No More Floods
Homeowners everywhere have had to, at some point, face the frustrating reality that basements were built to flood. As the lowest point of the home, usually constructed entirely underground, basements are prone to flooding. The water can cause damage to personal belongings inside the home, and create a damp environment that allows for mold growth. Because of these risks, it is important to take preventative measures against flooding. Before we can discuss how to stop flooding, let’s talk about how it starts in the first place.
How Basements Flood
Basements flood for numerous different reasons in numerous different ways. During heavy rainstorms, water flows into pipes that ultimately lead toward the basement, and the water enters the home, flooding it. Additionally, as basements are mainly located underground, it is almost inevitable that groundwater will seep through the walls or floors of the basement, flooding the home. Many homes do not have proper waterproofing systems that efficiently protect against flooding. Today, 85% of homes only have their foundation walls “damp-proofed” with inexpensive black tar coatings and only have footing drains installed around the bottom of the foundation. The damp-proofing does not completely stop water and is only a temporary solution. The footing drains also provide for various problems, as they clog easily and will not prevent water from flooding the basement. Overall, basements are basically just a hole in the ground surrounded by an imperfect structure, and without the correct protection, basements will always leak and flood.
How to Prevent Flooding
This unfortunate flooding is not impossible to prevent! Healthy Basement Systems has various products we use to completely waterproof basements and permanently prevent flooding from occurring.
A product we highly recommend is our TripleSafe sump pump system, which contains 3 sump pumps in one sump liner and is the best option for effectively keeping water out of your basement through a pipe that discharges water away from the home. Additionally, Healthy Basement Systems recommends our IceGuard system, which is designed to automatically eject water away from the home if the pipe freezes over.
For wall protection, Healthy Basement Systems recommends our CleanSpace vapor barrier system. CleanSpace stops water vapor and drains wall leaks, keeping your basement dry and insulated. The system is a heavy, durable plastic liner, similar to a pool liner, and has been incredibly effective in our past basement waterproofing jobs. And, CleanSpace looks sleek and clean, brightening your basement!
Another important step in basement waterproofing is picking the right flooring. Healthy Basement Systems offers different options for flooring, depending on the kind of look you want for your basement! ThermalDry Floor Matting provides an airspace under your carpet so that water vapor does not get trapped and mold does not grow. This allows you to have a carpeted, waterproofed floor. For those seeking a wood-flooring look, we have ThermalDry Elite Plank Flooring, which looks like wood but is not wood at all! Since real wood absorbs water vapor, one small leak will destroy wood flooring and allow for mold growth. Our Plank Flooring will not be affected by water at all, keeping your floors dry, mold-free and beautiful!
