Flooded Basement Space Turns to Usable Space in Alma MI

Wednesday, April 6th, 2022 by Morgan Kenney

Challenge

Laurie bought this 1970's Alma home about 2 years ago. She has had water issues in her unfinished basement since day one. The water that leaks in is enough to cover the whole floor making it unusable. She really wanted to have a space that could be a hangout for her kids and a craft area for her but with the water down there constantly, the basement seemed like a lost cause.

Jennifer, one of our System Design Specialists, went to inspect the basement to find the root of the water issue. She came up with the perfect solution for Laurie to take her home back and have space for activities.

Solution

The waterproofing solution consisted of a sump pump, perimeter drain system, and the IceGuard. The SuperSump Plus sump pump is effective and keeps the basement dry even in times of heavy water intrusion. It was installed with a backup battery to keep water out of the home even in cases of a power outage. The WaterGuard Below Floor Drain was installed around the perimeter of the basement to collect any water that leaks into the area. The water is then sent to the sump pump to be expelled outside and it has a clean finish so there is not a unsightly drain in the space. Sump pump discharge lines are outside of the home so it is possible that the pipes could freeze in the winter. A backed up, frozen line means that the sump pump can not pump out the water and the basement could flood. To keep this from happening, we installed the IceGuard which fits over the discharge line to provide a secondary escape route for the water and keep the sump pump working properly.

Laurie was happy with the solution to her flooded basement and excited to finally be able use the space in her home!

Once the drain is installed, the concrete is restored so you do not have a drain in your home. This also allows you to have all your space in your basement to use.

The drain is installed under the floor but atop the foundation footing to keep it from clogging. It goes all around the perimeter to collect all the water and keep the basement dry.

You can see the water that is sitting on the basement floor. This usually covers the whole floor and has been happening since she moved into the home. She was ready to have a dry, healthy space!