Basement Waterproofing Companies – Doing quick research in a panic situation

This past weekend the North Eastern United States got pounded with some huge rain totals. Some areas like New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island saw, in some areas, 100 year flood conditions. East Shore areas of Maryland also quite drastic flooding in places.

In a panic, it’s easy to flip through the Yellow Pages, find the first 5 listings and call them to get someone out to your home in a hurry to have someone out this second to get things right in your home. However, this is how many customers get into trouble. With quick, unrehearsed choices in companies it’s easy to get wrapped up into a deal with someone you don’t trust, and with a horrible end product that doesn’t last as long as it should.

There are a few key places that anyone with Internet access can use in order to do some quick research on if a company delivers what they promise and if their customers think the same.

The first place that I normally suggest to everyone is the Better Business Bureau or www.bbb.org. Not only can you search by state, you can get information on how long they’ve been in business, who’s in charge, and how many customer issues they’ve had over the past 36 months. What’s better is that you can get a quick sense of how they handle things in tough situations. Do they just blow people off? Or do they take the time to really try to work something out, even if it may not be what the customer really wants (otherwise known in marriage as a compromise). **Keep in mind, the longer the business has been in business the longer it has to gather customers and help make them unhappy or keep them happy. Businesses that have been around for 10-20+ are normally there because their customer base is happy and they have a solid reputation locally.

Another place that I tell everyone to search is his or her local state department. Run the name of the company through the paces; make sure they have a license to back up the work in the state that you’re in. The worst mistake you can do is use a contractor or company to waterproof you basement that isn’t monitored by the state…then you’re really not protected.

Thirdly, if you’re a member, use Angie’s List www.angieslist.com. Members get access to reviews and ratings put together by other users. Yeah, it’s a feature that you might find on Yelp.com or ServiceMagic.com by since these members PAY to use the site to do research, you KNOW these people are serious and will leave honest reviews of the company, their experience and what they got out of the deal. Even though the reviews might be real or serious, Google Maps shouldn't be a place that you weigh a company. Unknown to many people Google Maps isn't monitored except for it's Users. This makes it an easy place for companies to pay or have staff bad mouth each other openly in hopes of skewing your choice.

Next is the company’s web site. Do they have one? What does this company sound like? Do they have places on the site to help you there deal with the issue, forums, and live support? Things like these can really come in handy if you’re stuck at work trying to deal with a problem that you really only have time for a quick IM chat for.

After that, make some calls to friends. Have they heard of these companies, good or bad things, have they done any work for your family, co-workers, and doctors? Getting feedback from people who are close to you is normally a solid judge of character.

The last suggestion is check the National Association of Waterproofing and Structural Repair Contractors (www.nawsrc.org) You can see who’s certified in your state and really pinpoint who you might want to start your conversation with when talking about fixing your foundation or your basement water issues.

Basement waterproofing, even if you’re a few feet in water already, is something you want to go through once and make sure it’s done by professionals with the products and credentials to provide support to you in the future.

With all this rain, all the water, and all the flooding, it’s easy to make a flash judgment and get in over your head (flooding puns not-intended).

 



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!

Looking for Help? Basement Waterproofing Companies in your Area:
Basement Waterproofing Boston
Basement Waterproofing in New Hampshire
Basement Waterproofing in Baltimore and Washington DC
Basement Waterproofing in New Jersey

Welcome New Readers! - Information you might like!

Recently I found that Blogger was referring quite a bit of new readers over to my blog (was it because I have posted so much? Is it cause I'm already rather cool? Maybe rumors have spread about my ability to turn lead into gold?)

So firstly - Dear Blogger, thanks for thinking so highly of me!
And to my new visitors and readers - Thanks for visiting!

This blog is dedicated to information and practical examples on basement waterproofing, foundation repair, and taking care of the basement and crawl space to help make a healthier home. Many people recently in the North Eastern Unitied States have started searching for service companies through the internet to help them repair and correct conditions in their home. This was even more the case during the past 2 weeks of rather heavy rain. Basement Waterproofing Services in Maryland and even up to Maine saw busy phones and paniced people.

This blog is really a resource of useful links, reading, and information to help a home owner stay calm or help a contractor find help with a project they're in the middle of.

Some Helpful Links:
Floodbusters Inc - Basement Waterproofing Baltimore, Maryland
Pioneer Basement - Basement Waterproofing Massachusetts, Rhode Island & CT
Select Basement Waterproofing - New Jersey's Best Basement Waterproofing Company.

If you need help, there is a full list of the Grate Products Contractors on the right hand side --->

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!

Sump Pumps, Service and Learning to Live in New England - Nor'Easter hits New England with Massive Rain and Flooding

(Boston, ma) Over 50,000 homes at the end of February and into March were without power causing many homeowners to flood or experience water in their basements for the first time in their lives.

Coastal towns like Plymouth and Sandwich Massachusetts saw water being thrust at them not only from the sky, but also from the surging beaches.

Increasing water table from natural accumulation saw many homes surrounded by water or with inches or more into their basements.

“With a huge Nor’easter storm like this, it’s hard to keep your home protected from it.” says Steve Andras, president of Pioneer Basement Waterproofing in Mass. “Many of our customers learned from last years ice storm at the end of December and bought their battery backup sump pumps which helped them wait out the majority of the downpours.”

“It’s really a key support that any home in New England should have with the amount of annual rain fall this part of the country has. Otherwise you’re really just gambling on the severity of the storm which no one can control.”

Response teams from emergency crews, basement waterproofing companies and even fire departments all over Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island responded around the clock to calls coming in, well over 24 hours.

“It’s a yearly occurrence that is happening at an interesting time this year,” said Chris Brown, president of Rescon Basement Solutions of New Hampshire. “Normally you can expect snow or rain, but not both in such an odd pattern this late in the winter. It was a storm that definitely took many households by surprise in Northern Massachusetts.”

With even the most extreme pump provided by some local Fire Departments having trouble keeping up with volume in some shore towns, homeowners got a solid reminder of what this part of the country can see during Hurricane season.


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!

Foundation Wall Crack Repair System – CrackShield

CrackShield is a 2-part crack repair system that is designed for the most skilled contractor and for the novice looking to step into the repair industry.

Grate Products has combined injection methods with strength additives to repair the wall together into a kit that is intended for foundation wall crack repair.

On the website http://www.crackshield.com/ it goes into a bit more detail about how the products work together in order to form a more thorough wall repair. There are also instructions on how to purchase CrackShield, become a CrackShield contractor, or just to learn more about what CrackShield does for a basement wall.

To anyone wishing to add a crack repair method to their skill set, you can simply contact Grate Products on their site or through CrackShield.com to find out when the next training session is. Don’t think for a second that this is a kit that will magically show up at your doorstep and you can start the next day, there is a very detailed check-list for each job, including how to inspect and assess each crack in each wall.

In the contractor section of Grate Products, there are training videos for further educating staff and technicians on the tools and techniques used with CrackShield. After going through the training at the Grate Products Training Facility in Westport, you’ll gain access to these videos as well as to our network of skilled support staff.

Add to your existing business, start a new one, increase the earning potential for your service staff, whatever the case is, CrackShield is an excellent tool to have in your toolbox as a local professional in your area.


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 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!