Every spring and summer it feels like similar questions come into the site. One of the more common ones is about how to dry out a basement after flooding. This particular reader asked a more specific question about the gym flooring he/she had in their basement. They asked if a dehumidifier is the right way to dry out a wet basement gym floor:
The answer is: Partly.
As I've mentioned before in several posts, one being this year after the massive floods in Rhode Island during March 2010, a dehumidifier can easily deal with moisture in the air, but it's not very good at dealing with puddles.
Should I use AC or Heat to dry up a wet basement?
If you're basement has truly flooded and have had it pumped out then you're working with a good starting point. Many professional flood cleaning companies use high powered submersible pumps in addition too large fans, dehumidifiers, and the heat from your furnace. That's right, adding heat from a furnace can help to break up the puddled moisture by helping it to warm up and evaporate into the air - the dehumidifier can easily handle the humidity and moisture.
This can go for the gym flooring. Hopefully you have a tile system (these are the easiest and most cost effective way of doing it.) and can take it apart. I know, no one wants too, but when there's moisture trapped under the tiles, or between the seems it's easier to dry everything if it's all taken up. Looking for Basement Flooring?
I'd recommend stacking them with cloth or washcloths in between to draw out any moisture. These stacks should be put in your furnace room, or close too it. Turn on the furnace and the dehumidifier and let the room heat up. Eventually the moisture will come out on it's own. This will also be helpful as you tackle the rest of the area that might still be wet.
If you have a question about your basement that you'd like to have answered, or have a situation you need help with, feel free to drop me a line, leave a comment, or visit the Pioneer Basement Help Forums to ask your question. If the question is good I'll share it here on my blog with the answer for my readers. Keep Dry!
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 Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
Basement Waterproofing - So you never have to deal with it again!
8/13/2010
8/10/2010
Pakistan floods, possible sign of things to come.
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| photo credit: edition.cnn.com |
Scientists have already speculated about the warmer conditions on the planet causing future problems with weather. As reported by FoxBusiness.com today, Pakistan's floods are being considered connected to that same future.
Even though current conditions haven't been able to be directly linked to the flooding that's been causing large problems in China and the United States, flooding, in general, is on the forecast as the climate warms.
As of today over 14 million people have been directly impacted due to the severe conditions in Pakistan. With aid coming slow from other countries, the government is doing the best it can with the limited resources left in the hardest hit areas.CNN reports the death toll is currently at 800 and rising.
Pakistan Floods shows threat from warmer world
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 Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
8/09/2010
Grate Drain vs. Iron Bacteria 2 - control and protect the basement
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| Iron Bacteria build up in a Pipe and Stone Drainage system ruins a finished basement |
No Gaps - Total Connection
One of the hard parts to defend against is the bacterias ability to cling to jagged surfaces. Many open back systems on the market have rough entry holes and rough surfaces in and around the drain. This is especially a problem at joints, where two pieces of drain meet. Bacteria has an easy time of grabbing a hold of that ridge and building on itself and eventually clogging a drain. The Grate Drain has nothing but smooth, seamless edges. It’s one continuous piece that is built to fit - so there are no gaps, edges or breaks at joints.
Pitched System.
Water requires gravity to flow properly, which is why every Grate Drain system is pitched to a sump location. This not only helps the water flow, but it makes it harder for bacteria to hold on. More importantly, if iron bacteria does build up somewhere, during a Hot Flush Maintenance, the water volume will carry the rest of it away due to the pitch of the system.
Access Ports - Flushing systems.
Hot Flush maintenance is important and to do this a system would require access ports. The Grate Drain has multiple types of access ports to choose from. Corner Ports and T-Ports connect long stretches of system and can be placed in a design to allow easy access to perform maintenance. Drains that don’t have access points tend to clog faster, have short life spans, and eventually fail. Regular maintenance of any interior french drain system is a must, with or without an iron bacteria problem.
Isolation - walls separate areas of the basement.
A solid wall divides the french drain into two parts. One that takes water from underneath the basement floor, and the other side takes water from the wall and footing joints. These two chambers stay separate through the corners as well, which makes isolating a bacteria problem easier. With this style of isolation, the iron bacteria will have a harder time spreading to other parts of the basement. This allows the maintenance and hot flushes to be more effective in curbing the growth and expansion of the iron bacteria.
The Grate Drain is a great invention for the basement waterproofing industry and even more so for it’s layers of protection that keep iron bacteria at bay. Read my previous post about Grate Drain vs. Iron Bacteria to learn other ways that this drain can hep to control moisture and water, while protecting the basement against iron bacteria.
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 Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
8/05/2010
Grate Drain vs. Hydrostatic Pressure - water under the basement floor.
As I've talked about before, Hydrostatic pressure is the build up of pressure caused by water increasing in volume under the basement floor. Eventually water has no where to go but up and will force its way through gaps, cracks and pours into the basement or crawl space. There aren't many effective french drain systems that actively remove water build up from underneath a floor, however, one such system that does is the Grate Drain system from Grate Products.
There are a few key design advantages that the Grate Drain has over other products which will give your home an edge in staying dry and protected against future floods and leaks.
Grate Drain Pitch -
Pitching a system can have many benefits, however when talking about moving water, it plays one key role: Moving the water. Roman Aqueducts declined slightly over long distances to keep the water flowing in particular direction. This same method is used under the floor. The drain itself is pitched to encourage water to flow towards the direction of a sump location. This also allows the drain to remove water at different levels up to the underside of the basement floor. This gives you more protection and more of a chance for the sump to deal with more volume.
Volume of water - Large Holes
The key to any drain's success is measured by the volume of water it can displace. The more water you can get to the sump to pump out of the home, the better. Large punched holes on 2 sides of the Grate Drain allow for more water to enter the drain faster, and with less resistance. This encourages the water into the drain, and quickly carries it away to a strong sump pump to take care of removal. Remember, More Water Out - Less risk of flooding.
Speed and Control
So, more water volume moved faster protects against the basement flooding. Controlling the water, where it's going, and what options it has are also important to keep in mind. The sump location is specifically designed to be the lowest point in the system, most water will go there. But as water can continue to enter from around the foundation, the drain can control where this water ends up. Vapor barriers and high points in the drain catch water that might have found its way in. This forces the water to be collected from all angles, wall, floor joint, and under the basement. This then allows the sump to truly come in contact with all the water and moisture effecting the basement. The Grate Drain will deliver the water to this point, but it'll be up to the speed and strength of the sump pump to move the water out of the house faster than it coming in.
The Grate Drain is a powerful french drain system for the interior of your home. Protecting your basement or crawl space against leaks, flooding, or occasional moisture/humidity is what it is specifically designed for. This makes it an essential home improvement project for any home where the basement can be used.
Read more blog posts about the Grate Drain
Read more blog posts about the Grate Sump Sump Pump basin
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 Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
There are a few key design advantages that the Grate Drain has over other products which will give your home an edge in staying dry and protected against future floods and leaks.
Grate Drain Pitch -
Pitching a system can have many benefits, however when talking about moving water, it plays one key role: Moving the water. Roman Aqueducts declined slightly over long distances to keep the water flowing in particular direction. This same method is used under the floor. The drain itself is pitched to encourage water to flow towards the direction of a sump location. This also allows the drain to remove water at different levels up to the underside of the basement floor. This gives you more protection and more of a chance for the sump to deal with more volume.
Volume of water - Large Holes
The key to any drain's success is measured by the volume of water it can displace. The more water you can get to the sump to pump out of the home, the better. Large punched holes on 2 sides of the Grate Drain allow for more water to enter the drain faster, and with less resistance. This encourages the water into the drain, and quickly carries it away to a strong sump pump to take care of removal. Remember, More Water Out - Less risk of flooding.
Speed and Control
So, more water volume moved faster protects against the basement flooding. Controlling the water, where it's going, and what options it has are also important to keep in mind. The sump location is specifically designed to be the lowest point in the system, most water will go there. But as water can continue to enter from around the foundation, the drain can control where this water ends up. Vapor barriers and high points in the drain catch water that might have found its way in. This forces the water to be collected from all angles, wall, floor joint, and under the basement. This then allows the sump to truly come in contact with all the water and moisture effecting the basement. The Grate Drain will deliver the water to this point, but it'll be up to the speed and strength of the sump pump to move the water out of the house faster than it coming in.
The Grate Drain is a powerful french drain system for the interior of your home. Protecting your basement or crawl space against leaks, flooding, or occasional moisture/humidity is what it is specifically designed for. This makes it an essential home improvement project for any home where the basement can be used.
Read more blog posts about the Grate Drain
Read more blog posts about the Grate Sump Sump Pump basin
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 Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
8/04/2010
Grate Drain vs. Iron Bacteria - how it can help control and protect.
The GrateDrain french drain system has the best set of protections against iron bacteria issues in the basement.
Iron bacteria is prevalent in America, with approximately 1 in every 5 basements having contact with iron bacteria in the soil it's a very real problem for households.
Iron bacteria, or iron ocher, can cause pipe clogs, kill sump pumps, and render most drainage systems completely useless. The Grate Drain on the other hand is one of the best solutions for waterproofing a basement while an iron bacteria issue is present.
Drainage holes
The openings in this french drain are specifically designed for iron bacteria situations. They are wide and smooth. Wide means it can carry more volume and it's harder for the bacteria to bridge the gap and cause clogs that hold on the exterior part of the drain. The holes themselves are punched out of the outer walls during the manufacturing. This makes the hole edges smooth and makes it harder for the bacteria to get a hold of the drain to gain in mass.
Built in Anti-Microbial
To futher defend the basement against the bacteria build up, this new version of the Grate Drain has had anti-microbial built into the plastic. If the bacteria reach the inside of the basement the drain's surface repells the substance to keep it from forming clogs or gaining mass. This helps to keep it at bay and makes it easy to flush out of the system.
Interior Slick Surface
The combination of the smooth punched holes in the drain and the smooth surfaces of the drain itself, helps to limit clogs and limit sediment from building up in the drain. If soil, sand, or silt find level resting places in any drain, this gives a rough surface for other silt and, in this case, iron bacteria to get a foot hold to build and expand.
The Grate Drain has other design elements that help it combat iron bacteria. Hopefully you've learned a little more about the drain product and some of the important features that can help to make the basement a safer and healthier place.
*Update 8/9/2010* I've continued on about some of the other features of the Grate Drain that help to limit and control the problems of iron bacteria: http://diyguyct.blogspot.com/2010/08/grate-drain-vs-iron-bacteria-2-control.html
For more information about GrateDrain visit: Grate Products: Basement Health
More information on Iron Bacteria and the Waterproofing Industry visit:
http://www.waterproofmag.com/back_issues/200904/iron-bacteria.php
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 Pioneer Basement a question directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
 |
| The GrateDrain System installed on the inside of a Basement. |
Iron bacteria, or iron ocher, can cause pipe clogs, kill sump pumps, and render most drainage systems completely useless. The Grate Drain on the other hand is one of the best solutions for waterproofing a basement while an iron bacteria issue is present.
Drainage holes
The openings in this french drain are specifically designed for iron bacteria situations. They are wide and smooth. Wide means it can carry more volume and it's harder for the bacteria to bridge the gap and cause clogs that hold on the exterior part of the drain. The holes themselves are punched out of the outer walls during the manufacturing. This makes the hole edges smooth and makes it harder for the bacteria to get a hold of the drain to gain in mass.
Built in Anti-Microbial
To futher defend the basement against the bacteria build up, this new version of the Grate Drain has had anti-microbial built into the plastic. If the bacteria reach the inside of the basement the drain's surface repells the substance to keep it from forming clogs or gaining mass. This helps to keep it at bay and makes it easy to flush out of the system.
Interior Slick Surface
The combination of the smooth punched holes in the drain and the smooth surfaces of the drain itself, helps to limit clogs and limit sediment from building up in the drain. If soil, sand, or silt find level resting places in any drain, this gives a rough surface for other silt and, in this case, iron bacteria to get a foot hold to build and expand.
The Grate Drain has other design elements that help it combat iron bacteria. Hopefully you've learned a little more about the drain product and some of the important features that can help to make the basement a safer and healthier place.
*Update 8/9/2010* I've continued on about some of the other features of the Grate Drain that help to limit and control the problems of iron bacteria: http://diyguyct.blogspot.com/2010/08/grate-drain-vs-iron-bacteria-2-control.html
For more information about GrateDrain visit: Grate Products: Basement Health
More information on Iron Bacteria and the Waterproofing Industry visit:
http://www.waterproofmag.com/back_issues/200904/iron-bacteria.php
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 Pioneer Basement a question directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
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