What materials are safe for basement finishing? - Reader Question

The safest materials for finishing a basement are also the best. I've written other posts on this subject and I will elaborate a bit on why my choices of inorganic materials are best.

Traditional materials - Dry Wall, Wood Studs, Drywall ceiling, paper-backed fiberglass insulation

Traditional materials aren't designed for the basement's moist environment. Moisture added to any of these materials, or parts of them, could result in mold issues. Mold issues can lead to health issues and could force you demolish everything you just installed.

Okay, so where do I start when finishing my basement?
Think "moisture" and "mold" proof materials. Plastics, metals, insulation without paper backing - there are solutions out there. Even some Traditional building materials have been reinvented to work in a basement finishing project. Moisture/Mold resistant "dry-wall" - almost every large manufacture has a type that they sell.

Metal studs - for those who are use to using wood to stud out a wall, they take a little getting use to. The MAJOR difference is that these will never rot, cause mold, or will need replacing.

Insulation installed without paper takes away the food source for the mold. The only problem with traditional fiberglass is that it's suseptible to absorbing the moisture in the air, and will be ruined if it comes into contact with larger sources of water.

Floor Solutions -
Flooring is tricky. Normally it comes into direct contact with the basement floor which can be a moisture issue in the future. Make sure to install a plastic or inorganic subfloor first - then a finished style of flooring can be lay on top of it; protecting your carpet or laminate flooring from moisture damage.

First step
Waterproof the basement

Second Step
Plan out the floor plan of the space

Third Step
Purchase moisture and mold resistant materials for the basement.

Every basement has the potential for moisture problems, leaks, and flooding - waterproofing the basement before finishing will help to protect the finished area you put in the now empty area of your basement. Protecting for the future is a good thing to do. It may be dry or have never seen water, but it can and eventually will.

Image from http://www.homebasementfinishing.com

Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.
See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

How can I cover up water damage for a Home Inspection - Reader Question.

I was actually quite shocked that someone asked me this directly.
My major suggestion: Do the right thing, and don't cover it up.

Water damage can be caused by a number of things in the basement - flooding, pipe bursts, wall leaks, floor leaks, a tub overflowing on the 1st or 2nd floor - so it's important to know how the damage occurred in the first place.

Knowing how the damage occurred will allow you, as the current homeowner, to be able to do 2 things:

1- Know what kind of disclosure you need to put in the open on your home if you're putting it on the market.

2- Know what type of repair is needed - depending on the damage, how it was caused, and how much water you were dealing with makes a difference - Plumbing issues need to be fixed by licensed plumbers, landscaping issues can be corrected, and a basement waterproofing system can be installed - but the key is to know what happened, from where, and what your options are.

Quick story:
Young couple buys a home and on the home inspection report there's no evidence of water damage or previous issues with flooding. A few weeks into ownership, they flooded.

Now the real thing that happened was that there was evidence of water damage on some of the finished areas of the basement, studs, dry wall, and even the foundation walls. Now the previous homeowners put a coat of paint on it, dark color, to cover it up - inspection went swimmingly and house is now passed over to this new homeowner.

So now the new homeowners are trying to sue the previous owners for knowing about the issues and passing known issues onto them.

So - you don't want to be the new couple and you also don't want to be on the other end of a law suit.


Best way to do this is to be honest, repair the cause of the damage, repair the damage and be upfront with a.) what happened and b.) what you did to fix and repair it all.

Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Is it safe to leave the home with water in the basement? - Reader Question.

This question can be a tricky one for many homeowners. When is it alright to leave a home if/when I'm in the process of flooding or leaking? The goals are to stay safe and get the water out of the home.

Small leaks and seepage can be controlled, and shouldn't necessarily control your routine. Towels, sand bags and wet vacuums can all help keep these under control. Submersible pumps (sometimes called Floor Suckers) can also help to keep this in check.

If the water is coming in from multiple areas, too quickly for you to handle, then leaving the home probably isn't a good idea.

Floods consisting of feet of water in the basement can in fact happen over night. Letting your home sit with this much water can be dangerous for your first floor and for your electrical wires running through your home.

The question's answer boils down to loss. Will your stuff be ruined? By my leaving am I putting my home in danger?

If you're planning on going on vacation and don't have any moisture/water/flooding protection in the house, sadly to say leaving while your basement is flooding might be a bad move. In order for any emergency service companies to come and help, you have to be home.

Puddles and small leaks are another matter.

Flooding is a natural thing that happens in many parts of the world, but if it's happening to your basement often (so much so that you have to even think about leaving the house with water in the basement) then it might be time to have a full waterproofing system installed. You don't have to choose between your life and bailing out your basement.

Some basic guidelines:
*Few inches or less in the basement = generally safe to step out of the home

*anything more than that - especially a few feet = generally not safe to leave.

Safety issues:
*Water could be high enough to short out electrical box
*Water could turn off heat and hot water in the home
*Water + Electricity = Death = Make the safe call and call a professional to come and help.
*Long periods of water in contact with dry wall, insulation or wood can cause rot and mold - this is a huge issue for people with respiratory illnesses or complications.


Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
Image copyright www.heimer.com

Should I use Heat or AC to dry up a wet basement? - Reader Question

After flooding your primary goal is to get the water out. Once the water is out, or is to a manageable "dry-vac" level is the point where fans, dehumidifiers and heat will help.

Using your AC to dry the home is not going to work nearly as well as turning your furnace on and increasing the temperature of the basement and running a dehumidifier. Read more in a previous post about Indoor Air Quality Affected by the Basement

ACs have to work harder to take in air, heat it to remove the moisture, then force cool the air to push it into the home. Cold air isn't nearly as effective in forcing air movement in a basement as warm air is.

Best plan: Use warm air to force circulation and decrease the amount that the dehumidifiers have to work (it's easier for them to remove moisture from warm air than cool air). The heat will help the wet areas dry quicker by evaporating the water trapped in the surface which will again, make your dehumidifier more effective.

Fan + Dehumidifier + Warmer Temperatures = Win

Related Reading and Links

Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog: Indoor Air Quality Affected by the basement.
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Image copyright: Independent Ireland (Independent.IE)

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

How much water should be in my sump? - Reader Question

Answer - whatever the height of the water under your home should be the level that you see in your sump.

This is typically a question that many homeowners have if they have an open sump pump pit location somewhere in their basement. Looking into the sump basin you can see water sitting in the sump. There are, however, a few things that will effect what you see in the sump location.

Things that effect what you see:
1.) The sump has openings to allow water into it besides pipes dumping into the location. - If the sump has openings and is allowing the water underneath the home to have access to the sump then you will be seeing the actual level of water under your home. If there are no holes or entry points then the water you see could be what is left over after the pump switch turns off.

2.) weather conditions and soil saturation - You will see more water in a sump location typically while there is rain coming down and when the soil reaches it's max saturation point.

3.) the height of the sump pump relative to the floor - sump pumps that are deeper than 17 inches in the ground will see more water. If you have a deep sump location you will see more water because there's more water the further down in the earth you go.

If you're sump is working properly it will react with the rise in the level of water and remove it accordingly. If you're seeing long standing water it's possible that your sump location is too deep and needs to be updated.

Having a sump location in your home will allow water to collect. Don't be surprised when you see water, but do be cautious with how the water is being removed.


Related Reading and Links

Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Need answers to your Basement Waterproofing Questions?
Read previous posts about Basement Waterproofing @ Safe'n'Dry Blog

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Image of Sump pump taken by Paul Thirst @ http://www.catskillhouse.us/blog/

Looking to answer your Questions about Basements and Basement Waterproofing

I periodically get emails, posts on the Pioneer Basement Forums, or comments here on the blog that I try to get to at length.

I wanted to give an opportunity to people who read to ask their own questions and get a solid response.


Feel free to submit your question via comment or email them directly to me. - I look forward to helping you out! 


Or read other Reader Questions that I've answered: Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog - reader questions

Related Reading and Links

Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

April 25th - Climate Rally on National Mall - Washington DC

http://www.earthday.org/climaterally

For the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day in the United States as well as to put pressure on congress to pass a comprehensive climate bill, the Earth Day Network is planning a Rally in the Mall of Washington DC.

"It is time to stop protecting polluters and enact comprehensive climate legislation that will create American jobs, cap carbon emissions and secure our nation’s future."

A concert will be held and speeches will be made on the National Mall to demonstrate the continuing need for the American government to pay attention to the state of the county's environment.

According to the Earthday.org site the main focus is to apply pressure in hopes of having a bill passed to focus on emissions, green jobs, and the accountability of polluters here in the United States. Free buses will also be provided from a select list of major cities for those who want to join in the march.

FEMA in Rhode Island - Getting help for homes and basements

Life goes on in Isolated Neighborhood

FEMA recently arrived in Rhode Island to survey the worst flood damage to the state in over 100 years. A mobile support unit has been set up in Warwick, RI to help homeowners cope and apply for disaster relief funding.

http://www.floodrecovery.ri.gov/

A site was constructed by the local government to give you access to all the information about flood recovery in the state. This includes where the mobile stations are in Westerly, Cranston, and Westerly, but also how to help, how to get help, apply for assistance, and contact numbers. A link on the page Apply for FEMA Assistance (http://www.fema.gov/assistance/index.shtm) can help you get started on how to do the paper work, where to send it, what to include, and even help answer questions about if you qualify for assistance.

Good news for people with flooded basements

According to the official FEMA declaration, 4 out of the 5 counties in Rhode Island are covered under the declaration. All of these counties are eligible for disaster assistance (Newport, Washington, Kent, and Providence - See map in link for detailed area)

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=12569

In a local news report FEMA also has a unit that is inspecting basements one by one. This is for completing a visual inspection and report on your property, but it’s also for getting your home and basement in the cue for funds to help install protective measures to keep it from happening again. Rhode Islanders are urged to Register for Disaster Assistance

*UPDATE* 4/8/10:
Bristol County is now included in the RI map on FEMA's site. Now all five counties can apply. 

Massachusetts is slightly different http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=12571 
The western 4 counties and the East most counties currently aren't on the map.  

Related Reading and Links

Local Gov Site for the town of Warwick RI : http://www.warwickri.gov/
Image used from www.turnto10.com 

Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.

Ask Jacob A question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!