Perma Dry Waterproofing Blog
Do you have water in your basement or crawl space? Is there mold or mildew affecting the air quality in your home? It's likely you need basement or crawl space drainage. Perma Dry offers a wide variety of common sense solutions to your wet basement or crawl space problems. Learn more here in our blog. When you're ready, give us a call and schedule an appointment.
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Remodeling Your Basement: Questions for your Contractor
So you’re going to do it, make that cold dark unfinished basement a living and usable part of your home. This is a great idea and one of the best improvements you could make in your home. Every 1,000 square feet added living space to a home boosts the sale price by more than 30 percent, according to the 2005 study for the National Association of Realtors. But a basement remodel is more than a little framing, paint and carpet. What keeps basement remodels on track and valuable is to have a plan and ensure you check out some of the more important aspects of what could go wrong.
Who is the contractor?
Are you doing the work, acting as the general, or are you hiring a general contractor to act on your behalf? A contractor sets the schedule, gets the right people in at the right time and in the right order and when one contractor messes up another’s work (it happens more than you think), they take care of the issues. It costs a bit more, but when issues arise your project does not come to a halt while you try to figure out who to point the finger at.
Drawings, What Drawings…we don’t need no stinking drawings!
Have a plan. Draw it out or hire an architect. Planning where everything goes from walls to lighting makes a difference in the end. A poor layout will wreak havoc for years to come. Make a plan, because things will change as the room comes together but at least you know how far you have moved and what affects it has on other parts of your project.
Foundation and Floor
You need to ensure the floor and walls are in good shape and that you will have no structural or below grade water issues in the future. The conditions of your concrete walls and floor will tell the story of what is happening to your house.
Wall Cracks – Small cracks in the foundation wall are common. A little settling or concrete shrinkage and cracks will appear. If cracks are larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, or one wall is going forward and the other wall is moving back (offset), or the crack is wide enough to fit your fingers into it, your house is shifting and moving. Call a professional to inspect and correct any potential foundation and structural issues.
Basement Water and Moisture – You may have, maybe you have not seen water but it is only a matter of time before every unprotected basement takes on some waters. Basements are buried in the dirt, the same dirt that gets saturated when heavy seasonal rains hit your area routing excess water into any space it can find to relieve the pressure….your basement.
There may be a white fluffy like powder on the walls (efflorescence). This salt like material is residue left over as water or moisture comes through the foundation wall leaving behind salts and lime in the concrete mix. It is an indicator water is building around the structure or has come in through the walls into the basement.
Wall Coatings – Coatings are not all that they are hacked up to be. Prevention of water claims made by coating companies are soon revealed to be limited, as well as the application and surface preparation process is extremely detailed, costly and time consuming. Surface coatings help to limit the amount of moisture penetrating the foundation walls but will not stop water under great amounts of hydrostatic pressure from entering the basement.
Drainage Solutions – Drainage based solutions are probably the best as drainage routes water away from the foundation before it can build pressure and cause flooding in the basement. General rules for good drainage include; route roof drains away from the house 10’feet or more; install either a exterior drainage or interior drainage system lower than the basement slab floor with the aid of a sump pump or gravity discharge line. Also, cover walls with a heavy gauge vapor barrier to stop moisture and prevent wall leaks from damaging carpet, finished walls and personal items.
Permits – Three good reasons to always invest in the permitting process. One, it is harder to sell a house that has a recent remodel that lacks copies of permits for review by the buyer. Number two, inspectors are there to protect your health and safety and to get bad contractors off the street. An inspector sees tons of framing, electrical and plumbing work in a week, and their knowledge in what is right and wrong will protect you from faulty workmanship. Three, if you are acting as your own general contractor, this is one way to ensure the subs you hire are doing the best job possible. As a general rules of thumb, If it has to do with health and life safety, and could cause extreme harm or property loss if not done right it probably needs a permit.
Having Fun – Lastly, have fun. Any home repair project can have its headaches from time delays to cost overruns to not agreeing the right color of the walls with your spouse. But think of the fun and great time you will enjoy your new space once it is all said and done. It is fun remodeling a house and the enjoying the great times to come.
The Problem with Pests: Why You Should Do Something About It
With the exception of the cute, tamed rats you can find in any pet store, the common rat is not a welcome guest in your home.
Foundation Waterproofing Bellevue
These pesky pests burrow, gnaw, and squeeze into your home through the tiniest cracks, and then they wreak havoc on your home’s insulation, electrical systems, and foundation. Some species breed year-round, and if the conditions are right, a pair of rats could potentially produce a colony of 2,000 rats in a year.
If you suspect your home has rats or mice, it’s important to deal with the problem quickly before they cause some serious damage.
What Harm Do They Cause?
Rats might not be big in size (on average), but together, a colony of rats can put your health and your home at risk.
- Electrical damage: Unlike human teeth, rat teeth will continually grow. If they grow without restraint, rat teeth will even grow through a rat’s own skull. Consequently, rats gnaw on a variety of surfaces to wear down the teeth, including wires and cables.
- Disease: Rats carry a variety of diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rodents transmit the following: Hantavirus, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, lassa fever, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and the plague. Contaminate food: Rats eat 15 to 25 times per day and consume roughly 10% to 15% of their body weight in food daily. Additionally, rats are picky eaters, so they’ll ruin almost 10 times as much food as they actually eat.
- Insulation damage: Thermal insulation in attics and crawl spaces provide the perfect nesting ground for mice and rats because it keeps the heat out in winter and the cold in during summer. The soft material stands no chance against sharp rodent teeth.
- Endanger pets: Cats may be natural hunters and some dogs even hunt rodents, but rats will attack predators many times their size when their colony outnumbers their enemies. Rats also eat pet food, spreading intestinal parasites to cats and dogs.
These are just some of the problems rats and mice can cause to your home and family. Don’t let a rat infestation get worse! Learn to identify problems early so you can take appropriate action.
How to Identify the Problem
Rats are quick and hard to spot; however, it doesn’t take much to determine if a rat is taking up residence in your home.
- Pets are panicked or upset: Pets can hear and smell rodents in the house, and they may be uncomfortable with rodents eating their food.
- Visible rodent droppings: Rats produce up 40-50 droppings per night, and they usually defecate in concentrated, specific locations. Rat droppings are brown, tapered, and resemble a large grain of rice.
- Small tracks in dusty areas: Shelves in high places, baseboard, and corner cupboards are perfect walkways for mice and rats. If you don’t dust regularly, look for small tracks in these areas.
- Gnawed wood: Rats gnaw on multiple surfaces. Look for small teeth marks and damaged baseboard. Smears along baseboard and other areas: As rats move along the wood, their grease and fur rub up against the edges, leaving small smears behind.
- Musky odor: Rats have a distinct musky scent that is different from domestic pet odors. In closed-off areas or corners, you may smell rat urine and feces. Dead rats will smell even worse as the body decomposes.
- Scratching Noises: Scratching noises in your attic or basement are tell tale signs that rats are in your home.
Rat and Mice Management
You can prevent rats from invading your home and becoming a problem by taking a few precautionary steps.
- Close of easy access areas: Rats and mice and squeeze into surprisingly tiny holes. Some mice can fit through holes the size of a pencil (about 1⁄4 inch). To keep them out, close off small gaps in the foundation, roof, and rafters. Cover up ventilation openings with rat proof, high strength mesh.
- Remove or trim shrubs and plants: Depending on the species, rats will climb up shrubs to access your home or use the shrubs as camouflage when they burrow into the home.
- Keep shrubs at least 18 inches away from your house. Monitor your bird feeder: Rats are attracted to food, so clean up any spillage and keep feeders away from the house.
- Do not feed pets outside the home: Closely monitor what your pets eat and drink. Rats will pillage food dishes if they have access to them. Clean spills immediately and thoroughly.
Why Manage Rodents When You Can Get Rid Of Them Forever
Most home owners will leave the basics of cleanup and prevention to a pest control or professional crawl space restoration company. The most effective solution to rodents is to stop “managing them” and start stopping them for good. Most pest companies are in the business of selling monthly service inspections, and then in many cases, laying poisonous bait in or around the house. If you have children, there should be no exposure to these deadly chemicals what so ever. You could save thousands of dollars a year if you just fired your pest control company.
Some of the most common ways to stop rodents is exclusion or concrete rat slabs. Exclusion is the use of steel mesh or metal screening to prevent the entry of rodents from any point (air vents, under siding, pipe penetrations). Concrete rat slabs is just that, concrete slab to cover the surface of your crawl space to stop burrowing rodents. A combination of the two are typically used to achieve a dryer, healthier home void of any furry critters taking up residence in your house.
10 Home Repairs You Should Never Put Off
A home is one of the largest investment people make in their lives. You should invest time and money into your home to prevent costly repairs down the line. Here are 10 home repairs that you really can’t afford to ignore.
Wet Basement Repair Federal Way
1. Protect Your Foundation
A crack in the foundation can threaten your home’s structure and value. If your doors aren’t shutting like they used to, that’s a good sign your foundation may have moved. Inspect the foundation along the outside of your home to find any cracks or signs of movement. You will need help from a professional to shore up the foundation if you have a crack larger than 3/16 of an inch.
2. Get Rid of Pests
Pests can pose a significant threat to your home. Termites can carve through a structure in a few months to a year. Mice and rats spread disease and cause fires by eating through insulation or wiring. Check the mudsill (sill plate) of your foundation for rotting wood. Clear the foundation of any debris that attract mice and fill holes in the siding with expandable foam.
3. Repair Your Roofing
A good, strong roof protects you from structural damage as well as leaks. You should inspect your roof for loose shingles or cracks. You can use stand on the ground climb onto the roof (be careful, as your weight can also damage the roof). Make sure to check vents as well, to make sure they are properly sealed. Replace broken shingles as necessary and consider hiring a professional for an estimate if you see significant damage.
4. Clean Your Gutters
Clogged gutters can cause large problems in all parts of the home, because they leak water onto the foundation, walls, and roof. Sometimes home insurance companies will not cover these types of leaks, which means cleaning your gutters should be a top priority. Keep gutters clear of debris and make sure that they empty away from the foundation.
5. Fix Leaks
Water leaks can form anywhere water flows in your house. Any water pipe can be a potential problem, so it important to pay attention to the signs of a leak, like a moldy smell or stains in the ceiling. Seal the leak or replace a pipe to take care of the problem as soon as possible. Home insurers will deny claims if you know about a leak for a long time and do nothing.
6. Clean Up Mold
Mold can cause disease and decay in the home. If you had a leak, there is a musty odor, or if your family has recurring colds, it’s important to check for mold. Look under carpet, in openings in walls, or behind wallpaper. If the mold is less than 10 square feet, use a mix of 1 cup of chlorine per gallon of water to clean it yourself. If the mold is larger than this, call a professional.
7. Monitor Sewage Lines
If you hear bubbling coming from the toilet or your shower is backing up, these could be signs that your sewer line is clogged. If these signs continue and a blockage is confirmed, you need to shut off the water at the source of the clog and call a plumber. They will run a cable to try and clear the clog, and if that doesn’t work they will send a camera through the line to find and eliminate the clog. Don’t wait for clogs to appear, for under $300.00, a video scope of your sewer main may help you get to issues before they become sewage backups in your house.
8. Inspect your Crawl Space
We know, the thought of your crawl space give you’re the willies and may make the hair on your neck stand up. But take this into consideration, 30% to 40% of the air you breathe comes from your crawl space. If you have rodents, they love the undisturbed nature of the crawl space, not to mention your heating ducts provide warmth in the winter months while they live in the ceiling insulation. Water too can create hazardous conditions by raising the humidity level in your house and provide poor air in the home. Put on some dirty clothes, get a flash light and a breathing mask and ensure the space is clean, neat and dry. If not, call a professional to come and inspect and make recommendations. .
9. Repair Flickering Lights
While your house is probably not haunted, flickering lights do mean that there is something wrong with your electricity system. Especially after remodels, this could indicate that you have too many appliances relying on a single circuit or that you have faulty wiring. Replace broken wiring and install new circuits dedicated to the different appliances to fix the problem.
10. Test Drainage Around the House
You may never think of roof drainage as being important until rain waters enters the house in an emergency. When the pipes in the ground become damaged, and water can no longer flow to the designated collection point, all that roof water backs up towards your home and into the house in one way or another. Taking a few hours to run a garden hose in the roof drain pipes in the ground and ensuring that no water comes bubbling back out, or enters your basement or crawl space is a great way to protect the value of your home and an important maintenance practice.
Why Inspections are Essential and a Boon to Your Basement
A basement remodel is a fantastic idea. If you are reading this blog you are probably considering finishing or remodeling your basement— and we think you should go for it! After all, a basement remodel has a wealth of benefits, including:
- Greater home value
- More useable space
- Higher home resell value
- Improved home energy efficiency
- Better home functionality
Your home will become better and more valuable once you have completed a basement remodel. But before you strap on your tool belt and get to work, slow down and consider having a professional drainage inspector or contractor inspect your basement beforehand.
Renton Waterproofing Contractors
Why should I inspect my basement for water before a remodel?
Do you know why there are so many basement waterproofing companies? Because homes will always leak and people will always miss an opportunity to take action at the right time. More importantly, things change over time, and where once there was no water the next year there could be a torrential flood in a home. Being proactive saves time, money and prevents the pain of loss.
You might hire a general contractor for your basement remodel because of their workmanship, ability to come in on time and on budget. But if the contractor has never dealt with water in a basement, how would you know to even consider it? It is up to the consumer do their homework and ensure all important factors are considered.
What should I be looking for in a drainage / waterproofing inspector?
Most people you would contact are drainage companies with a product or service to sell and install. Not everyone will offer a “consultation” or inspection, but it does not hurt to ask. My recommendation would be a general drainage contractor, not specializing in just one product or service, who is local based in your area, and understand local drainage issues and building practices. Experience is key too. Look for lots of reviews, and always call to talk to the owner about what you are looking for. Friendly staff willing to help without being pushy for a sit down presentation is a great sign right up front.
Be cautious of “Free Estimates”, and consider paying a fee for the advice. Free estimates are an opportunity to sell a product or service that you may or may not need. You may learn a lot and may see products you like, but by paying a fee, you are in the driver’s seat, not the estimator. You should expect the inspection and discussion time to take at least an hour or two, and an estimate for repairs or small report as part of the service. Typically the consultation fee will be applied as credit towards future work. And always read the guarantee provided by the contractor to ensure you fully understand what you are buying.
What Does a Thorough Basement Inspection Entail?
Every company is different, so all I can tell you is how we, at Perma Dry Waterproofing, prefer to handle and help our potential customers. You should always make time to be present and walk through with your contractor or inspector to learn the most and get all your questions answered. But a good basement waterproofing company in the Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue area will inspect:
On the exterior
- Soils too high against the house
- Negative grade of the yard towards the house
- Type of roof water drain pipe (older concrete and terra cotta pipes are bad, bad, bad!)
- Test roof drains, driveway drains, and other water system with testing dye
- Condition of gutters, downspouts, tree debris, and roof condition
- An additional service may include a video scope of roof drains and sewer mains.
On the inside of the house we are looking for
- Cracks in the foundation wall (sheet rock has to be removed and the space unfinished).
- Cracks in the floor that show signs of past water seepage up from the floor
- Efflorescence on the foundation wall indicating outside water
- Stains or runs of water across the floor
- Finished walls where water damage may have left damage from past water issues.
Electronics like infrared wall cameras and moisture meters are helpful, but they also can be very misleading and cause stress and harm where there is none to be concerned about.
We encourage you to remodel your basement, it truly is one of the best ways to improve the value and your personal enjoyment of your home. But always ensure you protect against not only what you know, but what you don’t know. A basement, is a basement, is a basement, and never take a wet basement for granted.
To learn more about our products, services, and ability to inspect your property for water issues, call Perma Dry Waterproofing today at 1-800-584-9118.
The Best Maintenance Ways for Sump Pumps
Sump pumps work hard and are a very low maintenance appliance. They are critical to keeping unwanted water out of your basement. By checking your sump pump at least once a year, you will be able to help prolong the life of the sump and ensure it is ready to pump water efficiently when you will need it most. August and September are the perfect time of year to perform your maintenance and prevent common catastrophes caused by a failing pumps in the winter.
If you want to avoid coming home to a basement full of water, perform scheduled maintenance on your sump pump every six months. Mark it on your calendar to help you remember. If you don’t feel comfortable doing your own pump maintenance and parts replacement, you can always contact Perma Dry Waterproofing for our pump and system maintenance services.
Functional Check
Run the pump until there is almost no water left in the pit. Turn off the backup battery and unplug the pump. Remove the sump pump from the discharge pipe pipe by using a screw driver to loosen the rubber coupling that joints the pump to the discharge water pipe. Clean the bottom of the pump and replace the check valve (rubber coupler) or clean in a kitchen sink thoroughly.
Battery Check
You will want to make sure that your battery backup system works. Unplug the main pump and see if the battery is triggered. You may need to fill the sump basin with water to test it. Once you know that the sump pump is working correctly on battery power, plug it back in.
Debris Check
Next, remove the valve completely and clean it thoroughly. You should also remove all sand, dirt, and debris from the sump pump. This will drastically increase the life of your sump pump.
Foreign matter will decrease the efficiency of your equipment and lead to water in your home. Regular cleanings will also prevent the check valve from jamming.
Dirt Check
You will need a cup or an old mug for the next step. The dirt at the bottom of the pit needs to be scooped out and emptied into a nearby bucket. Some pits do not have concrete bottoms. To make sure that your pit has a bottom, use a screwdriver to poke through the layer of dirt. If it does not have a bottom, just scoop out as much dirt as you can. If you remove more than a foot of dirt, you should stop.
If there is no solid bottom for the basin, place the pump on a landscape stone or concrete pad to keep it out of dirt and debris as much as possible.
Final Check
Reattach the check valve and reconnect the sump pump to the pipe. Turn on the backup battery and plug the machine back in. Test the sump pump to make sure everything is working properly, and then congratulate yourself on a job well done.
If at any point during your checks you notice something is broken or malfunctioning, call Perma Dry Waterproofing for professional maintenance.
By taking the time to do this twice a year, your sump pump will last longer and work better. You don’t want to end up with water in your basement when there is a simple way to prevent it.
Foundation Crack Repair In Seattle / Tacoma
Foundation Crack Repairs
In the greater Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue area, foundation wall cracks are common. Fixing them to never leak again is not as easy as slapping concrete on the inside wall. Leaking walls can form for a variety of reasons and come from a verity of sources and not all repairs are the same or as reliable.
Wall cracks typically form when there is stress on the concrete foundation wall. Either shifts in the earth that cause the house to move or settle ever so slightly, around the bottom corners of windows, or in drop down foundations built into hill slopes.
Rock pockets (clumps of stone and rock that can run horizontally across a wall) existed when the foundation wall was built, but it was a matter of time before water found a pathway through the rocks the water entered your basement.
When to repair from the outside or inside?
Access! That’s right, it is all about the access to the repair area.
Injection from the inside of the house, pushing a urethane flexible material to the exterior of the home is designed to fill the entire crack and coat itself on the outside of the wall. This is handy and requires NO OUTSIDE digging or removal of landscaping or hardscapes to access the repair area. It is 100% guaranteed to work and because it never lets water even to enter the crack in the first place, there is no loss of the concretes structural integrity. It is both a common and widely used when performed by trained technicians with proper training. Urethane also flexes and move with changes in temperature and small movements of the house.
Outside the house. Some cracks are easier to access and require very little digging. And like the interior injection, coating the wall from the outside repairs prevents water from getting to the wall and to the crack to let water in to the basement. The dirt is removed from the outside repair area, the wall should be cleaned and dried, and then multiple applications of exterior waterproofing foundation emulsion applied by hand, with an additional drain mat covering the coating to help ensure longevity of the material. Water test your workmanship! Then back-fill the native soils.
Question other solutions!
Interior patching with concrete. No matter how hard you try, success will only be temporary. Concrete on concrete patches never bond to one another, and while effective in the short term, it is simply a plug on the inside wall and time and movement of the structure will break the seal and the wall will leak again.
Tube install. Some companies open the crack wider to install a tube or foam matting over the crack, and direct water into an interior drainage system. While it prevents the water from being seen inside the basement, it still allows the water to pass all the way through the wall. The water damages and softens the concrete (concrete is porous and can absorb water), with the potential for future damage to the concrete integrity. It is more work and more damaging to the foundation than is needed.
If you are looking for permanent solutions to pesky wall and foundation leaks, call today for a free no obligation inspection and quote. 800-584-9118
Crawl Space Water in Bellevue – Where does it come from?
Prevent water build under your home with quality services from Crawl Space Professionals.
Your crawl space under your home may be the last place you would think there could be a home repair issue to deal with, but your crawl space is a major and integral part of your home. You live, sleep, and enjoy the comforts of your home over your crawl space every day. Keeping the space dry, neat and clean to prevent water, moisture and mold issues in your home is just as important as closing the front door in the winter time….it just makes common sense.
Where does crawl space water come from?
Crawl spaces typically take on water from only two sources; the roof drain pipes (or lack there of) or seasonal rain driven ground water. Either the roof drainage around the property has failed, clogged or broken and water from the roof leaks around the foundation entering the crawl space. In this case new roof water downspout tight lines should be installed and your crawl space restored from the water damage.
Crawlspace Water in Bellevue, Seattle & Tacoma
The more common issue in the Bellevue, Seattle, Tacoma crawl spaces is seasonal rain water that saturates our yards and soils around our homes. Ground water has no where to run except under your house. Don’t believe what you read on the internet! Funny to say as we post this on our blog, but grading soils and adding yard drainage and all the helpful hints and tips typically don’t do the trick. Most crawl spaces will benefit most from a properly installed full perimeter interior crawl space drainage system with a gravity fed discharge line leading away from the house (or sump pump).
Once your crawl space is dried out, new plastic and insulation can be re-installed with peace of mind that the process will not have to be repeated. All our workmanship is backed by a long term company guarantee to ensure your home and families health.
If you have wasted enough time worrying about the water and moisture under your home, call today for a free inspection and estimate 1-800-584-9118
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