Is it bad for your health to have standing water in the basement? - Reader Question

The longer water sits in the basement or crawl space, the more time it has to contribute to the conditions of the home.

Water that sits in an area like the basement, doesn't move, doesn't filter, and is allowed to do so, can breed problems.

Water normally carries bacteria and other microscopic organisms with it. Standing water allows these bacteria to multiply in your home. As water evaporates these bacteria can become air born which will effect your air quality. Standing water also directly effects the amount of moisture in a basement or crawl space which will, again, effect your indoor air quality.

A basement that has an increased level of moisture has an increased chance of harboring mold colonies. Mold requires cool, damp and dark conditions to thrive in addition to a food source. A food source for mold is anything that can be organically decomposed or digested by the mold (wood, cardboard, paper, clothing, pictures, wood stairs, etc.)

Dealing with water quickly is the key to success:
As I mentioned, the longer the water stays untouched in the basement, the more of a chance it will effect, and the longer it will have the ability to effect the indoor air quality of the basement and the home.

Moping up, dry "vac-ing", and drying out the area will help you gain back control of the usable space. Run a dehumidifier and turn the heat on to warm up the basement - this will help the water to be moved off of the floor or the basement.


Don't let the water sit
Move the water, clean it up
Dry out the space - dehumidifier, heat and fans.

The longer the water sits the longer it has to cause problems in the basement - especially in a finished basement.

If your basement or crawl space has even a brief history of this occurring, seriously consider having a GrateDrain system installed in the trouble spots to help keep this from happening again.


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!

New Blog to help business owners find a Product.

Recently the owners of Grate Products asked me to write a bit on their new CrackShield product that they are training contractors on. The writings have started to take a live onto themselves and now I've been putting them together in a blog entitled Contractor Solutions for Foundation Crack Repair.

I'm hoping that this blog will do a few things:

1.) show people who are starting small businesses nationwide that there are profitable businesses to be had in the home improvement industry.

2.) help people navigate their way to the National CrackShield Site so they can learn more about the product, how to buy it, or how to join the Grate Products Contractor network

3.) Give me a place to deal more with foundation repair in addition to basement waterproofing matters.

Foundation problems often give way to leaks, and eventually wet basements, so I'm hoping that by shedding some very detailed light on foundation wall crack repair, both businesses and homeowners alike will learn more about their foundations.

Looking for..?:
Foundation repair in New Hampshire?
Foundation crack repair in Massachusetts?
Learn more about CrackShield
Visit my Foundation Repair Blog


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!

Will a sump pump alone solve a wet basement? - Reader Question

This is a common misconception that many homeowners, and even many plumbers and contractors have. A sump pump, by itself, will not completely solve a wet or flooding basement problem.

Sump pumps have limited reach. If the volume of water coming in is higher than the volume the pump can remove from under the home, the pump will run, but leaks and seepage can still happen. This typically seen as seepage in an opposite corner to where the pump is actually installed.

For solving a wet basement, a sump will be needed, however it will need to have it's reach extended by some basic drainage like the GrateDrain in order to be truly effective. 

Sump pumps have limited reach by themselves

As sump pumps remove water from underneath the basement floor, water at higher levels further away fills the void (seeks it's own level) and travels to the low point created by where the pump removes the water. Water further away from the pump could actually be coming into contact with the footing and basement floor, and if the pump can't move the water fast enough, the water touching the floor of the basement could cause seepage or flooding.


Remember water can come in via 3 distinct roots
-the foundation wall (cracks, leaks, and pin holes)
-between the wall and the footing (there's a cold joint where water can sneak through)
-beneath the floor (natural water pooling, water table, springs, saturation, etc)

Sump pumps can most directly deal with the water coming up from the basement floor, but if the cause of water in the basement is from a foundation leak, or water seeping through the cold joint, the sump pump can't isolate and remove it.

This is why sump pumps, alone, can't solve every possible water problem in a basement. Drainage and a possible wall vapor barrier might be needed to solve the issue that you're currently having. Free inspections and estimates are given my most basement waterproofing companies.

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!

Construction news, projects, and flood response from around RI, MA and the United States

Second hearing on flood prevention projects in Cranston, RI
http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/03/-cranston-ri----a.html

Rhode Island DOT
http://www.dot.state.ri.us/

Hands on Disaster Response
http://hodr.org/pages/rhode-island/
(other news on Tennessee, Haiti, and other National/International Disaster Response)

$149M flood aid for RI, Tenn. passes key vote May 13th, 2010
"PROVIDENCE, R.I.—A key U.S. Senate panel on Thursday approved a bill to provide $149 million in aid for Rhode Island and Tennessee along with..." (Read More)


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!

Still getting Water in the Basement - Reader Experience - Plus 3 things you can do.

"It's been weeks since the first storm, and we keep getting water in out basement. It now seems that every rain more comes in, is this normal?"

Disappointingly yes, it is very normal / common for a basement, once it's seen a flood, to experience trickles if not continuous water through the same trouble areas when it rains.

In the situation of the North East, many homeowners are seeing water in their basements and then seeing it again with the next storm. Having an area like the North East and North West where it's damp, moist and rains throughout the year, it's regular thing to have.

Why is this?

Once water finds a way through it means that the openings and separations are large enough for water to come through. Add high volume, heavy saturation in the soil to capillary action, the water can actually attract or pull water behind it into the basement. Pressure behind the water in the basement pushes more water in the fill the void as the water in your basement is cleaned, pumped, or vacuumed out. It's very un-nerving to see and more unsettling to continue to deal with.

Were is this kind of thing "normal"?

Well it can happen to any basement anywhere, but it's most common in valleys. Houses that are situated at the base of a hill which gets run off from the houses above it in elevation. Other homes pump out water, rain comes down, roof run off; all of it collects and runs down the hill. It increases the saturation level as it flows down and if the house is located in just the right area at the bottom, entire sections could be in fact trying to fend off the whole neighborhood's water run off.

How can you fix it?

A house in a situation like this will need an interior drain system. Even if the house had an exterior system it's better to be protected for the long term. Exterior systems don't normally pump or remove water from them - they even sometimes just let the water run through the pipe but don't direct it anywhere - these types of designs can be dangerous.

Give yourself a fighting chance

1.) Make sure all your gutters are flowing, there's no gaps, and that are all being led away from the foundation

2.) Make sure your roof is draining properly. A few shingles out of place can dump more water in 1 section of your home then it can handle.

3.) Install an interior waterproofing system - this will stop any leaks or seepage and give it a place to go - this is the most important step.

If the problem is already happening it's hard to change small things to stop it. However making sure that your home isn't contributing the water is 1 less thing that can cause a problem.

Looking for...
Basement waterproofing in MA?
Basement Waterproofing Contractor in New Hampshire?
Wet Basement Repair in Maryland?

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!

Basement Waterproofing in Maryland and Washington DC

Floodbusters Inc in Maryland recently started publishing a blog about basement waterproofing in maryland. Their latest post goes into a bit more about why they chose to use the Grate Drain over other interior waterproofing systems.

Post
The effects of drainage systems used in basement waterproofing

Many contractors in the Grate Products Network have been proud to install the Grate Drain over other systems. Basement Waterproofing is a tricky business, and if you don't use the right products to start with, problems follow the homeowner in whatever projects they decide to pursue - finishing, playrooms, etc.


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!

Basement Dehumidifiers - Getting the jump on Humid Summer Weather.

A dehumidifier is a great way to keep the relative humidity down in the basement. This helps keep it cool, dry, and helps to circulate and filter the air in the basement. As I've mentioned before, over 40% of the air you breath day-to-day comes from the basement. The healthier the air, the better it is for the rest of the home.

Excess dampness and moisture in the basement air can cause smells to occur in the summer. This is typically the work of the dampness allowing mold to grow somewhere in the basement, but the moisture itself has a smell. This odor and moisture can and will travel into the first floor of the home. Covering up the odors isn't dealing with the problem, and if you're experiencing this on your first floor, it's time to address the issues causing them in the basement.

Dehumidifiers actually remove the moisture from the air and replace it with dry air. Removing the moisture isn't just good for your health, it's also good for your electricity bill. Too much moisture in the air will actually make it harder for your Air Conditioning units to cool the air in the home. The harder they have to work means they run longer and increase your electricity bills.

When buying a dehumidifier for your basement look for a few key things:

*Filters - if they can filter the air to clean out dust mites, mold and other spores, then go with that. You get more from a unit that can clean the air as well as remove moisture

*Drainage options - Some units, like the Santa Fe Classic and Compact units, come with condensate pumps, and others can be hosed right into an existing sink or drainage system - make sure that your unit can do this to limit the amount you have to empty the machine.

*Ducting - Some dehumidifiers can be ducted to other parts of the basement (ideal for finished basements) to force air circulation and filter and clean the air from other sections of the space.

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!