Improve Your Life by Improving Your Basement

1. Your Health

Basements are highly susceptible to mold. Even without standing water, it’s common to have ambient moisture (humidity). That, combined with a “food” source - anything organic, like wooden beams or even cardboard boxes - is all mold needs to grow and thrive. And mold spores are microscopic, so by the time you actually see mold growing in your basement, you have a huge problem.

Mold in your basement will quickly make its way into your home’s air supply by way of the HVAC system or even just an open basement door. Mold is known to cause upper respiratory problems and exacerbate existing allergies and asthma.

To show just how little mold is necessary to cause problems, here’s a personal anecdote. I bought a small humidifier for my bedroom last year to combat the dryness brought on by running the heater in the winter. For a few weeks, everything was great. Then I got a cold, and so did my husband. The cold turned to ongoing, unbeatable congestion and coughing for two months.

I finally woke up and remembered some work I’d been doing here regarding mold, and took apart my humidifier; sure enough, there was a small area near the spigot that had developed mold. After cleaning it, I put away the humidifier. We were both better within the week.

In addition to waterproofing with our WaterGuard below-floor drainage system, invest in a dehumidifier to banish humidity and the mold that comes with it. Our SaniDry line of dehumidifiers work quickly and efficiently to dry out any basement, big or small.

Once mold is rendered dormant by lack of ambient moisture, the air in your home will clear up as it circulates. Like I said above, I recovered from my mold-induced sickness within a week - it can be that fast, depending on severity. Take action to improve your family’s health.

2. Your Fitness

If you’ve ever tried to do sit-ups in the living room while your teenager rolls their eyes, or put the dog in downward dog as your pup joins you for a yoga session, you know how difficult it can be to stay in shape at home. It might be your only choice, though - maybe you have young kids and can’t get away, or maybe there isn’t a gym nearby, or maybe a membership to a yoga studio just isn’t in your budget.

By waterproofing your basement and then installing a few simple products that we call “pre-finishing,” we can create a space for you to work out without interruption. ThermalDry floor tiles are waterproof, inorganic (aka they won’t harbor mold), and have a patented Thermal Deck system that raises the flooring’s temperature so you aren’t laying on cold concrete. Brightwall panels are also waterproof and inorganic, and their bright white surface gives any room a clean, finished look. Do the whole basement or just enough for a DIY home gym.

3. Your Sanity

Now that schools have been on break for a little over a month, your kids are probably climbing the walls as you contemplate fleeing in the night to start a new life free from “I’M BOOOOORRRRRED.” Or maybe as we near the end of July you’re already thinking about your winter holiday schedule and your in-laws camping on your pull-out sofa. For four days.

Whatever is currently making you twitch, you know that more space could solve the problem. Imagine a finished basement, maybe with a game room you can banish the kids to, or an extra bedroom suite so you never have to see your father-in-law in his underwear again.

Waterproofing your basement is the first step to achieving that dream; much like preparation for the home gym mentioned prior, we have a full line of products designed to give a finished look while also providing extra waterproofing power, from walls to flooring to egress windows that bring added living space up to building code.

Regardless of what you could use that extra living space for (maybe just somewhere to hide and eat the good snacks), it all starts with waterproofing.

Call us today and take the first step toward making your basement work for your life.