackhammer away parts of the floor so that the entire system can catch water from the ground and remain unnoticeable. This FeedLine was installed to more efficiently move water to the new sump pump across this large basement.