Signs of Water Problems

Whether you have a leaky basement, wet crawl space or a damp basement understanding and identifying the signs of water problems is key to having your problems solved by a waterproofing contractor. From wall cracks, slab floor cracks and block wall ruptures water infiltration causes high humidity and poor indoor air quality not only in your basement or crawl space but throughout your home.

Efflorescence is a wall discoloration caused by water vapor passing through your walls leaving alkaline particles that stain your wall. These stains are signs that you have either hydrostatic pressure on the outside of your foundation walls or the wall and footing is sitting in a pool of water and wicking the water up the wall. Either way the only solution is waterproofing and water diversion to remove the water that is surrounding your foundation.

Subsurface water can also make its way under your foundation causing concrete slabs to heave and crack allowing water to enter the living space. Sealed interior drain systems in conjunction with sealed sump pump systems can relieve this water pressure and divert the water away from your foundation. If left unchecked major structural problems can occur, requiring foundation repairs performed by specialists.

Check your basement or crawl space for the following:

Basement
• Walls leaning in or out
• Bowed walls
• Cracks in the poured or block walls
• Water leakage through cracks at base of walls
• Cracked floors
• waterproofing
• Water stains on floors and walls

Drainage around your home

A variety of drainage products and techniques are available to waterproofing contractors and grounds managers. The basics of surface drainage should be learned from the golf course industry. Golf course grounds managers understand the principles of water control and water management better than most anyone. Understanding these principles will help you complete your drainage project efficiently and professionally and will aid you when installing any kind of drainage system.

Poor drainage causes obvious problems: standing water, foul odor, insects, diseased or dying plants, mud, ruined turf and basement water. Planning and installing suitable drainage will solve these problems and prevent the site from turning into a maintenance nightmare during storms and rainy seasons.

The first step you should take when planning a drainage system is to control hard surface runoff and then identify low spots in the landscape. If obvious low spots exist on the property, the water must have a way to exit those areas. If you don't install drainage, a puddle probably will develop whenever it rains.

During a one-inch rain, 1,250 gallons of water fall on the roof of a 2,000-square-foot house. Without proper grading, gutters, and downspouts, some of this water flows into your basement. To waterproof your foundation you must first manage the source of the water. Rain and rain runoff is often the source of wet basements and foundation repairs. Collecting and controlling surface rain water also can save you money on watering landscape plantings and save you time when mowing or trimming your yard.

To prevent water from leaking through your basement, look to gutters as your first line of defense. While gutters with downspout systems protect your house from rainwater and snowmelt, they can also compound surface drainage problems by concentrating runoff near its foundation. This water must be moved at least 10’ away from the foundation to prevent wet basement or foundation repairs. Downspouts can be directed into a catch basin and or drain pipe system.

Water should be carried through a solid drainpipe to a drywell, daylight or to a pop up emitter. Years ago, drywells were old 55-gallon oil drums with holes punched in them. From the start, these were doomed to fail as they rusted and collapsed. Today's recycled plastic drywells are easy to handle and work efficiently on many drainage problems.

 

The same type of system should be used for sump pump outlets. A sump pump installation is never complete until the water is directed away from the foundation so that it will not have to be pumped out of your basement again. The sump pump discharge line should be drained to a 3” or 4” solid line that is buried, and then either run to daylight or to a pop-up emitter. It is very important for this discharge line to empty to a larger pipe as soon as possible, so as to not create back pressure on the sump pump.

Making sure the ground closest to your foundation is graded away from the home is also very important. When regarding this area be sure to use a clayey soil instead of mulch or other loose material. Water wicks directly down through mulch opposed to running off away from your basement.  Clear away sod and plantings, then you can gently build up the soil to slope away from the foundation. The 10 feet of ground closest to the house should slope at least six inches downward to keep water from seeping into the basement or flooding landscaping.

For problems with consistently wet areas, drywells and catch basins can also be used. Buried drywells give this collecting water a place to go and can even be used with a drain pipe system to move the water to dryer areas.

Swales
Swales are designed to slow and capture runoff by spreading it horizontally across the landscape, facilitating runoff and absorption into the soil. This type of swale is created by digging a ditch on contour and piling the dirt on the downhill side of the ditch to create a berm. In dry climates, vegetation along the swale can benefit from the concentration of runoff. While swales can be very useful, they can also be unattractive or cause mowing issues.

Surface drainage is the single most important application of foundation waterproofing. Unless you have an underground spring or an unusually high water table, the surface drainage portion of your waterproofing system needs to control the greatest amount of water.

French Drains
 A French drain, drain tile or perimeter drain is depression covered with gravel that redirects surface and ground water away from a wet area. A French drain usually has drain pipes along the bottom to quickly move water that seeps down through the upper layer of gravel or rock. French drains are common drainage systems, primarily used to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging building foundations. The French drain technique may be used to distribute water, such as that which flows from behind retaining walls to relieve ground water pressure.

Crack Injection

Before concrete crack injection products or solutions can be determined the following factors should be taken into account:

The width and depth of the crack
Whether the crack is dormant or active
Whether or not appearance is a factor
Whether or not you need to seal against pressure

Concrete cracking is a frequent cause of complaints from homeowners. Cracking can be the result of one or a combination of factors such as shrinkage, thermal contraction, settlement or applied pressures. Cracks can be unsightly and a source of water intrusion. This is where finding the source or cause of the cracking comes into play.

Cracks that occur before concrete is fully hardened are due to shrinkage caused by the loss of water in the concrete mix. This is known as plastic shrinkage cracking.

Settlement cracks generally develop around embeds or around openings. It is not uncommon to first see a crack at the corner of a door or window or even near a beam pocket. Settlement cracks generally result from insufficient consolidation, dry mixes or lack of adequate concrete coverage over reinforcing steel.

Structural cracks in residential foundations usually result from settlement or horizontal loading or pressures. These types of cracks are much more prevalent in block basement walls. Generally hydrostatic pressure from water in the soil is the culprit. As more and more water builds the soil starts moving downward and outward. This outward movement applies great pressure on the wall eventually causing cracks.

Diagonal wall cracks that extend nearly the height of the wall are often a good indication of settlement. If structural cracks are suspected you should contact a professional engineer immediately.

Dormant or Active

Basement wall cracks that are determined to be no longer increasing are referred to as dormant cracks. Traditionally these cracks have been patched with cement grout or mortar. While this can be effective until water build up occurs or any unexpected movement occurs.
Active cracks, those judged to be still moving, require a sealant to be flexible if it is to be effective. Actively moving cracks need to be addressed carefully and completely.
Crack Injection

Fine cracks may be sealed by injecting them with either a polyurethane grout or an epoxy resin. In recent years, epoxy resins have become the favored material, on dormant cracks, for this purpose and formulations are available which will penetrate cracks as fine as 0.1 mm in width, or less.

Epoxy grouts are widely used because:

They adhere strongly to both fresh and hardened concrete;
Formulations are available which will adhere to most surfaces and harden even under wet conditions
They have good mechanical strength and low shrinkage
They are resistant to a wide range of chemicals, including alkali’s
Epoxy grouts are normally injected under pressure. Nipples or injection points are fixed along the line of the crack and the surface is then sealed, on both sides of the cracked element. The epoxy is then injected under pressure, using specialized equipment. Once the epoxy hardens the repaired section often becomes stronger than original, hence the term concrete welding.

Wider cracks, i.e. those 1 mm or more in width, may also be sealed by injecting epoxy resin, particularly cracks on vertical surfaces. On horizontal surfaces it may be possible to simply pour the poly grout into the crack.

Other materials, such as polyurethane resins, have also been used satisfactorily to seal fine wall cracks. They can have lower viscosities than epoxies and, hence, can penetrate more easily. However, they generally do not achieve the same bond strengths.

Live cracks must be sealed with a flexible material, polyurethane, which can accommodate the movement in the crack. This is especially so when cyclic movements are anticipated. Flexible epoxy resins are available which will accommodate a small amount of movement but the more usual procedure is to choose a polyurethane, that remains flexible with wall movements.

As the technology of basement wall crack injection has grown the costs to perform this solution has decreased. Today’s crack injection professionals have very specialized equipment and specialized training which allows them to very quickly identify the best repair procedure and perform the injection at relatively low cost. There is no reason to wait any longer, the cracks will not fix themselves.

Battery Backup Sump Pumps

No AC sump pump will work when the power is out. Battery backup pumps provide protection against water when your power goes out. Many times during the worst spring storms power can be lost, which normally will shut down your sump pump system. In these cases a battery backup sump pump will automatically turn on and provide protection to your basement until power is restored. For those of us that have experienced basement flooding a battery backup is not a luxury but an absolute necessity.

Why use a battery backup sump pump?

There are many things that can go wrong down in the sump pit to cause basement flooding. It can be a power outage, a failed sump pump, a stuck float switch or a sump pump that cannot keep up with the inflow of water. By using a battery backup sump pump your basement will remain dry during any of these occurrences.

Most backup systems fail because the battery is dead and you don't know it. Quality systems are the ones that monitor the battery, power conditions and sump pump, then sound an alarm when maintenance is needed.

What does the quality system monitor?
Primary Pump Failure
Battery power
Battery fluid levels
Power conditions

For added protection and peace of mind, install a battery backup sump pump system. The WaterPro Series backup sump pumps have unique monitoring system that sound an alarm when maintenance is needed, or when a problem arises. After all, a backup sump pump system with a dead battery, loose cables, or a clogged pump is like having no backup at all. The WaterPro Series backup sump pumps monitor all these functions and remind the homeowner when attention is needed.

As with AC sump pumps, DC battery backup units vary in performance and features. Once again gallons per hour and efficiency are the keys to picking the best system. If the system is not efficient, it will drain the battery quickly and put your basement at risk. Also, if your backup cannot keep up with the amount of water entering your sump basin, your basement will be at risk.

To make a battery backup work most efficiently it should be combined with a matching high capacity primary sump pump and an efficient sump pump basin. Sump basins or sump pits, can greatly affect the performance and efficiency of a sump pump system. Basins with large capacities around the sump inlet are best suited to take advantage of modern backup sump pumps. The best of these new sump basins will have a sealed, child-proof lid to protect your family and restrict noise.


Backup sump pumps protect against:
Power outages
Primary pump failures
Float switch failures
Excessive inflow of water

The best backup sump pumps offer:

Automatic operation and charging
Monitoring of battery and pump conditions
Monitoring of the battery fluid level
Dual float switches
Reliability

For more information, contact Waterpro basement waterproofing today!

Air Ventilation Steps To Help Protect Against Leaky Basements

By: Tom Leiss


An average family of four creates between two and four gallons of moisture per day through cooking, cleaning, showering, and breathing. Some of this moisture finds its way to the cooler, drier surfaces.

If the attic is not properly vented, the moisture can condense as water or frost inside the attic when it hits the cooler attic surfaces. As a result, mold, wood rot, and poor air quality can form. These are all problems that ultimately cost the homeowner in terms of money and health as well.

Installing a proper venitilation system is a measure that will stave off this condition and pay for itself, helping to keep your family healthy and your property valuable.

Home ventilation is a system of components. It is more than just blowing air through the home. It involves a process that yeilds steady, high volume movement. It provides the right amount of both intake and exhaust. A properly vented system includes vents at the peak of the roof and a good deal of airflow from the soffits. Always balance the attic ventilation system with 50% of the required air high on the roof for exhaust and 50% of the required ventilation low on the roof for intake. This allows the system to be balanced in terms of cool dry air entering and moist air exiting.

A home that retains excess moisture will develop problems such as wood rot, basement mold, basement seepage and poor air quality in basements and crawlspaces. It is important to retain an experienced basement waterproofing contractor to fix these issues.Waterproofing Contractor Lake County.Thomas Leiss is a home and basement waterproofing expert. He founded and runs WaterPro Basement Waterproofing of Lake County Illinois ==>http://www.waterprobasement.com

Window Well Corrective Steps to Avoid Basement Leaking Problems

Author: Tom Leiss


Basement window leakage is caused by either a leaking window well or a missing window well. A window well is an outside retainer that holds dirt and water away from thew window. In both cases water builds up to the bottom of the window sill and pours under the sill or through the window. Window wells can be corrected by filling voids and stabilizing the soil under the ground and around the window well. They can also be corrected by installing window well drains.

Once a window well has become a problem, the result is water entering the structure. A whole basement can be flooded. Even with minimum leakage in a basement, the foundation can be weakened and the wood floor joists and wall joists can become moldy. Drywall acts as a powerful sponge and readily soaks up water. Drywall becomes very moldy and when this occurs, it must be replaced. Of course any material in the basement such as furniture and personal property are often ruined as well. It is obvious that a basement leakage can bring an enormous cost to the homeowner.

Window wells can be corrected at a comparatively low cost. It is necessary and highly adviseable to secure the services of a liscensed basement waterproofing contractor. He will design and implement the necessary corrective action to mitigate leaking window wells. Typical job completion depends on the number of window wells to be corrected. As a general rule of thumb, 8 windows would require a day. But considering the consequences of water in your basement, having a day or less depending on your number of windows is well worth your attention.

The process of securing a basement waterproofing contractor begins with securing an estimate which can usually be accomplished with a phone call. Also be certain to contact only experienced contractors whose work can be verified.

Here are Important Information Steps to Crawl Space, Foundations and Basement Waterproofing

* You need to Determine whether your water problem is an interior problem or exterior problem .The most Common type of moisture problems within your home's interior areas are high settings on humidifiers, unvented clothes dryers, showering in the bathroom with out proper venting, and the same problem can happen in the kitchen area when cooking.  Make sure all area's with in the home are properly ventilated.

* Check all inbound water lines for any tpye of leaks,if any leaks are found then a licensed plumber may be required for the needed for repairs. These type of problems are rarely the cause.But just to be sure! Keep a close eye on it. Because you may have other ongoing hidden or unaware of type issues as well.

* If these moisture problems still continues to exist within the your home, we suggest that your next step would be to contact a top quality local professional waterproofing contractor like WaterPro to locate and repair the problem immeaditly.The work that is needed to waterproof your home correctly is rarely a do-it-yourself type of project.  A top quality professional waterproofing contractor like WaterPro will be needed to properly diagnose the problem for you and offer a proper repair solution for your home.

* Now check around the exterior of your home to make sure that the soil has been properly graded around the foundation of your home to be positively sure you have proper drainage of all surface water around your foundation. If water doesn't seem to be draining away your home properly,You may need to have some re-grading and/or surface drainage installed to correct the drainage problem.

* Make sure to check your roof to see that all water run-off including gutters and downspouts, are properly draining away from your home. It’s best to have the downspout outlets drain the water at least minimum of 6’-10’  away from your homes foundation.

* Also, make sure to look at all the exterior areas around your foundation and verify that it has at the least amount a ¼” or more of fall per linear foot for proper water drainage away from your home. If your concrete foundation is sinking or falling inward on your home, then the concrete will need to be taken out and replaced. Plus the water drainage will need to be re-routed away from your homes foundation.Re-routing excess water can be done by proper sloping of the surface soil away from the foundation, or channel drains can be installed at proper locations for proper drainage to a desired location away from your home.

* Basements and crawl spaces also need an exterior drainage system next to the foundation footings. This type of system needs to be a minimum Diam. of 4” corrugated or 4” perforated type pipe that has been backfilled with clean gravel and wrapped in a filter type fabric that has been approved for this type of application. Exterior drainage pipe should be placed to run to an open surface area for proper drainage away from foundation if possible, if that not possible then the pipe should be run to a sump pit that can be installed on the interior or exterior of home and the water should then be pumped away from your homes foundation.

* Determine the proper size of sump pump that will be needed to be installed.  The correct sizing of your sump pump is very critical, if a pump is too small it may not keep up with the large amount of water coming into it,most likely it will run constantly, and get over worked and burn out. A pump that is too big is also bad, although it will keep up with the volume of water, it will pump water so fast that the pump will also ‘short cycle’ decreasing its life,which will cause it to fail and die out.  Choosing the correct sump basin is also important, this also helps in sizing up a sump pump.

* If an exterior drainage system is not an option,then you will need some type of an interior drainage or under-slab drainage type system that can be installed and drained to a sump pit and then pumped away from the homes foundation.  These type of systems are designed to ‘control’ excess water away from the homes foundation area, not to prevent water build-up or penetration into the foundation, but sometimes its your only option, depending on your exsisting conditions in and around your homes foundation.

* Water problems are usually the most common or main cause for structural damage that require foundation repairs, if the cracks are wider than a hair-line fracture, you may need to verify the foundations stability.  This might require a professional structual foundation engineer.Please remember this is not a do -it your self type of work, it reqiures a pro.

* Once you have a drainage system set in place, and foundations water under control,You need to have all cracks in  your homes foundation walls and floors to be sealed by a pro such as WaterPro.  This process is done with epoxy or polyurethane injection.

More basement waterproofing information below:
http://www.waterprobasement.com/