A leaky basement can be a common problem for many homeowners, but it’s essential to recognize when a basement leak is severe enough to require professional help. A wet basement can cause significant damage to the foundation and structure of the home, leading to costly repairs and potential safety hazards. Here are some signs that indicate you may need to call a professional waterproofer for your basement.
The first and most obvious sign is the presence of water in the basement. Water can seep through cracks in the walls and floors, making it difficult to determine the source of the leak. Water may also come from the ground, which can be a sign of poor drainage around the foundation. If you notice water in your basement, it’s important to act quickly and call a professional waterproofer to assess the problem.
Another sign that indicates a significant basement leak is the presence of mold or mildew. These growths thrive in damp, dark environments and can cause serious health problems, including respiratory issues, allergies, and infections. If you notice mold or mildew growing in your basement, it’s crucial to call a professional waterproofer to eliminate the source of the moisture and prevent it from returning.
A musty smell is also a sign that your basement has a significant water problem. The smell is caused by the growth of mold and mildew and indicates high humidity levels in the basement. A professional waterproofer can identify the source of the problem and provide solutions to reduce humidity levels and eliminate the smell.
Cracks in the foundation and walls of the basement can also indicate a significant water problem. Water can seep through these cracks, leading to serious structural damage and potentially causing the foundation to weaken. A professional waterproofer can identify the cause of the cracks and provide a solution that prevents water from entering and further damaging the foundation.
Remember a leaky basement can be a severe problem that requires professional help. Signs such as water, mold, and musty smells are indications that your basement has a significant water problem. Cracks in the foundation and walls can also indicate serious damage. It’s crucial to call a professional waterproofer as soon as possible to assess the situation and provide solutions to prevent further damage to the foundation and structure of your home. By acting quickly and calling in a professional waterproofer, you can prevent costly repairs and ensure the safety of your home and family.
Around Ohio, there are many old residential homes that, eventually, will start to have leaks and foundation issues. A damp basement is most noticeable during the rainier seasons, but it is a serious concern year-round.
A lot of family homes in Suffield, Ohio should have their basement carefully looked at and made waterproof because they are over 10 years old. Even newer family homes can occasionally have basement issues if the foundation was not laid properly or the house has moved.
If you have a Suffield home with basement problems, call Pioneer Basement Solutions at (888) 420-9900 right away and schedule an appointment. Frequently, you can get your basement waterproofed or have the house foundation repaired quickly and your basement will be more safe and pleasant.
Basement Issues To Watch For The house can have increased mold spores that can harm your heath and your family’s health. This can even make allergies worse. The danger could be something as serious as black mold, which is a serious danger, or less serious like basic mold and mildew, which is still not good to be around and can stain things you keep in the basement. If left unaddressed, minor basement leaks can turn into major waterproofing issue or eventually cause an issue with the foundation of the home bowing or becoming a bigger project. Get the leak looked at quickly.
Unexpected larger flooding after there is severe weather might cause water damage to belongings kept in your basement. Frequently it is stuff like board games, photo albums, tax records or expensive furniture that are kept in your basement safely as you assumed you did not have a leak in the basement and you felt it was safe.
You are not the first one. Even a small leak can get worse and you might not know it until it is too late.
Ohio Homes Will Need Waterproofing
Suffield basement waterproofing is important to consider because the Ohio houses in most communities are frequently older and need to have professional basement waterproofing specialists inspect your basement to verify there are not issues that could need to be repaired, and to let you know what could be done to repair any leaks or mustiness. Suffield, Ohio is located in Portage County, Ohio and was founded in 1836, which means there are many old homes around the area and there is no doubt more than a few basements leaking badly. The city is near Mogadore and Randolph and Pioneer provides Mogadore, Ohio and Randolph, Ohio waterproofing services also.
Wet Basement? What is the Cause and Best Solution?
Ever wonder what causes a wet basement or what the best solution is? Having a wet basement and trying to figure out the best solution can be quite stressful to a homeowner. First of all, lets discuss what causes a wet basement. To put it simply, there are two sources of basement seepage; ground water and surface water. How can you tell the difference between the two?
Some basements may have wet walls, which includes moisture on more than just the bottom row of block. This is an indication of water getting into the foundation from surface water activity. The best way to dry out the basement in this case is to restore the waterproofing seal on the outside of the basement walls by installing an exterior basement waterproofing system.
Exterior Basement Waterproofing
On the other hand, if your basement walls are dry but there is seepage where the floor and wall meet, it is most likely a ground water problem under the foundation. You may notice heaved floor cracks or discoloration in the cement. When ground water builds up under a basement floor, the best way to fix a wet basement in this case is with interior sub floor footer drains. This allows diversion of the water before it builds up to floor level.
Interior Basement Waterproofing
How Can You Find the Right Contractor?
Look for a basement waterproofing contractor that offers all methods of basement waterproofing. Beware of companies that tell you that there is only one way to fix a wet basement. They may claim to be a full service waterproofing company, yet they only offer their “patented system” and tell you that this is the best and only option. Many of these companies claim to be full service. They train their sales force to review the options they don’t actually install in a way that would cause you to say you do not want them, such as exaggerating the cost or minimizing the benefits.
There is no “one size fits all” solution that works for everyone. Each type of basement waterproofing system works differently so it is important to know what the cause of your issue is.
Call Pioneer Basement Solutions for a zero-obligation quote and basement evaluation. We can offer a no-nonsense solution to fix your wet basement. We do not use pushy sales techniques nor try to use scare tactics in order to intimidate homeowners. Contact us today and learn more about fixing your wet basement permanently and correctly!
If you are new to the experience you may be wondering how to compare basement waterproofers. I often hear prospective customers tell me they have had three basement waterproofers visit and each one had a different opinion and recommendation. And with the ease of internet marketing it is difficult to decipher things about contractors like the size and age of the business as well as reputation. Any business can launch a new website and look experienced and professional in an instant.
National (and franchise based) vs. local basement waterproofers
National waterproofers and franchises are easy to spot. They brag about how big the network is and if they go out of business the corporate office will still be there. Actually, national businesses and businesses operating franchises are not immune to going out of business. These basement waterproofers spend a lot of money on marketing. TV ads, print ads, large fancy trade show and county fair booths, catalogs mailed out to the home prior to the appointment, and a very large marketing organization consisting of telemarketing associates and highly trained sales people. Sales people trained on a word for word step by step process to sell they “patented” product. Oh, there is another clue. Patented systems mean everyone gets the same solution.
These companies are very good at convincing you they do it all. But look closely at both hands and you will see the sales presentation is designed to point to one final conclusion…the patented system. They never sell anything else to anybody.
Be careful to look at the credentials of the actual franchise and not the corporate statistics as well. For example, there are franchise based basement waterproofers that had a franchisee go out of business with bad BBB complaints in our area within the last five years. A new franchise owner has popped up, all new employees etc… So in effect this is a brand new business with no experience. But the image the brand holds is what the new guy is selling even though he has no track record.
Local basement waterproofers are also easy to spot because they often advertise “locally owned and operated since …” Local contractors spend a fraction of the marketing dollars of national companies. Look for how many employees the company has. Small business owners in this business are trending towards temporary labor and day labor. This can be risky for their customers. If anyone gets injured or causes damage to the property and they are not insured it will be your responsibility to cover damages & costs.
Many local basement waterproofers offer one solution not unlike the big national and franchise operations. There are those who only do exterior basement waterproofing and those who only do interior basement waterproofing. Again, in these scenarios every customer gets the same solution whether that is the best fix for your specific basement problems or not. There are very few basement waterproofers who do it all.
Reputation
It is not as easy as it used to be to do a quick glance at whether a company is listed with the Better Business Bureau and determine if they are solid or not. Almost every basement waterproofer in our area has an A+ rating and I don’t think anyone has less than an A-. That’s not because they are all great. You have to look at the number of complaints listed on the contractor’s profile. They can have over 30 complaints listed and have an A+ while others have zero complaints and an A+. As long as the contractor responds to the constant barrage of complaints they get an A+. In the meanwhile they have a pattern of very dissatisfied customers. You can read the actual complaints and contractor responses on the BBB site to get a good feel for how they do business.
So look for zero complaints, and look at things like when the business was established. If you hear from a contractor “25 years experience” it should be a red flag to look at the age of the business. There could be five employees with five years experience each and the business is one year old in this scenario. There is very good info on the BBB site, you just have to take a few minutes to dig into it.
BBB Accredited Business with an A+ rating and ZERO complaints
Twelve Time "Super Service Award" Winners from Angie's List
Home Advisor Screened and Approved
Another very good resource is Angie’s List. Angie’s List contains consumer driven information for their ratings. You’ll see not everyone gets an A there! Angie’s List sends homeowners a report card for each service performed by contractors on their list. Things graded are price, punctuality, responsiveness, quality and professionalism. These grades are then averaged for the contractors overall grade. You can click through actual report cards and read customer feedback on each interaction.
Do a google search for complaints.
Look at their website for content…is there quality information on a variety of topics or a simple landing page with a phone number and the basics? How about Facebook and Google + ?
Do they show picture of their actual work?
Interior Full Wall Basement Waterproofing System
Neat and clean job site after full excavation!
Call Pioneer Basement Solutions for a free no obligation consultation (for homeowners only) today!
Certainly there are other things to consider…hope these tips helped you compare basement waterproofers!