Diamondale, MI Basement Waterproofed And Reinsulated

Challenge

Bridget had a basement that was experiencing a lot of water coming in with heavy rains. It was difficult to tell where the problem was because the poured concrete walls of the basement were covered with an insulation. In order to figure out the full extent of the problem and the fix, we would have to cut into the insulation. Then once we did the work, much of the insulation would have to be completely removed with the walls then needing to be insulated again afterwards. The insulation was loose material behind a durable plastic wall covering that had been fastened to the walls along the top and bottom. It was not the most attractive insulation, nor was it easy to work behind it.

Solution

Upon looking behind the insulation, we found a couple of areas responsible for the water seepage. One was a crack that extended vertically up and down the wall. The other one was an area around a pipe that was coming through the wall. The simple answer for permanently fixing these leaks was FlexiSpan. FlexiSpan involved removing a small area of concrete under the cracks and digging out a dry well a few gallons in size. The well is filled with drainage stone and then concrete is replaced over top with the exception of a small gap along the base of the wall. This allows water to run down the wall and into the well where it can inconspicuously leach back into the soil without puddling on the basement floor. Our durable CleanSpace material is installed over the crack and down the wall to help guide the water into the well without needing to been seen. The cracks were first treated with a sealant to minimize water seepage wherever possible. Now the walls needed to be reinsulated. A new and better option for insulating Bridget's basement walls were our Basement To Beautiful panels. These insulated panels are a great first step to basement finishing. You can install drywall or paneling right over top with confidence that the basement will stay warm and dry. They are a huge improvement from the loose insulation that was previously on the walls. The final step was putting Froth Pak insulation in the rim joists to effectivly insulate a major contributor to unwanted cold air seepage.

Project Summary

Project Foreman: Michael Roman II

Products Installed: FlexiSpan, Basement To Beautiful Wall Panels