Back to School: Basements 101

It’s back to school week, which means we’re getting some learning done in between mold jokes. Now, as I’ve mentioned before in other blog posts, I’m generally terrified of my basement (irony), just as I was and still am terrified of my parents’ basement. I can’t help it - there are spiders and weird smells and a general dampness that leads to a clammy feeling. Of course, neither of the basements in my life have ever gotten the Ayers treatment. So we’re going to do a basic overview of what potential problem areas lie in your basement, and what we can do to fix them.

Floor/Cove

Water coming up through the floor or at the cove (where the walls and floor meet) is largely due to hydrostatic pressure. Usually occurring during a prolonged rain event, water in over saturated ground will travel the path of least resistance, often making its way through further hairline cracks in concrete slabs.

Sealing the floor or cove is basically impossible; instead, a perimeter drainage system like WaterGuard below-floor drain is installed. WaterGuard collects incoming water and directs it to a sump pump to be discharged outside.

Walls

Whether or not there are cracks in your basement walls, you can have moisture problems. Because even if you can’t see anything, there are likely hairline cracks that don’t affect the structure of the foundation but do allow water in. Staining is a telltale sign that water is coming through, and efflorescence (white residue caused by dissolved salts on the surface) on block walls also points to a water influx.

Brightwall paneling can channel this water into the WaterGuard system while also covering the unsightly stained walls with a clean, white surface. In the case of larger cracks, Flexispan sealant provides a flexible seal that moves with the crack as walls shrink and expand, providing full coverage.

Air

Once the basement has a system installed, you still might notice dampness and what comes with it - namely unseemly smells and mold. Ambient moisture can harbor mold as effectively as a foot of standing water, so it’s important to make sure the air is dry, too. The SaniDry dehumidifier line is top of the class and will keep the basement dry, eliminating smells and rendering mold dormant. This also makes the basement less attractive to bugs and other critters in search of damp, dark areas.

The Next Step

Basements can be gross - but they don’t have to be. Common complaints are easily explained and remedied by our line of waterproofing products, and once your basement is dry, you can look to the future and make a plan to finish it, creating usable living space and increasing your home’s comfort and value.

Call today for a free inspection and get your basement in shape.