When it comes to basement waterproofing, (or any crawl space, basement and foundation issue) there is just too much at stake. No DIY approach will permanently solve any of these problems, and might cause even more concerns on the long run.  I am reblogging a post about this issue written by Jacques Bouchard, for Aqueous Basement Systems.

Choosing Between DIY And A Professional Waterproofer

Few forces can damage a home in quite the way that water (and its partner mold) can. The continuous, periodic, soakings that comes with a wet basement has the potential to ruin virtually everything stored there, including:

• Appliances (Furnaces, Washers, Dryers, Etc)
• Furniture
• Stored Items (Photos, Books, Clothing, Etc)
• Finishing Materials (Carpet, Wallboard, Studs, Etc)

...and much, much more. On the other hand, if you waterproof that flooded space, you gain an entire floor of your home back. You can finish that into more living space, or you can begin to use it again to store valuables.

When deciding what will be installed to protect your home, you have two fundamental choices before you:

Choice One: Waterproof The Home Yourself

Waterproofing your home yourself has the potential to save you a bundle on the costs of hiring a professional. Additionally, many homeowners enjoy a good home improvement project, and may even find the hard work involved enjoyable.

Please bear in mind, however, that you'll be digging up the entire perimeter outside your home, exposing the foundation and (failed) footing drain for maintenance and replacement. Alternatively, you may opt to install the system inside the home,which involves jackhammering the floor, digging a trench, and restoring the floor with new concrete. This is a LOT of work!

Additionally, it's worth considering the long-term costs, should you ever decide to sell the home. You will be obliged to tell potential buyers that your home has a waterproofing system, and eyebrows may raise if they learn of (or see) a do-it-yourself job.

Choice Two: Hiring A Professional Waterproofer

Professional work comes with labor costs, so this kind of job is likely to be the more expensive option. However, if digging trenches and/or jackhammering doesn't fit your vision of a great weekend activity, bear in mind that you'll be saving yourself quite a bit of work.

More importantly, professional waterproofers will have access to products, training, and experience that you do not – and may be able to install a system that lasts longer, works better, and looks much more professional after installation.

Additionally, many waterproofers include a lifetime warranty with their installations. If that warranty is transferable to whomever you sell the home to, that's going to be a great selling edge. It's comforting to know that you can be in touch with the original installers should something goes wrong!

This article brought to you by Aqueous Basement Systems. We provide basement waterproofing in Renton, WA, as well as Seattle, Puyallup, Tacoma, and many surrounding areas.  Contact us by phone or e-mail today for a free, no-obligation quote!

 1 - Saving energy, year round.

A vented, dirt-floored crawl space is a huge energy waster. According to Advanced Energy, an nonprofit agency focused on green energy technology and issues, energy losses through a vented crawl space are so significant that you might as well forget all other attempts to improve your home's energy efficiency, until you have your crawl space fixed.

Proper crawl space insulation includes air sealing work that dramatically reduces energy-wasting air infiltration that is typically triggered or induced by the Stack Effect.  This occurs as the warmest air in the house rises naturally by convection and escapes through upper level leaks. The escaping air creates a low pressure area at the bottom of the structure, causing unconditioned outside air to be sucked in from your crawl space or basement.

Crawl space insulation and air sealing will slow down the effect, keeping the air you pay to cool and heat where it belongs: inside your home. Your HVAC system works less, lowering your energy bills an average of about 18%. Even greater savings are possible if you have ductwork running through the crawl space.

2 - Preventing mold and structural decay

Crawl space encapsulation allows for effective moisture control and dehumidification in the crawl space. A low moisture level not only inhibits mold growth and prevents dry rot - it also makes your crawl space less inviting to termites and carpenter ants, which are attracted by soft, moist wood.

As an added benefit, a sealed, insulated crawl space will also keep wild animals from seeking shelter under your home.

3 - Improving indoor air quality 

The air that leaks from the crawl space into your living area, is bringing with it all the pollutants commonly found in an unimproved crawl space. There are dust mite pellets, mold spores and a myriad of foul smells that can range from the typical musty odor, to animal waste and decomposing carcasses. Your family is breathing that air. You might not even realize it, but it is certainly taking its toll your their health. 

Encapsulation is to date, the most effective technology to control moisture in the crawl space, being recommended by the most reputable building scientists, and by the U.S. Department of Energy, in its Building America Best Practices series. 

If you live in  in Greater Olympia, Port Angeles, and Bainbridge Island, WA, CleanSpace Northwest is your local crawl space environment experts, providing crawl space encapsulation and insulation solutions, from the company that pioneered this technology in the U.S. 

You don't have to endure the discomfort and pay for the high energy bills because of your vented crawl space. Let the crawl space encapsulation experts at CleanSpace Northwest show you how to protect your property, your health, and save money on heating and cooling.  

There is a common misconception concerning attic insulation across the US. People tend to think that beefing up attic insulation only makes sense in colder climates. Yet, the  vast majority of homes in the US, even those in colder areas of the country,  have poor attic insulation. Usually less than half of the Department of Energy's recommended R-Value for attic insulation in any given area.

In South Carolina, mild winters and hot summers lead people to think that they hardly need any at all, often forfeiting that important step when investing in green home improvements. 

The truth is that a properly insulated and air sealed attic is the single most important element of a green energy efficient home, regardless of where the home is located.

The role of insulation is to prevent thermal losses by slowing down conductive heat transfers. The attic is the one area of the house where the most drastic temperature changes occur year round.

During the summer, the sun heat is transferred from the roof to the attic, resulting in scorching temperatures. A heated attic makes your whole house hot, and your HVAC will have to work much harder to keep you comfortable.

The process is reversed in the cold days of winter. Because temperatures migrate from high to low, the heat in the living area will be transferred to an insulated attic at a greater rate, through the ceiling, and put an extra burden on your heating system.

The energy penalties can be even more significant if you have ducts or your HVAC unit running in the attic.

In addition, improper air sealing of the attic will also increase energy losses through leakage. The heated air in the house will rise, escape through the openings in the attic, causing unconditioned air from the outside to be consistently sucked in from the lower levels of the building, and making your HVAC work harder to keep up with heating and cooling all that new supply of air. In building science, that phenomenon is  know as the "stack effect".

Poor attic insulation and air sealing can also be responsible for moisture buildup in the attic, mold, dry rot and ice damming in the roof. And the pretty icicles we see dangling down the roofs when it snows are a tell tale sign of an energy wasting attic.

If you are serious about making your Columbia, SC home more comfortable and saving money in your energy bills, give Dr. Energy Saver Columbia a call. Schedule a free attic insulation estimate, or ask for a full home energy audit. Let them show you how you create a green,  healthy and energy efficient home.

 January, is Radon Awareness Month but, as it comes to an end, it is very important to remember that the dangers of radon gas exposure still linger, as many homeowners are yet to have their homes tested. 

Radon is a naturally occurring gas, produced by the chemical break down of radioactive materials present in the soil. While virtually harmless outdoors, radon can reach higher and hazardous concentrations inside homes, where it emanates from the soil and infiltrates a home through its foundation. 

High concentrations of Radon are linked to lung cancer and are the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the world, second only to tobacco smoking.  According to the World Health Organization, radon causes 15 percent of the world's lung cancer cases and kills 20,000 people each year.

Radon emissions are common all across the US, since uranium is present is most types of soil. Every home owner should have the home tested, but this is even more important in regions like Western and Central VA, where, according to the EPA radon concentrations in homes can reach above 4 pCi/L - the level in which a Radon Mitigation System becomes necessary. 

Radon and Real Estate

Radon problems are so serious they should not be disregarded in Real Estate transactions. By law, sellers in Virginia must disclose radon problems in a home if they have knowledge of it, and the EPA urges buyers to obtain a radon testing report prior to closing a deal.

Also, according to the  Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act (“VRPDA”), Real Estate Agents in Virginia must inform buyers and sellers about disclosure obligation and rights, and they can be held liable for failure to do so,  after the property is sold. 

If you live in Roanoke and surrounding areas, in Central VA, Evergreen Basement Systems is a certified home radon mitigation specialist servicing the area with radon testing and mitigation system installation. 

To help homeowners take control of their home radon problems, Evergreen is offering radon testing kits for half price until 2/18/2011 and $100 dollars off coupon on complete radon mitigation systems. Contact them for more information. 

If you live anywhere else in the U.S. contact National Radon Defense to locate a certified Radon Mitigation Specialist near you. 

A home with a typical, vented crawl space is never exactly appealing to a home buyer. It is usually a more affordable home, but it is not a full basement. It can't be finished or counted as usable living space. 

But the worst thing about them is, the invisible "crawl space monster". Vented crawl spaces are known to harbor things we hate to think about, much less deal with: mold, dry rot, dust mites,  rodents, snakes, termites and other insects. Because of that crawl spaces can go uninspected for years. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to crawl spaces there is no such a thing as "out of sight, out of mind". A humid, rotten crawl space affects the whole house and the daily lives of its inhabitants in many ways, and very few home owners realize that the source of their problems is indeed in the crawl space they neglected.

Then it comes the time to sell the house. No home staging in the world can make the foul odors emanating from a rotten crawl space go away. Or keep the buckled floors from creaking under the buyers' feet as  they walk. You can't make sagging floors look leveled or magically cause the doors to function properly again, if structural damage took them out of square. 

Even if the buyer is not paying attention to these things, make no mistake: a home inspector most likely will. He is also required by law to crawl under the house, and report his findings. These reports aren't usually pretty. Definitely nothing a home buyer will like to read.

I put together a small video presentation explaining common crawl space problems, why they happen and the many ways they can affect a home and the people living in it. It also introduces the concept of "crawl space encapsulation", a very affordable technology to control moisture in the crawl space with the added bonus of significantly improving a home's energy efficiency. It is the next big thing in green building and remodeling, and recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy - EERE, among other reputable organizations, as an effective way to curb energy loss and prevent structural damages in crawl spaces.

An encapsulated crawl space costs much less than what a seller would lose by selling the home "as is" with a moldy, rotten crawl space. If you are a home seller or an agent in charge of selling a home with a problem crawl space, I suggest you watch this video. 

A crack in a home’s foundation walls is never something to be taken lightly or simply dismiss. 

Shrinkage Cracks:

Horizontal or Stair Step Cracks:

Corner Cracks Around Windows and Doors

Saving a deal

 We always say this:  basements are prone to moisture and it is not a matter of if, but when your basement will have a water problem. In normal circumstances, every basement that is not protected by good drainage and a reliable sump pump system will eventually leak.

In the event of a heavy rain, some of them might be flooded, even if the home is not located in a high water table area. In fact, according to FEMA 25% of flood claims filed each year are for homes in low to moderated flood risk.  That is a quarter of all the insurance claims. A pretty high number if you ask me...under normal circumstances.

The first quarter of 2010 was anything but normal in terms of weather conditions. Previously dry areas in the U.S. were suddenly turned into flood plains by record rainfalls. Water tables were as high as they’ve ever been in recorded history.

While trying to help poor homeowners with their flooded basements this year, the most common comment we’d hear from them: “I’ve been living here for so many years! We never had water in the basement!”

A basement flood is no laughing matter. There is the messy and expensive cleanup, the losses, the damaged property, and the aftermath problems, such as mold concerns. When a homeowner finds the basement under water they are often overwhelmed, not knowing what to do.

This article gives you a Step-by-step guide on what to do in the event of a basement flood. Where to start,who to call for help, cleanup procedures, mold prevention, as well as steps to prevent future basement floods.

Because the truth is:  most basement floods are fully preventable, and it costs much less to have the basement flood prevention system installed than to clean up a basement after flood.

Lets face it: the weather is getting crazier and more unpredictable each year.

A basement flood prevention system will not only give you peace of mind, but it will protect your property and investment now and in the future, even if you plan to sell your home some day.

Modern basement waterproofing systems are backed by Transferable Lifetime Warranties, which will cover the future buyer as well. And what a good selling point that is for your home!

Home foundation problems are never something to be taken lightly, by homeowners, homebuyers, home inspectors and real estate agents.

However, they are usually only noticed when the issue is quite visible and there is substantial damage. However important signs are not exactly obvious or can mistakenly be attributed to something else.  Not knowing what to look for cause many to miss  or disregard early but significant signs of foundation problems.

Modern foundation repair technologies can usually restore structural integrity to most  homes and buildings but the sooner the issues are detected, the easier it is to fix them.

David Thrasher, from Foundation Supportworks, is a foundation repair expert and one of the most knowledgeable professionals in the industry. He recently published an article I recommend everyone who owns, is trying to sell or buy a home look into.

Is My Home Falling Apart? Five Tell-tale Signs of Foundation Settlement Problems is an illustrated guide on the 5 main signs of foundation problems.

Foundation Supportworks is a network of foundation repair specialists offering state-of-the-art technologies to fix damaged, cracked, bowing, settling foundations all across the U.S. and Canada. If you would like more information of foundation issues and available solutions, locate a foundation repair specialist in your area or schedule a free foundation inspection visit their website or give them a call: 1-866-375-9990

 I am always, in my blog, discussing affordable and easy solutions to solve wet basement problems and prevent basement floods. 

I am always talking about recent technologies, such as Internal Drain Tiles and Sump Pump Systems that will reduce the chances of a basement flood to statistical insignificance. 

What I never discussed so far is how expensive it can be to simply keep a basement wet. It is true. That wet basement is costing you a lot of money.

It is actually costing you more money than you would pay to have it fixed for good.

How so? I recently wrote an article showing in detail how that dingy, damp basement can, among other things, cost you more money in utilities, ruin your indoor air quality and even cause structural damages. 

And if you are in the Real Estate business, or are a homeowner trying to sell a home with a wet basement, you probably know how difficult and awkward that is. Many buyers won't even consider a fixer-upper, specially with so many listings in the market.  A wet basement decreases property value and can actually render an otherwise perfectly good home virtually impossible to sell. 

That doesn't even include the fact that a leaky basement today, has the potential to become tomorrow's flooded basement and we all know how costly it can be to clean up and restore a flooded basement. To make matters more complicated, typical homeowners insurance won't cover the damages, and even flood insurance has coverage limitations when it comes to basements. 

The good news is: all this can be fixed in a matter of days, with minimal disruption. And the savings alone will pay for the project overtime. 

No one should cope with wet basements. They can and should be fixed. 

In the crawl space encapsulation business, we’ve been calling crawl space vents a “housing epidemic” for well over a decade.  And this is by no means an exaggeration- the money that is lost in crawl spaces because of the vents and bare concrete or dirt walls is enormous.  Go ahead and do a quick self diagnosis of your crawl space right now.

Symptoms of a vented dirt crawl space in need of your attention include any or all of the following:

•    Sagging or uneven floors where the crawl space and first floor meet.
•    High heating bills in the winter
•    High cooling bills in the summer
•    Infestations of pests, including termites, carpenter ants, and mice
•    Rotting crawl space wood
•    Symptoms of respiratory discomfort of the home’s inhabitants, including coughing, runny noses, sore throats, skin and eye irritation, and other ailments that seem to go away once leaving the building for a few hours.
•    Crawl Space Mold

If you have a vented crawl space, you probably have at least some of these problems.  If you don’t have any problems yet, you most likely will within the next few years.  Simply put:  crawl space vents don’t work.  If they did, would crawlspaces be rotting all over the country?

The Making of a Moldy Crawl Space

It all starts with your vents.  Here’s the scoop:  In damp, foggy, or rainy weather, you’re trying to dry your basement with wet air.  In the winter, you’re letting cold air into your crawl space- where it not only washes through your crawl space but also comes in contact with furnaces, water heaters, hot water pipes, heating ducts, and other utilities.  Cold air plus warm utilities?  Who’s paying for that?

The most insidious damage, however, comes in the summer.  Hot air- even humid hot air- rises.  (Did you know that wet air is actually lighter than dry air? This is why we have clouds and rain falls from the sky.)  In a home, it rises upwards, leaving through the attic and upper levels.  Guess where it enters from?

So vented crawl spaces pull humid summer air into the home and send it upwards, where the air conditioner has to work extra hard to cool it (humid air is more expensive to cool than dry air).  And as hot, humid summer air flows into the earth-cooled subterranean crawlspace, its temperature drops.  As air cools, its relative humidity rises by 2.2 degrees for every degree it cools.  So if the air has 70% relative humidity, even a drop in temperature of 15 degrees is going to mean that condensation will form on everything in the crawlspace.  Including the wooden structure.

Did I mention that termites and carpenter ants (which are much smaller than the openings in crawl space vents) just love to eat wet wood?  So does mold, rot, mildew, beetles, crickets, silverfish…
Good Medicine for Rotten Crawl Spaces

So what can you do?  Seal those nasty crawl space vents.  Install a moisture barrier on the walls- even if they’re concrete- to keep moisture from seeping through and being trapped in the crawl space.  Install a dehumidifier in the space to dry out the wet wood and to keep away any future humidity.  The results?  A healthier home, lower energy bills, and a crawl space that will not rot and need repairs again in a few years.

Are you ready for a better home?  Call or e-mail Mr. Basement ® of today for a free, no-obligation estimate on crawl space encapsulation in your home.  They have a great reputation in the local community and are Baltimore in Maryland Basement Waterproofing Experts.
 

 

Guest Post by Jacques Bouchard

Pop Quiz:  From a designer’s perspective, what’s the biggest way that remodeling a basement is different from refinishing anywhere else in the home?

The answer?  Lighting.  While the rest of the home is filled with windows and has high ceilings with ample lighting, the basement tends to have a few small windows and low ceilings, making lighting the space much more challenging than anywhere else in the home.

Large fluorescent lights in the ceiling are the clear beginning to having a bright remodeled basement.  Fluorescent lights are best for a basement environment, as the ceiling will experience vibrations from human traffic from the floor above, and fluorescent lights survive these vibrations much better than incandescents.  However, in areas where the lights will turn off and off frequently, such as staircases and closets, halogen lighting lasts longer than fluorescent and is about 30% more energy-efficient than incandescent.

Accent with Lighting

Along with the ceiling, try to incorporate as many other lighting sources as possible in your plans for basement finishing.  Accent lighting on end tables is one way to spread the light.  It’s also a good idea to consider some more creative options, such as installing a well-planted, tall, hexagonal aquarium in one corner.  The light, living plants, motion, and white noise of the aquarium can make an enormous difference in how comfortable and welcoming the space can feel.

Let the Light Shine In

It’s important to remember that some sunlight does enter the basement.  Take advantage of this sunlight by installing energy efficient basement windows.  New window wells, such as the SunHouse by Total Basement Finishing, are designed to never fill with debris, and they’re angled to reflect the maximum amount of natural light into the space.  New egress window designs even allow terraces for planting annuals in the summertime.

As a final tip- open up your basement!  Use banisters instead of walls on your basement staircase, and use glass-paned French doors at the entrance of your basement and between appropriate rooms.  This does wonders for making the  remodeled basement feel more open, as well as including it as part of the rest of the home.

Connecticut Basement Systems is  Westchester County New York and Connecticut’s local basement remodeling contractor.  As specialists in the basement area, they have the experience, certifications, and products that are just what you need to make the most of your space.  They’d like to help you work creatively to bring the most light and beauty out of your finishing, with products that last a lifetime. 

For a free, no obligation basement finishing estimate, call or contact them by e-mail today!  They serve  Hartford,  Bridgeport, and New Haven, and the surrounding areas of Connecticut and  Westchester County New York.

Many families felt the pinch of a shaky economy this year, and with the holidays nearing there is no better time to reach out and help.

This year, more than ever,  CT Valley Toys for Tots drive, organized by the Valley United Way and TEAM, Inc.,  saw the demand increase while the donations went down.

When Dan Fitzgerald from Basement Systems learned that he jumped in to lend a hand.

This Thursday through Saturday, December 17 to 19, Basement Systems and Wal-Mart will be sponsoring an additional toy drive outside of the Wal-Mart in Derby (656 New Haven Avenue) to ensure that needy children in the greater valley can still experience a happy holiday this year.

To encourage area residents to participate, Larry Janesky’s Basement Systems will be offering a free sump pump service to anyone that donates a new, unwrapped toy worth $10 or more.

Volunteers will be setting up outside of the Wal-Mart during the day and into the evening Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

They will also accept monetary donations to benefit the Valley United Way and TEAM, Inc., both non-profit organizations working to improve the lives of families in Connecticut.

We urge the area residents to step in an help out, so that every child in Connecticut will have a toy to unwrap this Christmas.

How many Real Estate deals went sour because of a wet basement?

In this day and age, with the housing market still struggling to find it is balance, a wet basement can be a deal breaker.

No one wants to own, purchase or be in charge of selling a home with a leaky basement. specially when there are so many listings out there being offered at vet competitive prices and with less visible problems.

What your don't know is that having a basement with water problems is not a reason to render a home impossible to sell.

Of all the biggest maintenace problems that might scare away potential home buyers, a wet basement is the easiest to fix and the repairs are probably the most affordable, as well.

There are interior basement drainage systems that cost about half  the price of conventional methids, can be installed in a matter of days with minimal disruption to the rest of the property and without wrecking the landscape with messy excavations.

This article published by RisMedia shows that there are 10 Ways to Sell a Home with a Wet Basement.

The next time a wet basement gets in the way of your Real Estate transaction remember that Basement Systems Dealers offer free inspections and estimates for Real Estate transaction purposes. They will look at the problem, make recomendations and a quote which can be used as basis for negotiation between the parties.

The Lifetime Warranty offered in all their waterproofing systems is transferable too.

With dealers all over the US, Canada, UK and Ireland, you are bound to find one in your area.

Click here to locate a Basement Systems Dealer near you.

Guest post by Jacques Bouchard

When it comes to sump pump systems, you’ll want to be left high and dry.  Between flood cleanup charges, damaged personal items, mold, and a potentially ruined remodeled basement a flood is something you weren’t counting on once your sump pump and drain tile systemwere installed!

To help you make the best sump pump buying decision before your system fails, Utah Basement Systems of  Wyoming,  Idaho, and Utah has three important tips on what makes a sump pump system great.  They’ve been serving  Salt Lake City, Logan, Provo and nearby areas for ovr 22 years, and they’ve seen the best and worst of basement waterproofing systems.

1. Your Sump Pump Liner is the Right Size
Your sump pump liner should be the right size for your system for the longest lifespan for your pump and its longest-lasting efficiency.

If a sump pit and liner is too big for your pump, it’s likely to too deep as well.  When the liner goes down too far, it will pump out more water than you need it to, wearing out the pump early and using unnecessary electricity.

If the sump pump liner is too small, however, you have an equally damaging issue.  Small liners fill up with very little water.  The sump pump will pump out the water in the liner very quickly, and turn off and on again as it repeatedly empties the system.  This switching on and off, known as “short cycling”, will quickly burn out your sump pump.

2. The Sump Pump is Cast Iron – in the Right Places
Sump pumps overheat easily!  The best way to make sure that the heat inside your pump is properly being dispersed through the sump pump’s casing, buy only a cast-iron sump pump.  Plastic sump pumps are much more likely to hold the heat in, causing the housing and bearings to distort.  This distortion can lead to serious problems with your system, including sump pump failure.

However, not all cast-iron sump pumps are created equally.  Some sump pump systems available in Salt Lake City advertise themselves as cast-iron, but they’re only cast iron on the base of the sump pump, which isn’t helpful.  The middle housing of the pump should be cast-iron- it’s OK if the bottom or top of the pump is plastic.

3. A Battery Backup Sump Pump and Water Alarm is Included
Ok, so you have the best sump pump system in the universe, right?  However, there are still three issues:
 

1. The pump runs on electricity.
2. It’s mechanical, and all mechanical things will eventually break down
3. Your system may still be overwhelmed by flooding water.

The point is this:  Sooner or later, your sump pump is going to break down.  And if you’re not home, awake, and in eyeshot of the basement when this happens, you will experience basement flooding.

New sump pump alarms are available now that do more than just sound off when the system is about to flood:  they can actually be hooked up to your home alarm system.  If your system floods, you can get a call on your cell phone, letting you know there’s an issue.  This gives you valuable time to respond- even if you’re at work or on vacation when your system fails!

And what will you do if your sump pump clogs with debris, there’s a power outage, a fuse is blown in the home, or the sump pump is simply overwhelmed by heavy flooding?  If this happens and you have no battery backup sump pump, you have a serious problem on your hands.  Be sure that your backup system is in place- because something will happen in your basement soon enough.

Local Dry Basement Contractors

If you’re in Utah,  Idaho, and  Wyoming or the nearby areas of  Salt Lake City, Logan and Provo, Utah Basement Systems would like to help you. 

They offer free, no-obligation estimates on sump pump systems in their local area. 

Each estimate includes a free 88-page color basement waterproofing book, an in-home inspection, and a written quote. 

If you live outside their service area, clck here to contact a Basement Systems Dealer in your area.

Guest post by Jacques Bouchard

In the Connecticut housing market, particularly in areas like Danbury,  New Haven, Bridgeport, and  Hartford, it’s becoming harder than ever to sell a home with a leaky flooded basement. 

And why wouldn’t it be?  Basement water and humidity essentially ruins an entire floor of the home - destroying wood, drywall, paper, leather, furniture, fiberglass resins and backing, sports memorabilia, photographs, cloth, and anything else that contains organic material.

Business is Business

As it stands, the issue is a dire one for homeowners selling with a flooding basement.  Builder Magazine has found that 19% of home buyers won’t even look at a “fixer upper”, and even when they will look at it, you can be sure that it’s not their first choice over a home with a dry basement. 

When a home buyer does finally decide to make an offer, you can be sure that the cost will be 10-25% less than it would be if the basement was a dry one.

Investing with Basement Repair

However, there is hope.  Of the 12 home buying red flags cited by RealtyTimes, such as the presence of lead paint or asbestos, foundation issues, or defective roofing, solving basement moisture is likely the easiest and most inexpensive to repair. 

A good basement waterproofing contractor can provide a warranty that can be transferred to a new owner, and with a $200,000 home, it can pay back for itself by upwards of 400% of the cost of the job.  A good contractor can install a perimeter drain and sump pump in one, or perhaps two, days.

Conclusions:  If you have a wet basement, fix it before you list it.  Ideally, you should fix it right away, so you can enjoy a dry basement before you sell it.  If you’re buying a home, take a second look at that wet basement fixer-upper.  It’s quite a bargain!

Local Basement Waterproofers

Connecticut Basement Systems of the  Westchester County New York and Connecticut area is a locally owned and operated contractor specializing in basement and crawl space moisture control. 

If you’re looking to sell your home, buy a home with a wet basement, or just reclaim that floor of usable space, contact them today. 

They provide homeowners with free basement waterproofing estimates, including an 80-page full-color book, an in-home estimate, and a written quote.  They serve all of Connecticut, including Danbury,  Hartford, Bridgeport, and  New Haven and are here to help you!

Connecticut Basement Systems is part of the world's largest and most reputable basement waterproofing dealeship network, with over 300 dealers acress the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Ireland. If you live outside their service area, click here to locate a dealer in your area.