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In New Hampshire and Vermont, Tri-State Basement Systems has seen thousands of finished and unfinished basements with water problems
ranging from dampness to all-out flooding. If you are going to finish your basement, this is what we recommend to
prepare it properly. If you already have finished your basement, the majority of these precautions can still be made.
- Install an effective waterproofing system.
- Install a reliable sump pump with alarm and back-up system.
- Guard against floods from frozen sump discharge lines.
- Install a vapor barrier on the walls before you put up finished walls.
- Keep the floor warm, dry and comfortable.
- Protect against common plumbing leaks that ruin your finished - basement.
- Inspect your basement windows.
- Dehumidify the space.
- Perform some basic exterior maintenance.
1. Install an Effective Waterproofing System
If the basement has ever experienced any groundwater seepage at all, then it needs a
quality basement waterproofing system like WaterGuard®, DryTrak® or other options
available from Basement Systems. The idea is that basement water problems never get
better, they only get worse as the house ages and the drains and coatings that protected
the house fail. Therefore, even if water seepage is a once-a-year occurrence, it needs to
be fixed before the basement is finished, as flooding is likely to be more frequent in the
future. Some cautious homeowners put in such a system even if they have not had
seepage, just in case. This makes sense from the stand point that these systems are far
easier to put in a basement that is unfinished than one where finished walls and floor
coverings restrict access afterwards. It is also highly recommended that this system be
installed around the entire perimeter of the basement. |
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2. Install a Reliable Sump pump with Alarm and Back-Up Systems
Before investing in finishing your basement, you should have the best sump pump
protection available to guard your home against flooding from primary pump failure,
pump overload from torrential rains, and power failure. Basement Systems' TripleSafe
sump pump system stands ready with primary and secondary AC-powered pumps and a
third battery-operated backup pump in a single airtight sump liner. TheTripleSafe system
automatically pumps out water in the event that the power goes out or the primary pump
mechanically fails to operate. Without this triple protection, your finished basement is
only one pump or power failure away from a flood. Ensure a dry basement all the time
with triple protection - before you invest in it.If you do not have a TripleSafe pump system
and have a BasementSystems' SuperSump instead, at the very minimum you should
have an UltraSump back-up pumping system and a WaterWatch Alarm.
The UltraSump
(standard with a TripleSafe system) is a battery-operated back-up pumping system with
a DC pump installed in the same sump hole, a battery, and a charging system. The
UltraSump will pump up to 7000 gallons of water out of your basement in the event of the
primary pump failing for any reason including power outages. A WaterWatch Alarm is
standard on all Basement Systems pump systems and will sound off to alert you to pump
failure before your floor gets wet. |
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3. Guard Against Floods from Frozen Sump Discharge Lines
If you have a sump pump, it probably discharges outside. Snow and ice can block the
opening and cause it to freeze. When this happens your pump will be running and the
water can't get out, causing your basement to flood. Basement Systems IceGuard®,
which is standard on most systems, will prevent this problem automatically.
4. Install a vapor barrier on the walls before you put up finished walls
Basement walls can leak higher up off of the floor. Water vapor can also pass through
basement walls and contribute to a higher humidity level in the basement. Installing a
sheet of plastic, preferably a high-quality, extra-durable one will direct water seepage
down to the drainage system below and keep it off of the studs and sheetrock or
paneling. It will also keep water vapor from getting into the basement environment and
lower the humidity levels. It is important that the vapor barrier be tucked into the
drainage system below if one exists. The top of the vapor barrier should be caulked to
the top of the wall.
Even better, you can install a vapor-proof drainage sheet on the walls that will insulate,
such as Basement Systems ThermalDry® WALL System, which reflects 97% of the heat
back into your basement.
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5. Keep the floor warm, dry and comfortable
Once you have eliminated any possible leakage problems in the basement, the next
thing to eliminate is water vapor from coming through the concrete floor. Because
concrete is porous, water vapor will slowly and continuously travel up through it. If you
lay a carpet on top of the concrete floor, this moisture gets trapped under the carpet
and causes odors, mold and rot in the carpet.
Basement Systems solution is a ThermalDry® Basement Floor MattingT system. This
consists of a specially engineered polypropylene, 17-inch tongue-&-groove square tile
that, unlike systems that use wood, is totally water and vapor proof. The unique grid
design on the bottom of the tile creates an air space that insulates the floor and does
not cause water vapor to condense. The installation takes away only 3/8" of precious
ceiling height in the basement, instead of 4" for other methods.
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6. Protect against common plumbing leaks that ruin your finished basement
Any water leakage, whether it be from the ground or not, will have the same damaging
effect on your finished basement. Basement Systems has easy solutions for the two
most common domestic water leaks, which we seeall the time.
The first is water heaters leaking. The average life of a water heater is seven years,
and when they fail, they usually leak and flood the basement. Basement Systems
FloodRing® is the solution. The FloodRing® will contain water seepage and drain it to
the waterproofing system when the water heater leaks.
The second common plumbing leak is washing machine hoses that can flood your
basement even if the washing machine is on the upper floors. These hoses are not
made to withstand the 50 or 60 pounds per square inch of water pressure like our
hard plumbing system is. There is a valve toshut the water pressure off when the
washing machine is not in use, but very few people use them all the time. Eventually,
these inexpensive hoses will leak, or blow-out completely. Basement Systems
FloodChek® hoses are the answer. Guaranteed for 20 years, the FloodChek® hoses
are made to take the pressure, and will not blow-out, corrode, or rust at the end
connections. |
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7. Inspect your basement windows
Will you be happy with them in your newly finished basement? Basement windows
are notorious for being hard to open and drafty. Furthermore, the wet environment
near the ground or in a window well causes a metal window to rust and a wood
window to rot. Many do not have screens and painting them is a constant challenge.
Basement Systems can replace your basement windows with energy-efficient, all-vinyl EverLast windows. They feature smooth sliding operation, double glass, full
screen, easily removable panes for cleaning or passing long objects into the
basement, and they never need to be painted!
The right time to replace your basement windows is before you finish the basement.
Then the carpenters can trim right up to them for a nice finished look. |
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8. Dehumidify the space
The SaniDry Basement Air System is a powerful and effective dehumidifier - big
enough to do the job - where most standard dehumidifiers are too small to make
much difference. The SaniDry dries the air and automatically drains the water out
of the hose, so you never have to empty it, like a conventional dehumidifer. The
SaniDry takes three times the amount of water out of the air as a typical
dehumidifier, yet uses the same energy. The SaniDry has a powerful blower to
draw musty air in and move the dry, clean air back out into the basement. This unit
helps to ensure that you won't have high humidity and musty smells in your finished
basement. |
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9. Perform some basic exterior maintenance
You should have your down spouts extended with Basement Systems RainChute®
to keep roof water away from the foundation. Keep the soil graded away from the
house wherever possible, and keep the gutters clean. Keep window wells clear of
leaves and debris. |
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