Spring Storms – Are You Ready?
A large part of waterproofing involves preventative maintenance. If your basement is leaking, you will most likely suffer damage to your home and personal belongings. Keeping your basement’s waterproofing system working properly is the first line of defense if you want to be ready for the rainy season and avoid costly damage.
Following these steps can save your basement or crawl space:
1. Test your pump if you have one. A working heavy duty sump pump is vital to a dry and healthy home; it is the heart of the system. The main causes of basement flooding among homes that have a waterproofing system is minimal pumping capacity or pump failure. If your pump is more than a few years old, you definitely need to test it before the water reaches your home. To test the sump pump, unplug the power cord from a working electrical outlet and leave approximately 15 to 20 gallons of water in the container that covers the pump and float. Now plug the sump pump back in. The sump pump should pump the water out quickly. If so, the pump is working effectively. If the pump runs slowly or doesn’t remove water at all, you probably need to replace the pump.
2. Inspect the sump pump discharge pipe. This is a standpipe, usually white PVC or black ABS, and is connected to the sump pump; It will come out the outside wall onto the lawn or it could be a black flexible pipe that discharges water into the sink. Check it while the pump is running. The discharge pipe must be free of debris and there must be no leaks. If you see a leak, tighten the hose clamps, look for signs of deterioration, and inspect the end of the pipe to make sure it is not crushed. If the pipe appears to be deteriorating, replace it or have it replaced by a professional.
3. If your basement or crawl space has had water penetration issues, you may want to consider installing a waterproofing system or upgrading your existing system and equipment to work more effectively. Depending on when the house was built, various levels of protection can be installed. Older homes may have very little to deal with water, while most new homes have at least one interior drainage system or floating slab, in addition to an exterior “French drain.” If your home is receiving water, these systems are not working properly. With new methods of waterproofing protection and the advent of superior equipment available, it makes sense to protect your home investment from flooding rather than risk expensive basement restoration and potential health risks such as mold growth or other waterborne pathogens.
4. If you’ve ever had to wet-clean floors or remove ruined, water-soaked carpet, consider an auxiliary battery backup unit that includes a second pump, charging unit, and deep cell battery heavy duty A new water powered pump will remove the water without the help of electricity or batteries. This equipment will also sound an alarm or call monitoring phone numbers of your choice to alert you to a problem. The various units we have installed have received rave reviews from their owners and provide an extra layer of waterproof protection for your system.
5. If you are prone to power outages and uninterrupted power is important to you, or you simply want to protect your family and personal belongings, a whole house generator is a valuable asset and will keep your home running during an emergency . Surprisingly affordable, these units can power your home for days or even weeks, allowing you to live a normal life even in the midst of some of the storms we’ve experienced recently.
Look for these characteristics in a professional waterproofing company:
- state licensed
- trade association member
- BBB member
- He has years of work experience in the field.
- It provides a quote written in plain English.
- Provide a free written estimate.
- No high pressure tactics
- You are willing to work within your budget.
- A dry and healthy home is the only goal
Interior services should include basement and basement systems, French drains, sump pumps, wall and floor coating, epoxy repair, masonry sealers, vapor barriers, battery and water backup systems and more.
Exterior services should include landscape drainage fixes, garage and yard drains, dry wells, buried discharge pipes, bamboo dams, and other remedial solutions.
Structural Foundation Repairs – If structural repairs must be performed, a professional engineering service is required that is licensed and can provide sealed drawings, permit documentation, and structural certifications.
Preparing ahead of time for the April showers can mean the difference between a dry and healthy home and a refinisher cleaning out your basement. It is better to invest in protecting your home than the burden and expense of cleaning up a water intrusion disaster.
Now is a good time to start making sure your current basement and crawlspace system is working properly and your backup systems are up and running. Doing this now could save you big headaches and backaches when the spring storms hit.