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Basement ventilation is a controversial topic. Some people will tell you not to ventilate your basement while others will tell you ventilation is important for your entire home including your basement. Basement ventilation is important as the conditions in your basement have an impact on indoor air quality in the upper levels of your home. However, those against ventilation argue that ventilation will compromise basement waterproofing.
If you’re concerned about ventilation and basement waterproofing, it is best to consult with a waterproofing contractor. Contrary to popular belief, these contractors don’t only focus on installing waterproofing systems. They also ensure other factors that affect the health of your basement are considered. They can therefore be of great assistance in determining the best way to ventilate your basement and ensure that it remains clean and dry.
Here’s how a professional contractor can help.
Natural ventilation is one of the best and cheapest ways to ventilate your basement. It’s as simple as throwing your basement windows open. However, windows in the basement are one of the most common entry points for moisture in the basement. A professional contractor will help you ensure you can ventilate your basement without allowing excess moisture into the space. They can help you with a selection of windows and their installation. They will seal the windows for you to prevent penetration of moisture. They can also install window wells and drainage systems to keep excess moisture out.
Natural ventilation may be a great option in the summer when the weather is good. However, you can’t throw open your windows when the weather is bad. You will need to find an alternative to ventilate your basement. Professional contractors can help you determine the best option for your home. They will guide you through the options available in the market and help you select and install a system that meets your needs. A whole home ventilation system will ensure air circulation within the entire home including the basement without compromising basement waterproofing.
While circulation of air helps to improve the quality of air in your basement, you may need to go a step further to reduce the levels of humidity in your basement. A humidifier will remove the moisture in the air and reduce it to healthy levels. A professional contractor can help you select a humidifier with the right features and the best size for your needs.
Are you grappling with how to ventilate your basement? Talk to your basement waterproofing contractor for guidance.
Contact the Professionals at Basement Cracks & Leaks Today! 800-639-1131
Is a fully licensed and insured professional Waterproofing & Foundation Repair company serving communities throughout Michigan since 1993. Family owned and operated. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and professional attention to detail. Our company is fully licensed by the state of Michigan and insured for your peace of mind. We have been accredited since 2001 with the Better Business Bureau and are members of the Basement Health Association receiving the National Star Service Award 15 years running.
Whether you need an interior drain tile system installation, wall straightening with anchors or stabilization, encapsulation, or epoxy injection we do it all at Basement Cracks & Leaks, Metro Inc. We specialize in both interior and exterior waterproofing systems & foundation repair.
Our team will come to your home & evaluate your specific problem with over 30 years of industry experience behind them. Using that knowledge & expertise they will design and draft a custom repair plan to meet your home or businesses specific needs. Before we begin your project, we will review your plan with you and make sure you completely understand the repair process. From start to finish we will work with you every step of the way.
Wet basements are not desirable in any home. A wet basement is an indication that water is seeping through the foundation of your home. This can cause notable damage not only to the basement but also to your entire home.
Wet basements are also associated with the growth of mold and poor indoor air quality. And when mold grows in your basement, it will damage your property and cause a number of health issues including allergies, respiratory illnesses, sneezing, and general discomfort.
Signs of wet basements include damp spots on the basement walls, pools of water on the floor, efflorescence, musty smells, mold growth, peeling paint, dry rot, rust, and warped paneling among others. When you spot any of these signs, you need to contact a professional basement waterproofing contractor so that they can help you waterproof the basement and do other repairs to fix the problem.
Here are 5 dependable things that a professional contractor will do to solve the problem of a wet basement.
Water seeps through the walls of your basement when the walls are porous. Cracks on the walls of the basements can also cause moisture and water to pass through the walls and enter the basement. A basement waterproofing contractor will help you by sealing the cracks and pores on the basement walls to eliminate the percolation of water into the basement.
One of the reasons that can cause water to enter the basement is faulty or incorrectly positioned gutters and downspouts. Also, the downspouts may be dumping roof water too close to the foundation. A technician will solve this problem by fixing the gutters and downspouts and adding gutter extensions so that roof water is dumped far away from the foundation.
French drains are drainage systems that are used to prevent surface and groundwater from penetrating the foundation. French drains are commonly installed during the basement waterproofing process to guide surface and groundwater away from the foundation and the basement.
One of the things that could be making your basement wet is an interior or external leak. Fixing these leaks will help keep the basement dry. Therefore, a professional waterproofing contractor will examine your home for any leaks near the foundation and in the basement.
The slope of the land around your home determines how often water reaches the foundation. A good contractor will help you grade the land around the foundation so that it slopes away from the foundation https://basementcracksandleaks.com/contact-us/to eliminate the accumulation of water near the basement.
Contact the Professionals at Basement Cracks & Leaks Today! 800-639-1131
Is a fully licensed and insured professional Waterproofing & Foundation Repair company serving communities throughout Michigan since 1993. Family owned and operated. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and professional attention to detail. Our company is fully licensed by the state of Michigan and insured for your peace of mind. We have been accredited since 2001 with the Better Business Bureau and are members of the Basement Health Association receiving the National Star Service Award 15 years running.
Whether you need an interior drain tile system installation, wall straightening with anchors or stabilization, encapsulation, or epoxy injection we do it all at Basement Cracks & Leaks, Metro Inc. We specialize in both interior and exterior waterproofing systems & foundation repair.
Our team will come to your home & evaluate your specific problem with over 30 years of industry experience behind them. Using that knowledge & expertise they will design and draft a custom repair plan to meet your home or businesses specific needs. Before we begin your project, we will review your plan with you and make sure you completely understand the repair process. From start to finish we will work with you every step of the way.
Flooding causes notable damage to homes in the United States and other places across the world. Even if your home is not located in a flood plain or an area that is prone to flooding, the house could be affected by heavy rains. During heavy storms, surface runoff can flow into your home at a higher rate.
Another problem that you are likely to encounter during heavy storms is power outages. It is estimated that if your home has no power for just five minutes or your sump pump fails for the same amount of time, your home will be filled with more than 90 gallons of floodwater. If the flooding continues for more than one hour, your home will be filled with more than 1000 gallons of water, which will cause notable damage.
Fungus and mold are also likely to grow in your home within 24-48 hours after an event of flooding.
You can avoid the problem of flooding in your home by installing a sump pump with a battery backup system. Here is what you need to know about a sump pump with a battery backup system and the key benefits that you will get by installing this equipment.
What Is a Sump Pump with a Battery Backup System?
A sump pump with a battery backup system is a system for backing up your home’s sump pump. The equipment is installed next to your primary sump pump. The battery backup sump pump has a float switch that is set higher than that of the primary pump, so it will detect when the primary pump is not functioning and turn on automatically.
The battery backup sump pump also detects when AC power fails and switches on automatically.
Benefits of a Sump Pump with a Battery Backup System
When you install a sump pump with a battery backup system, you significantly reduce the risk of water flooding your home and causing damage.
A sump pump with a battery backup system has its own battery system and turns on automatically when there is a power outage or when the main sump pump fails. These features enable the device to function and pump out water even when there is no AC power or when the primary sump malfunctions.
Heavy rains or snow melt can increase the amount of water reaching the main sump pump and overwhelm it. Sump pumps with battery backup systems detect when the water level is too high and turn automatically, thus helping the primary sump pump.
Contact the Professionals at Basement Cracks and Leaks Today! 800-639-1131
Is a fully licensed and insured professional Waterproofing & Foundation Repair company serving communities throughout Michigan since 1993. Family owned and operated. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and professional attention to detail. Our company is fully licensed by the state of Michigan and insured for your peace of mind. We have been accredited since 2001 with the Better Business Bureau and are members of the Basement Health Association receiving the National Star Service Award 15 years running.
Whether you need an interior drain tile system installation, wall straightening with anchors or stabilization, encapsulation, or epoxy injection we do it all at Basement Cracks & Leaks, Metro Inc. We specialize in both interior and exterior waterproofing systems & foundation repair.
Our team will come to your home & evaluate your specific problem with over 30 years of industry experience behind them. Using that knowledge & expertise they will design and draft a custom repair plan to meet your home or businesses specific needs. Before we begin your project, we will review your plan with you and make sure you completely understand the repair process. From start to finish we will work with you every step of the way.
Wet basements are not only uninhabitable and smelly; they also pose a health risk and negatively affect the value of your home. Mold, which is associated with damp conditions, causes respiratory illnesses and damages different types of structures and surfaces including floors, ceilings, drywall, and many others.
Additionally, if your basement is constantly wet, you can experience water damage on the basement walls and floor. Seepage of water through the basement’s walls can also cause bowing of the foundation.
Getting rid of any moisture or water from your home and finding a solution to the cause of the problem is therefore one of the most important things that you can do to protect the health of your family and safeguard the value of your home.
Working with a professional basement repair contractor is the best way to ensure that any work that you do on the basement is a success. Let’s look at some of the things that a professional contractor will do to fix wet basements in your home.
You could be experiencing the problem of wet basements because your gutters and downspouts are faulty or positioned incorrectly. Faulty or incorrectly positioned gutters and downspouts will cause rainwater to be dumped too close to the foundation.
When this happens, water may seep into the basement via the basement walls. Over time, increased hydrostatic pressure from the soil that anchors the foundation may also cause the foundation walls to bow.
A competent technician will help you by fixing the gutters and downspouts correctly and adding gutter extensions so that water is dumped far away from the foundation. They can also install underground drainage pipes to help drain and dump gutter runoff further away from the foundation.
A footing drain is an underground pipe that drains water away from a building’s foundation. A professional basement repair contractor will assist you by checking your footing drain to determine whether it needs to be unclogged, repaired, or replaced. If none has been installed, the technician will install it.
If the problem of wet basements is due to porous basement walls, a technician will fix it by sealing the walls. In addition to sealing any cracks on the basement’s walls, the technician will also apply other waterproofing measures like reshaping the landscape to help prevent water from coming into contact with the basement walls.
A sump pump comes in handy if your basement is prone to flooding. A professional technician will help you install a sump pump to get rid of any water that gets into the basement.
Contact the Professionals at Basement Cracks & Leaks, Metro Inc. Today! 800-639-1131
Is a fully licensed and insured professional Waterproofing & Foundation Repair company serving communities throughout Michigan since 1993. Family owned and operated. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and professional attention to detail. Our company is fully licensed by the state of Michigan and insured for your peace of mind. We have been accredited since 2001 with the Better Business Bureau and are members of the Basement Health Association receiving the National Star Service Award 15 years running.
Whether you need an interior drain tile system installation, wall straightening with anchors or stabilization, encapsulation, or epoxy injection we do it all at Basement Cracks & Leaks, Metro Inc. We specialize in both interior and exterior waterproofing systems & foundation repair.
Our team will come to your home & evaluate your specific problem with over 30 years of industry experience behind them. Using that knowledge & expertise they will design and draft a custom repair plan to meet your home or businesses specific needs. Before we begin your project, we will review your plan with you and make sure you completely understand the repair process. From start to finish we will work with you every step of the way.
If you’re looking into basement waterproofing for a leaking basement, you will come across various options for waterproofing. Many of the waterproofing solutions available are effective especially when used as part of a system that consists of two or more waterproofing solutions. However, your waterproofing contractor will need to inspect your basement in order to determine the best waterproofing solutions to use.
Several factors will influence the contractor’s decision on which drainage system your waterproofing system ought to have. One such factor is the type of floor in your basement. Below, we discuss some of the most common types of basement floors and the best drainage options for each.
Concrete Floors
This is one of the most common types of floors in basements for new construction houses. They often consist of poured concrete footers onto which foundation walls are built. The concrete floor is then poured between the foundation walls.
French drains offer a great solution to protect basements with concrete floors. The concrete near the wall can be broken safely to install the drain over the footer. Concrete can then be poured over the drain.
Dirt floors
Dirt floors are common in unfinished basements as well as crawlspaces. In these cases, the drainage should be placed next to the footer. Geo channels are often used in basements with dirt floors. They feature a layer of carbon fiber material that lies over the drains. This material is vital for filtering our rocks, dirt and
other debris that may enter the channel and cause clogging.
Monolithic floors
These floors are constructed by pouring the footer as well as the floor at the same time. As the name suggests, the monolithic floor consists of a single piece. The walls of the foundation are then built over the floor. Baseboard drainage is used in these situations. This is because it is too risky to break up the floor near the wall. You may end up damaging the footer.
Baseboard drainage looks like a regular baseboard when viewed from the front. However, from the side, you will find that it is hollow. This allows water to flow through.
It is important to discuss the many options available to you when waterproofing your basement. This will ensure that you choose the best solution for your basement. Speak with an experienced waterproofing contractor. They will recommend the best option for your basement.
Contact the Professionals at Basement Cracks & Leaks, Metro Inc. Today! 800-639-1131
Is a fully licensed and insured professional Waterproofing & Foundation Repair company serving communities throughout Michigan since 1993. Family owned and operated. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and professional attention to detail. Our company is fully licensed by the state of Michigan and insured for your peace of mind. We have been accredited since 2001 with the Better Business Bureau and are members of the Basement Health Association receiving the National Star Service Award 15 years running.
Whether you need an interior drain tile system installation, wall straightening with anchors or stabilization, encapsulation, or epoxy injection we do it all at Basement Cracks & Leaks, Metro Inc. We specialize in both interior and exterior waterproofing systems & foundation repair.
Our team will come to your home & evaluate your specific problem with over 30 years of industry experience behind them. Using that knowledge & expertise they will design and draft a custom repair plan to meet your home or businesses specific needs. Before we begin your project, we will review your plan with you and make sure you completely understand the repair process. From start to finish we will work with you every step of the way.