Twip of the Day – Preventing Basement Leaks

Basement leaks are serious issues that need to be fixed as quickly as possible. When water leaks into your basement it causes multiple problems that can become extremely serious if not dealt with immediately. These problems include the propagation of mold and mildew, as well as costly structural damage to your foundation. The first step to take when you find a basement leak is to identify the source.

Washing machines are one of the main culprits in basement water problems. These problems usually occur because of age or improper maintenance. Check the hoses often to see if there is any wear-and-tear. Immediately replace these hoses if there is any problems that may cause a leak. Also, even though water heaters last for many years, they also develop rust. Rust and moisture are good indicators of a quickly approaching problem.

Sump pumps are the solutions to standing water in your basement, but they can also become damaged and become a big problem. Test your sump pump before the wet season begins. Also, installing a backup pump is another way to assure a moisture-free basement.

Often, basements get leaks from cracks in the walls. You can fill these cracks with caulk, or epoxy-based kits. This is a relatively easy DIY task, and should be simple for any homeowner to do.

ShockWave – Mar-flex Systems

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products is known for its commitment to the environment (through the Mar-flex GREEN initiative), American-made manufacturing, and quality products that are durable and reliable. Mar-flex’s flagship drainage board, the ShockWave drainage board, is one of the most effective boards in the industry, and the only 100% green board in the entire marketplace. ShockWave soaks up 101.11 per hour per lineal foot of groundwater, meaning that you never have to worry about water penetrating through your basement walls. ShockWave is also tough, standing up to an amazing 283.72 PSI of pressure. ShockWave is 100% green and counts toward LEED credits. Check out our distributor page today to start putting ShockWave on every project.

Twip of the Day – Installing a Sump Pump

Our past twips have talked about sump pumps and there importance in homes where the water table sits above the foundation. Without a sump pump constantly pumping water out of the crawl space or basement it will quickly become flooded. What most people don’t know, is that sump pumps are relatively simple to install, and can even be a great DIY project. The following are tips to installing a sump pump in your basement.

When marking the hole for the sump pump, make sure to pick the lowest point in your basement. The pump should also be located near a power source and an external wall. You may need to rent a jackhammer or use a sledge hammer to break the concrete for the hole.

The hole should be about three to four inches larger than the sump pump liner. When digging the hole, make sure its at least two and a half feet deep. Make sure to line the bottom of the hole with coarse gravel, which forms a solid base for the pump.

After placing the gravel, level it out and set the sump pump liner in the hole. At this point cut and attach the discharge pipe. The pipe should extend two to three inches above floor level for now. After doing this, backfill the hole all the way up to eight inches from the top of the hole. Then, fill the hole with dirt, up to four inches from the floor. Next connect a PVC pipe to the drainage pipe and cut a hole in the concrete wall for it to run through. After running the pipe and drilling in studs to secure its stability, run another portion of drainage pipe from the PVC to at least six feet away from the foundation of the home.

After doing all this, you finally have installed a sump pump. Plug the pump into a wall outlet, and turn it on.

Mastic 362

Mar-flex introduces another new innovation from the research and development department that brought you breakthroughs like ShockWave (the only 100% green board in the industry) and Geo-Mat Plus (recycled drainage rolls which make sustainability easy) comes 362 Mastic – the all season coating. 362 All Season Mastic is a heavy-bodied trowel grade coating. It is unparalleled when utilized for patching tie-holes and filling in honeycombed areas in both rough and smooth masonry surfaces. This product remains flexible during freeze/thaw cycles, and can be used during any season. The product arrives ready to use, so pick up yours today!

Twip of the Day – Proper Precautionary Steps

Our past twips have talked about what you need to install in order to achieve a dry basement, even in the wettest conditions. Something we haven’t touched on yet is the safety precautions necessary when you are working with these waterproofing tools. There are a few precautions you must take before using toxic dampproofing products.
When you are getting ready to use these products, you need to make sure you understand enough about them. Most dampproofing paints emit toxic fumes that should not be inhaled at any point. Breathing in these fumes for an extended period of time can cause brain damage or even death. An important safety instrument to use is a respirator. Respirators filter toxic chemicals out of the air you breathe. When you buy a respirator, make sure it works properly and provides a steady source of fresh air.
Another way to keep yourself safe when using these products is to assure proper ventilation in the basement. If you don’t have openable basement windows or a door leading to the outside, make sure to set up plenty of fans. Make sure that air is continually circulating in the basement at all times when you are performing a job.
Finally, taking regular breaks is paramount to your safety while you are using these products. Take breaks often to ensure you are getting enough fresh air, and allowing your body to filter out any harmful fumes which you may have breathed in.

Commercial Concrete Repair Solutions

As a structure settles, and suffers overload, cracks form in the foundation and concrete walls. When you find these minor cracks, it is imperative to repair them as quick as possible, because further cracking will result in structural degradation, which is extremely expensive to repair. Crack injection is the most widely accepted method of repairing foundation cracks. This is because its cost-effective, reliable, and even permanent. Mar-flex offers many concrete repair products, made from epoxy which are superior to other crack injection products. Epoxy injections don’t just seal cracks, they adhere to the concrete, allowing for further expansion and contraction, while stopping water from eroding the concrete any further. For commercial applications, ProKit Crack Injection Start Up Kit provides everything the building professional needs to repair a crack, including epoxy, injection guns, and much more. For all the DIY-ers in the marketplace, Mar-flex developed the Single Use Crack Repair Kit. This kit has everything a homeowner needs to repair cracks in the foundation of their home, all for a great value.

Twip of the Day – Waterproofing Basement Walls

Controlling household dampness is paramount to any home. A damp or flooded basement degrades your structural foundation, causes health problems, and allows the propagation of mold and mildew. Taking precautions can save you exorbitant amounts of money, because structural damage is one of the most costly repairs. There are a few simple tools you can use to effectively waterproof your basement and save yourself from all these problems.

The first tool you can use is a plastic vapor barrier. A plastic vapor barrier helps prevent moisture from forming on the inside of your basement walls due to changes in the temperature of the outside environment. The vapor barrier is installed over insulation and hammered into wall studs. The individual sheets are also taped together to create an air tight seal.

Another useful and common method is to install drywall. Drywall is also known as plasterboard or gypsum board. Drywall consists of gypsum plaster sandwiched between two layers of thick paper. The drywall is installed over the vapor barrier using drywall screws driven into wall studs. The next step is to use drywall tape and joint compound. They complete the initial waterproofing of your basement wall. A thin layer of joint compound is spread over any screw indentations and joint seams. The drywall tape is then pressed into the seams, and another layer is spread on top of the tape.

Latex paint is another useful tool in the fight against water penetration. The latex waterproofing paint is very thick and needs to be applied by hand with a strong, course paint brush. Two coats are highly recommended for maximum effectivity.

French drains are another essential piece of this puzzle. French drains are basically trenches dug into the ground or basement subfloor and are covered with rock gravel followed by a protective and durable cover. French drains are especially useful in sending excess water directly to a sump pump to be pumped outside the structure.

A sump pump is a water pump that sits in a hole created at the lowest point in the basement. This way it can catch excess water and pump it out of the structure, to a location at least fifteen feet away.

Another notorious place for water accumulation is your basement windows. A basement window well is a dual purpose device that can help in preventing this buildup. The first function of an egress window is to provide an emergency exit from the basement. Second, when connected to an outside drainage system, a window well prevents the accumulation of water at the windows and even lessens the chance of water entering the basement.

Proper waterproofing with these aforementioned tools can help your home maintain its value as well as provide many years of happy, healthy, and most importantly safe living spaces for you, your family, and your friends.

The Best Egress Windows in The Business

Window wells are an extremely important part of any habitable basement space. Our egress window wells allow more natural light and fresh air into the basement that regular basement windows, as well as adding beauty to the structure. Egress windows also allow for a quick and safe exit in the event of an emergency, which is why building code dictates that any habitable basement spaces be equipped with egress windows. Mar-flex manufactures some of the best egress windows in the business, made of polyethylene materials that don’t rust or dent like most other window wells. Our window wells are even manufactured with textured surfaces, simulating rock textures and many others. Visit our egress page today!

The Costs of Basement Waterproofing

When deciding on a waterproofing method for your home, its important to factor in several things when deciding how much to spend. While dampproofing is the easiest and cheapest method, it is also grossly ineffective at long term waterproofing, as dampproofing wears down and loses it durability over time. Spending a little extra on actual membrane-based waterproofing, with a drainage board, and a drainage tile may seem like too much to some homeowners. When water seeps into a basement, because of poor waterproofing, it is known to cause damage to the structural foundation, as well as cause the build-up of mold and mildew. The repairs to a structure can be extremely costly, and take a significant amount of time. Its much easier and more cost-effective to spend the extra money on a comprehensive system than it will be to make the repairs as problems occur. Choose Mar-flex Systems today, because Mar-flex is known for manufacturing durable waterproofing products that remain reliable for years to come, made in America, and backed by an industry-leading warranty system.

Twip of the Day – Dehumidifier as a Purifier

Using a basement dehumidifier is a smart way to reduce moisture that can build up in areas of your home without proper ventilation. Did you know that basement dehumidifiers also remove odors in the air due to moisture and humidity levels in the basement? Odor isn’t the only target of a dehumidifier though, it also purifies the surrounding air. Poor air quality in basements comes from dust which can carry dust mites. Dehumidifiers pull air into themselves through a filter, thus eliminating dust content in the air. Dehumidifiers are versatile tools that serve many purposes in your basement, not just removing moisture from the air.

Basement dehumidifiers are an effective means of reducing moisture that can build up in the areas of the home with little air ventilation. A dehumidifier, by removing this  moisture, can help mitigate the odors that the moisture brings into your basement. A dehumidifier also sucks the air from the the basement in through a filter, not only pulling moisture out of the air, but purifying it as well. So we’ve learned that a basement dehumidifier not only removes moisture from the air, but also dissipates odor, and functions as an air purifier, removing dust from the air.