2/04/2010

April Showers – Getting the jump on your wet basement.

This is the time of year to do something about the basement.

Water, mold, mildew, radon; whatever the issue is in your basement, getting the jump on spring will save you time, money, and a pained back.

Even if it is occasional water, “every now and then” – this proves that there is a way into your basement from the outside! Doesn’t that bug you? You know you have the chance to see water, and what’s been done about it? “Well it’s been dry all winter”…but that doesn’t mean that it will stay this way. Every Basement, regardless of age, has the potential to flood…that’s a fact.

I can’t tell you how many people on the phone, almost daily, have finally said, “This is the year I’m going to do something about it.”

Standing Water, Leaks, and Seepage
Excess moisture in the basement is bad for the home and it’s bad for your health. It jacks up the price you pay for AC/Heating and it can harbor bacteria and support mold growth. If these aren’t enough of a reason to fix the “occasional water in the basement” then here’s more:

  • Excess moisture/water/dampness in basements of buildings make it 75% more likely that the occupants of that building will become ill.  
  • Damp conditions down stairs can help support mold growth upstairs.
  • Air flows up from the basement, so if there are smells created by the conditions in the basement you can bet that they’ll emerge upstairs.

Pick your motivation! You want a place to watch football, a place for the kids, finally a place to store all your files and junk that it won’t get ruined – keep that picture in your mind and use that to motivate you into correcting the conditions of your basement before the rains in spring.

You CAN have a dry basement, but you have to choose to.

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!

12/31/2009

Angie's List Awards Pioneer Basement Waterproofing of Massachusetts with it's Super Service Award for 2009

Pioneer Basement has been awarded the prestigious 2009 Angie’s List Super Service Award!


The Super Service Award, now celebrating its 11th year, is reserved for companies who have achieved and maintained a superior service rating on Angie's List – the nation’s leading provider of consumer ratings on local service companies – throughout the past year. Fewer than 5 percent of the companies on Angie's List meet the eligibility requirements to be considered for the award...

Read the Full Press Rlease on Pioneer Basement's Forum: 2009 Angie's List Super Service Award
 

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!

12/21/2009

Basement Waterproofing in Winter – Easy DIY Step – Keep snow away from basement windows.


Basement windows are a direct line into the basement. They can house vents from driers and furnaces as well as cable wires and other small openings. Both vents and openings can play a part in making your basement wet.

Clearing the snow away from a window in the foundation is important to keeping the basement dry during the winter as well as setting yourself up for success come spring. Leaving the snow against the window can add pressure to the sill and to the panes. As the snow melts against the window it can attempt to find its way through small openings, separations and cracks.

Vents from heaters, furnaces and dryers melt off the snow directly in front of the window. This can cause the bottom layer of snow (closest to the sidewalk) to become soggy and wet. Snow, being lighter, and the new water being heavier, the water will expand and find it’s own path beneath the snow. This can cause ice to form underneath the snow with little pressure, as well as allow the water to build up against the foundation.

Homes in urban areas of New England, like Boston, Providence and Worcester are especially at risk for these types of problems. However, any Urban area will typically see more of an issue. Suburban and Rural areas have more space to move the snow and keep it away from a foundation.

DIY Tip: Clear all snow and slush away from your basement windows and, if you can, away from the foundation all together.



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!

12/11/2009

Childproof Sump Pump Lids can save lives! - Difficult to open is a GOOD thing

After reading the story of the 3yr old drowing in a sump pit in the Daily Herald, I became extremely angry. How could a company install something that isn't childproof into a home and say that it's safe?

Grate Products' Grate Sump is a sealed childproof sump pump basin, which I'm now extremely proud to promote. The lid is difficult for any child to move or seperate, which will protect the child from falling into the basin.

It's good for other health reasons such as limiting humidity and moisture in the home, but nothing is more important than the life of a child.

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!

Fort Wayne Girl drowns in open sump pit

(Associated Press)FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Authorities say a 3-year-old Fort Wayne girl drowned after she fell into a sump pump pit in her family's basement.


The Allen County coroner says Alexis Stark-Bork was pronounced dead at a hospital soon after she was found in the pit about 2 a.m. Saturday.

Police say Alexis was last seen watching television in the home's living room. About 20 minutes later, the girl's parents noticed she was missing and she was found face down in the pit.

An officer reported finding the pit's cover about 6 feet away underneath a futon.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=340818&src=110

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!