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Basement Waterproofing
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Basement Waterproofing
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" One of the key things about refinishing a basement is to make sure that it's gonna be dry. And then warm so we got together with our friends from basement systems we couldn't have done it without them. Lots of measures here to kind of waterproof this basement area and this is the latest right this is an underlayment right yeah."
" the it's plastic subfloor. Made specifically for basements -- And you know in a basement is very important we don't have organic material on the floor. Because. We have water vapor coming up through concrete it's porous and we don't want to have mold underneath the floor. Health. Before we got this far let's just recap some of the some of the methods that have been used for waterproofing this basement the first things that we did involved a perimeter drain system -- want -- Recap that for us he in order to keep the floor dry and to drain water from the floor and the walls and the first thing that we did. Was put a perimeter drain. What we did was take all that water from the perimeter drain to a sump location. Some system that we installed is called the triple safe system because it has three pumps and you have an AC pump you have an AC backup and a DC battery backup pump. So you're covered in all cases in agony letter from pump it."
" Okay so we've got the lid on. And we just adding more crushed stone to secure but there's always going to be some standing. Normally it would be but this sump system has an airtight lid on it so that's cool water that's sitting there all the time doesn't and that's really can't evaporate back in all right now."
" And now we've also included an airtight floor drain in the sump lid. This way if there was a plumbing leak from any plumbing source in the house it would. Run to this low spot and then run down this floor drain which lets water down but damp air cannot come up because as a cup and a check ball. I think that -- so he thought of everything. We try what about if you run out of power and you go on battery power. Well that's important that the homeowner knows that they're on battery -- So this is a charger box and control box for the battery backup pump. And we're going to mount this on the wall up there and there's out loud alarm that sounds off. When the homeowner is on a battery power to tell them hey you've got to restore these primary pumps before the battery goes dead. OK it seems like you. You thought about everything but there's got to be some other potential problems down the line I mean you're you're taking all the water that collects here up. And then through in between the ceiling joist to an outside location. What about issues of freezing. Yeah that's an important issue too and we have the solution to that. They're called ice guard fittings and we've mounted them outside already and this is all kind of aimed at controlling any. Water infiltration from."
" Underground. Right right it's Rainwater is what you're particularly concerned about when it rains a lot the backfill gets saturated on the outside of the foundation. Creates a little hydrostatic pressure pushes water through the walls and up at the floor wall joint terrible terrible but."
" And then speaking of the walls an older house like this it's does not quite a century old but still the big quality of the foundation walls is not what you expect in today's homes where you have a uniform concrete pour. Here it it's kind of clunky and rubble stone right what have we done to deal with water infiltration through the walls."
" Well what we wanted to do was create a vapor barrier on the inside of the walls -- brown water vapor from evaporating into the basement environment. And we wanted to drain any leaks that come through the walls down into the perimeter drain. Without being exposed to the basement environment so we put a product called clean space was reinforced. Vapor barrier. On the walls and tucked it down into our perimeter drain so it would take care and what about other issues like appliances that like the water heater for example of the should fail and it's now on a finished basement. What we've done there is we installed up a ring called a flood ring around -- water heater that was Rainwater. Away into our perimeter drain. In the event while an eventuality that the water heater would leak or -- in the fittings associated with Whitley."
" In case and then the last question is very often people have to go down and buy a dehumidifier even though they've taken all these measures to control moisture. They still feel there's damp in there that's right and the furniture. Going to get ruined or whatever or mold growth. What do you suggest in terms of dehumidifying space."
" Well he knew dehumidification system that's made for basement environments most -- of fires are rated at eighty degree. 60% relative humidity. And eighty degrees it's easy to take water out of here because you cool it a little bit and you get condensation. But in basements we have temperatures that are much cooler maybe 62 degrees 65 degrees F. And we needed the humidifier that is made for that environment. And here we've installed what we call us in a dry basement air system. And it is 100 pint per day dehumidification system has air filtration built them. It's very energy efficient back its energy star rated. And it will perform very very well in basements that have the cool temperatures thanks Larry."
