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This basement was having some problems with water intrusion around the floor/wall joints. This is a pretty common issue in basements, because it is a "weak" spot in the construction of the home. As you can see, this basement was not in the best shape, which was something that the homeowner also wanted to take care of, while we were fixing the water intrusion issue.
To help this homeowner out and solve both of their problems simultaneously, we used three products; WaterGuard Drain, BrightWall Paneling, and a SuperSump pump. These three products together provide a very good defense against water intrusion in the home. They work hand-in-hand to prevent the water from staying in the basement, by pumping it out as quickly as possible.
The crew started this project by excavating the area around the perimeter of the basement, as well as an area for the SuperSump. Once a trench was dug out around the basement, the crew began installing the WaterGuard drain, which is one of the main parts of the system. The WaterGuard is what actually catches the water and drains it to the sump pump, where it can be pumped out and away from the home. Last, but not least the BrightWall panels were installed. This not only helps to keep the water in and drained to the WaterGuard, but also makes the walls of the basement look better. They help to give the basement a more "finished" look, without the price tag of finishing a basement.
This basement in Candler, North Carolina had a lot of water intrusion. The homeowner was not happy with this water and wanted to do something about it, so they called All-Dry of the Carolinas. Water in a basement can cause a lot of problems, not just with your home, but with your personal health as well. It's a good thing this homeowner called before things got serious. If water is left sitting, it often causes mold and mildew to form, which is never a good thing and can seriously affect your health.
The "before" picture shows the area right around the basement stairs. You can actually see where the water has been by the left over dirt and clay. This was one of the main problem areas for this basement and it needed a solution badly.
The "after" photo shows off the solution, Waterguard. You can see where the Waterguard was installed,t he dark area of concrete is the wet concrete that is laid over the Waterguard drain. Any water that gets through the walls, is quickly drained to the sump pump and pumped out of the basement, to somewhere in the yard where the water will not drain back into the basement.
We pride ourselves on crafting solutions for customers with unique water issues. This Candler, North Carolina homeowner wanted to have a way to trap the water tracked in by the inhabitants of the home. This meant installing a contraption that could easily fit into the owner daily lives without much hullabaloo. That prompted our Design Specialist, David Listovitch, to recommend a traffic drain. That is the insert you find at the foot of the door in the “after” photo.
It has little slits that allow water into it, but it is also connected to a WaterGuard piping system that directs that water away.
It’s a great system that works seamlessly. After the cement dries, the floor can be recovered (leaving the traffic drain exposed) and no one will be the wiser. The only hint you will have that something has changed is the absence of water in the entryway. If that's not a job well done, we don't know what is.
Unfortunately, water soaking and leaking through basement walls is a relatively normal thing, especially in areas that get more rain. This is because the water mainly comes through as groundwater, slowly soaking through your walls, rather than rain just pouring into the basement. This is why a basement drain like Waterguard, is such a helpful product to have installed in your home. This homeowner had this exact problem, water was not rushing in, but slowly seeping through the basement walls.
The "before" photo shows part of the basement that was heavily affected by the water intrusion. You can see the signs of the water intrusion on the left wall. Most of the white "powder" are mineral deposits caused by evaporating water, leaving behind whatever minerals were in the water.
The "after" photo shows the same area, but with our system installed. The two products that are in the picture are our a SuperSump sump pump and our Waterguard system. The Waterguard runs the length of the wall and drains to the sump pump. This keeps water from just sitting on the basement floor or walls and actually gives it a place to go. Once the water drains to the sump pump, it is then pumped outside of the home.
No one likes a damp crawlspace. But no one really wants to go in to inspect the space when it’s dirty and humid. Many crawlspaces tend to look like a deserted wasteland, and people will eventually just accept that fact. But when there’s a dirt floor in the crawlspace without a barrier, moisture issues are almost unavoidable. And having a water pump system is nice, but those moisture issues may still persist if you don’t cover the dirt floor with a sufficient material and seal the space to prevent the vapor from rising up from the dirt floor. That was the problem this home had in Fairview, North Carolina.
In this crawlspace, there is efflorescence on the cement block walls, which is the residue left behind by that sneaky water vapor. Moreover, there’s clear evidence that the space has flooded several times over the years. The dirt floor is sloping and the concrete blocks are shaded by dirt and dried water. This is problematic because as long as there is no barrier the water vapor will continue to rise into the space, making it damp and humid, leaving dried water all along the walls.
In the after picture, we’ve solved this problem completely. We’ve laid CleanSpace, which is a 20 mil thick plastic liner, to cover the dirt floor and prevent water vapor from rising into the space. We’ve also installed a Super Sump Plus, to take care of the flooding problem. Our pump contains a WaterWatch alarm system that sounds off if water rises above the point where the pump should turn on. It has a SuperLiner with 96 holes that allow water to flow in directly from below the floor and an airtight lid which keeps moisture from evaporating into the basement environment. What you see here is the finished product.