Not all contractors are created equal. There are many companies and contractors that do an excellent job when they are hired for any house or business project. And there are many other companies and contractors that do not.
Postponing a basement waterproofing job you need because of the kind of contractors you may be getting, is not something you really should do. A home with water in its basement, cracked walls, or foundation problems is a house in danger. Foundation problems that you do not take care of right away, tend to be problems that will cost you much more later on.
Start checking the contractors you want to call through the Better Business Bureau and check their rating. Many contractors will offer you a hassle free consultation without overselling. Do your due diligence before you actually enter into a contract with anyone, but do not postpone a job you need for fear of the kind of contractor you might get.
For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.
Wet basement? Avoid getting soaked
Is your basement wet? Are you thinking about calling a basement-waterproofing contractor?
Stop!
Many contractors will propose installation of expensive interior drainage systems — even if you don’t need one — when most moisture problems can be solved through less-expensive means. You’re more likely to get good results — and save a lot of money — by exploring other possible solutions and hiring a basement-waterproofing contractor only if absolutely needed. If your home was built within the last few years, check the builder’s warranty for clauses on seepage.
Most basements get wet when rainwater runs toward the walls of houses from roofs, yards, and driveways. So your first step is to force it to run away from your home.
Keeping mold away as flooding continues
Greece, N.Y. – As water continues to flood homes along Lake Ontario, homeowners are trying to keep their homes as dry as possible.
Mold remediation is a real possibility, but it has to wait until the water stops coming in.
His backyard is surrounded by sandbags, and he has extended his sump pumps since water started moving in.
“This is the outlet of the sump pump. We extended out to the lake to get it as far away from the house as possible,” said Kehoe.
His two sump pumps are working overtime.
“Both of them run pretty much every 30 seconds or every 60 seconds pumping out [water] right now,” he said.
Mark Frillici, who owns Healthy Spaces Mold Mitigation and Basement Waterproofing, says keeping basements and crawl spaces as dry as possible is key at this stage.
Creating a vapor barrier in a basement
Q. My wife and I are in the planning stages of finishing off half of our basement into a couple of bedrooms, and a small living/TV room. I am concerned about water and water vapor creating that mildewy basement smell once all of the construction is complete. To that end, before we start I am addressing any water entry into the basement, to which I believe I have been successful.
So that leaves water vapor. Our foundation is poured concrete with footing drains, and a coating of emulsifier on the outside. I now run a dehumidifier 24/7 in the basement during the summer months to control the humidity. We will be insulating the exterior walls of the basement on the inside. What are our options for doing this (including any necessary wall coatings) that will give us a vapor barrier ranked best to worst in your opinion.
For extra credit, I’ve seen on HDTV a certain program about siblings remodeling a house, and one of them, let’s call him “the builder,” insulates interior basement walls with straight unbacked fiberglass insulation. Is this a West Coast thing, and even allowed here in Vermont?
