Leaking Wall Cracks

Is your basement dry except for that one pesky crack in the wall that seems to leak every time it rains? Maybe the water doesn’t come through a crack in the wall at all, but seeps in where the sewer or water main pass through the foundation wall. These types of leaks can range from just a little bit of staining on the wall to several gallons of water on the floor. Often times this is repairable without the need for expensive sump pump and french drain systems and also without having to excavate on the outside of the house.

There are several different products on the market that are used to repair foundation wall cracks from the inside. The problem with most of these products is that they harden to form a rigid patch over the crack. As the concrete wall expands and contracts over time, due to temperature change, the crack will expand and shrink slightly. A rigid patch over a crack that moves will eventually crack itself leaving a crack that leaks water once again. Hydraulic cements and epoxies all have this problem.

At Quality 1st Basement Systems we take a different approach. We use a flexible seal. If the surface we are trying to seal flexes, then we reason that the seal we use needs to flex as well. FlexiSpan is a double urethane seal that will flex with the wall as it moves. It is a permanent fix that will never need to be resealed again regardless of wall movement.

Stinky Basement Syndrome

Just because you have a waterproofing system, doesn’t mean you have a dry basement. There are 4 ways a basement can become damp or wet:

1. groundwater leakage

2. capillary action (moisture wicking through wall and floor cracks)

3. water vapor through walls and floor

4. exterior air leakage (only a problem when air outside is warmer than air inside…aka: all summer)

Our waterguard, sump pumps, and various vapor barrier systems address most of these issues, but still leave the potential for high humidity levels to exist in your basement or crawlspace. High humidity allows for an environment that mold thrives in. Mold can grow on any organic surface where the relative humidity is above 55%. It is that mold that gives basements and crawlspaces their musty smell. Simple mold remediation will only remove mold that is currently present. Without removing the conditions that allow mold to grow in the first place, you will find that your mold will be a recurring problem. Remove the conditions that allow mold to grow (high humidity) and you’ve solved your problem permanently.

We use the SaniDry Basement Air System. These units are highly efficient, capable of removing up to 100 pints of water from the air each day and are energystar rated. A large capacity blower quickly moves large volumes of air to ensure faster drying action and helps circulate the air helping dry all of the contents in your basement. Add a SaniDry to your waterproofing system to have complete protection in your basement or crawlspace.

How to Protect Against Frozen and Clogged Discharge Lines

A sump pump can only do it’s job as long as it has somewhere to push the water to. Once the discharge line becomes clogged the pump becomes worthless. A sump pump with a blockage in the discharge line will turn on and attempt to move the water through the pipe. The blockage will stop that flow and the pump, in most cases, will run constantly until it overheats and burns itself out. This problem becomes much more common in the winter months when the standing water in the discharge has the potential to freeze. Ice forms in the discharge and begins to act like a frozen cork stopping the water flow.

We at Quality 1^st Basement Systems have a solution to this problem. Our IceGuard system allows water to escape from a sump pump discharge line if the pipe freezes or becomes blocked for any reason. Even if the pipe is buried under a foot of ice and snow, the water can escape, allowing your pump to keep your basement dry. There are no valves to turn, hoses to attach, or anything for the homeowner to do at all….its totally automatic. If you find that your pump need replacing almost every winter, a frozen discharge line is probably the cause. Give us a call and we can take care of your problem.

Refinishing Your Basement

So you’ve done the smart thing and had your basement waterproofed with our Waterguard and TripleSafe or SuperSump system.  A few heavy storms have come through and not a drop of water has made its way into your basement.  Confidence levels have reached a point where you are comfortable having your basement refinished, without fear of flooding, so that you can use it as actual living space.  Here are a few things that can be done to insure your beautiful newly renovated basement stays looking that way for a long time.

1. Mold grows in any environment with 55% relative humidity or higher.  Get a dehumidifier!!!  Sheetrock, wood framing, even latex based paint are all food for mold.  Without a dehumidifier running, the humidity levels will surely rise above 55% and mold will surely grow.  First a musty smell, then small patches of black mold will appear on the walls, followed by the removal and replacement of any and all damaged sheetrock and framing.  Our SaniDry dehumidifiers are an excellent solution.  They can remove up to 100 pints of water vapor from the air daily and cost less than 3.5 cents in electricity per pint to do so.  They are rated to treat areas up to 3000 sq. feet.  Even large consumer grade units are only capable of about 50 pints a day and usually cost over 10 cents per pint in electric to operate…most units this size are rated for rooms that are 500 – 800 sq. feet in size.
2. Have a water vapor barrier installed on the floor and walls.  Even a dry basement can have high levels of water vapor.  Without a vapor barrier this vapor can condense on the cool walls of your basement or on the bottom of your carpet or wood flooring and create a mold problem.  We have several solutions for these issues. From CleanSpace, a highly durable vapor barrier with a lifetime warranty, to ZenWall, a vapor barrier, insulation, and finished wall all in one, we have a solution for refinishing your basement walls.  We’ve got your floor covered too…ThermalDry floor tiles come in several different colors and textures and will leave your floor looking beautiful.  These tiles are free floating so individual tiles can be replaced easily if they are damaged and contain no organic material so mold can not grow on them.
3. DO NOT NAIL FRAMING INTO THE WALLS OR FLOOR OF YOUR BASEMENT!  This is very important. Doing so can compromise the integrity of your WaterGuard system.  We recommend building any finished walls at least 6” from the foundation walls and using a vapor barrier like CleanSpace.  This allows any water that may leak through the foundation walls to run down the walls and into the WaterGuard.  Finished walls that are in contact with foundation walls can wick that water off the foundation walls and ruin the finished wall.  Also, contractors often use nails to attach framing for walls to the concrete slab floor.  This essentially makes a weak thin spot in the floor where water can penetrate.  In worst case scenarios these nails can crack the concrete slab, leaving a large area that has potential to leak.  Instead of nailing framing to the concrete, we recommend using a construction adhesive like liquid nails or a two part epoxy.  This method will still leave your framing securely in place with the added benefit of having not compromised the integrity of your drainage system.

Sump Pump Maintenance

The sump pump in your basement is a working machine.  Like all machines, they require a certain degree of regular maintenance to insure high efficiency and to maximize their life.  Home owners often are aware that their air conditioners and furnaces need an annual check up, but often neglect or fail to realize the need to service their sump pumps as well.

Sump pump pits almost always have some sediment accumulate at the bottom.  This is normal.  As ground water rises it carries a bit of soil with it, as it recedes it will deposit that soil at the base of your sump pit.  Over time those repeated deposits can add up to the point where the pump inside that pit becomes buried in dirt.  This scenario will destroy a pump. Guaranteed.  Our Triplesafe and SuperSump liner have lids that keep other debris from falling inside them, but most sump liners do not.  Larger debris can fall inside the liner and under the float switch in your pump.  As water levels rise inside the liner the pump will turn on, pumping the water out.  Debris under the float switch will not allow the pump to turn off and the pump will run constantly until the debris is removed or the pump motor burns out from overheating.

We offer an annual service for your sump pump system here at Quality 1^st Basement Systems.  Your basement drainage system will undergo a 30 point inspection that covers everything from the cleaning of your sump liner and sump pump to inspection of any discharge lines to inspecting the foundation of your home for cracking or settling problems.  Our technician will also look for any signs of potential future problems and suggest solutions to prevent floods before they happen.  We want your basement to stay dry all of the time.  Regular preventative maintenance is the best way to make this happen.  Call (800) 290 2930 today to schedule your annual service.

Should have, Would have, Could have……….but didn’t

The Hurricane has come and gone and the common phone call around Quality 1^st Basement systems was, “I should have bought that Ultra Sump battery back up”.  For so many reasons the Ultra Sump is so VALUABLE.  Certainly it helps in a situation where a home loses power, but when a pump stops working the Ultra Sump kicks in and saves the day.  Yes, our Ultra Sump Battery Back up works EVEN IF THE POWER IS ON.  So what does this mean?  If the power is on and your main pump fails, the ultra sump kicks on.  Your pump is on and maybe getting overwhelmed, the ultra sump kicks on.  The nice feature that’s built into the ultra sump is its audible alarm.  Every time the ultra sump kicks on it sounds an audible alarm.  This gives you time to call Quality 1^st Basement Systems and our service team can help you diagnose why its running.  This simple alarm has helped so many customers.  Maybe someone “borrowed” the outlet the sump was plugged into and they forgot to plug the sump back in.  Maybe the circuit breaker tripped and the audible alarm sounded and it gave you a few minutes to reset your breaker.  To find out more about keeping your basement dry ALL THE TIME, visit our website at www.quality1stbasementsystems.com or call us at 1-800-290-2930.

UltraSump Battery Backup Saves Basement

One of our customers had a tree limb fall and disconnect their electrical wires. No electricity means no pumping power…WRONG! The UltraSump, our patented battery operated sump pump, can pump over 2,000 gallons per hour and pump up to 10,000 gallons total. This is approximately the amount of water it would take to fill an average size basement from floor to ceiling with water! Long story short the UltraSump kicked on and continued to work all night with not a drop of water on the floor.

The Hurricane is HERE!!!!!!

Ok everyone the hurricane is almost here and im sure we all have done some preparation for it, you may have gotten your food and supplies for the weekend but what have you done to your basement? After that hurricane has come and gone you don’t want the water it bought with it stuck in your basement. To prevent this hassle sign up for your FREE basement waterproofing estimate with Quality 1st Basement Systems, your local NJ basement waterproofing experts. We keep your basement dry and keep it dry ALL the time. Just call us at 1800-290-2930 or visit us on your website http://www.quality1stbasementsystems.com/

Leaking Basement Windows

Often times, basement windows sit below ground level. The soil on the outside of the window is dug out and held back by some sort of retainer so that you can have some sunlight in your basement. Here is the problem: During heavy rains these exterior window wells begin to fill with water and act as a pool. As the pool gets too deep the water begins to seep in from around the window frame and leak down the basement wall and on to your floor. Not to worry though. We here at Quality 1^st Basement Systems have a solution to this common problem.

Our Well Duct is the answer. This product allows water to drain out of the window well and down into our WaterGuard or DryTrak perimeter drainage systems. A hole is drilled through the basement wall out to directly under the window well. A PVC sleeve is placed in the hole to prevent water from entering inside the wall and the water drains down the inside of the Well Duct that gets attached to the inside wall of the basement.

Basements Don’t Always Flood From The Outside

Usually our customers are calling us about groundwater seepage problems. Most often this is the cause of basement flooding…but it’s not the only cause. Many times we find the source of water to be plumbing issues. Of these plumbing issues, the most common problems are leaking hot water tanks and washer hoses. The home insurance industry has said that up to 40% of all flood claims are due to these two sources. Not to worry though….we have a solution to these problems.

The average life expectancy on a hot water heater is 7 years. When a hot water tank leaks it has an unlimited supply of water to flood your basement with. We waterproof these tanks with a unique plastic resin semi-circle that will direct any potential leak into our patented waterguard or dry-trak system, draining the leaking water to one of our sump pump systems and out of your basement.

The average life expectancy of a consumer grade washer hose is only 4 or 5 years. Washer hoses remain pressurized at 60-80 psi at all times. If these hoses burst they can release up to 650 gallons of water per hour. This happened to one lady we know while she away for a week on vacation. Her basement filled with water up to the windows! Another couple had their washing machine on the second floor. The washer hose burst while they were away at work and they came home to over $40,000 in damages done. We carry industrial grade washer hoses called Floodchek hoses. These are high strength that WILL NOT BURST UNDER EXTENDED PERIODS OF HIGH PRESSURE. Floodchek hoses are the finest washing machine inlet hoses in the world.

Two simple solutions to huge potential problems. An ounce of prevention can save you a ton of headaches.

Quality 1st Service Team, Keeping the Whole Basement Dry….ALL The Time