Basement waterproofing and crawl space repair in NY

Call in the Foundation Crack Detectives

Wed, April 13 2011, 10:09:32 -500

Paul came up the basement stairs with a concerned look on his face. “Did you notice that crack in the basement wall?” he asked his wife.

Patty Colson didn’t seem to be concerned, barely looking up from the laptop computer that resided on the small desk at the edge of the kitchen. “Are you talking about the one in the wall behind the water heater?” she asked. “That’s been there for at least a year. I’m surprised you’re just noticing it now.”

Paul didn’t seem relieved. “Sure, I knew it was there,” he continued, “but it seems to be getting bigger at the top. I mean, the crack is getting wider.”

Patty still seemed unperturbed. “We asked Bob to look at it last spring, remember? He’s an experienced builder and he said that hairline cracks are normal in poured concrete walls. I wouldn’t worry about it,” she concluded.

Hairline Cracks

Patty is right about hairline cracks in concrete. Oftentimes they do occur when concrete cures, changing from a liquid to a solid. This type of crack usually doesn’t extend all the way through the wall, and it’s too narrow to admit a credit card.

It’s tempting to ignore cracks in your foundation, especially if they’ve been there for a while and you haven’t had problems with water coming through them. But Paul is also right to be concerned about this particular crack, because he noticed that the top of the crack is growing larger. Even though the difference in the width of the crack may be very slight, it has signaled a change. That change indicates wall movement.

If you have a question about cracks in your foundation, it’s smart to call in the crack detectives. Your local foundation repair expert can come to your home and inspect the crack. This expert will also evaluate the rest of the area; there may be more than one crack. Many times there are cracks on the opposing wall.

What The Causes Says About A Crack

If a crack is caused by a structural issue –like expansive soils, hydrostatic pressure, frost heaving or soil settlement, for example—it’s fairly certain that the crack will grow and become more severe over time. When this happens, water, insect pests, and hazardous radon gas have a much greater opportunity to enter the basement and cause problems.

• Standing water makes the basement unusable and unsafe, especially if the basement contains electrical equipment like water pumps, water heaters, and washing machines. Dampness alone causes problems by creating an environment where mold can flourish, releasing spores into the air that can cause severe respiratory ailments to home occupants.

• Insects and mice that enter a basement or crawl space through a cracked foundation can cause building damage and move upstairs into the living space.

• Radon gas is radioactive and can cause cancer in people who have high exposure levels.

Permanent Repair

There is good news about “problem” cracks in foundation walls. They can almost always be permanently repaired. The key here is to call in a contractor that specializes in this type of work.

When choosing an expert, choose one that doesn’t subject homeowners to temporary patching techniques that allow cracking to continue. Your contractor should be out for your best interest, and shouldn’t recommend expensive and extensive repair strategies that call for demolishing and rebuilding damaged foundations.

Instead, they should rely on steel piers, wall anchors and braces to overcome soil stability problems and to make the foundation strong and stable. These well-engineered, state-of-the-art repair components have a proven track record in residential and commercial applications, so you can be sure they will work on your house.

If there are cracks in your foundation walls or slab floors, don’t ignore them or rely on so-called “experts” who don’t really have expertise in foundation repairs.

Call in the foundation crack detectives –the folks at Frank’s Basement Systems. They are qualified and experienced in the foundation industry. Contact them today for a free estimate for structural repair in Rochester, NY.

Great Foundation Repairs Meet The Budget And Deadline

Wed, April 13 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Good, fast and cheap. I tell my customers they can have two out of three, but never all three. More than one contractor has offered this wisdom when describing how to do business successfully.

The longer version goes something like this: It takes skill, experience and specialized tools to do a good job quickly, and all of these ingredients cost extra, so cheap can't be combined with good and fast. On the other hand, fast and cheap is usually an attainable goal because you can use unskilled labor and tools that aren't as expensive. If you want good and cheap, expect the job to take longer because cheaper labor won't have the tools or skill to work quickly.

Foundation repair might be an exception to the out-of-three rule, providing that your foundation specialist has the right tools and materials to handle a wide range of foundation problems. Many foundation repairs can be done quickly, effectively and affordably, especially when compared to total foundation replacement, which is often considered the only option.

Foundation Example

Let's look at a couple of foundation repair examples to see if this good, fast & cheap goal can really be achieved. For starters, we've got a house with a basement wall that is being pushed inward by expansive soil. A poured-concrete foundation wall has cracked in a couple of places and is visibly buckling inward.

Contractor Number 1

The first contractor called in to assess the damage shakes his head and gives homeowners the bad news: I've seen this kind of damage before, he relates. Unfortunately, the cracking and bowing are pretty severe. The only way to permanently repair this damage is to demolish the bowed wall and rebuild a new wall in its place. We'll have to put this half of the house up on temporary supports for about 2 weeks. In addition to paying for the new wall, it's going to cost extra to bring the demolished concrete to the landfill.

Evaluation and Solution

This repair strategy may be good, but it's definitely not fast or affordable. But an experienced, full-service foundation repair contractor might be able to make this elusive triple play. He could propose installing wall anchors to stabilize the bowing wall and possibly pull it back close to its original position. Instead of taking two weeks and costing $30,000, a typical wall anchor repair can be completed in just a day or two for a fraction of the cost.

Foundation Example Number 2

What about a basement slab where one section has cracked and sunken several inches, making that part of the basement unusable? An experienced mason might easily recommend removing some or the entire sunken slab, then pouring fresh concrete to restore the slab to its original condition.

Once again, the contractor will have to deal with expensive and disruptive demolition issues. And because the easily compressed soil would remain in place beneath the new concrete, there's a strong likelihood that cracking and sinking will recur.

The Best Repair

A faster, better, and less-costly way to address a settled slab problem is to drive steel piers beneath the settled slab section until the piers reach stable load-bearing soil. Then the settled slab can be raised to its original level position and be anchored in place with brackets secured to the piers.

To finish the job, use mortar to fill the voids beneath the slab and holes for the piers.

This is another example of work that's done well, in a timely manner, and is affordable. But to achieve this trifecta, you need to find an experienced foundation repair specialist.

Contact the experts at Frank's Basement Systems to evaluate your foundation and offer the timeliest, affordable, and quality foundation repair in Rochester, NY and all surrounding areas.

Foundation Repairs in New York Now Being Offered by Local Basement and Crawl Space Expert

Thu, March 17 2011, 11:01:38 -500

Tonawanda, NY – Frank's Basement Systems, an already multifaceted contractor, is expanding its specialties to include foundation repair services, amplifying its untouchable 25 years of experience in basement waterproofing and crawl space repair.

The company is embarking in this expansion to broaden their capabilities and provide complementary and comprehensive support to homeowners—a "get it all in one place" approach.

In fact, it isn't uncommon for foundation repairs to join alongside waterproofing and encapsulation services, says owner Frank J. DiMaria.

"Sometimes a moisture problem is actually a symptom of a more serious foundation problem," explains DiMaria. "If we encounter foundation settlement or a foundation wall that’s being pushed in by expansive soil, it’s important to stabilize the foundation while also solving the moisture problem."

Frank's Basement Systems' high quality pier and anchor systems provide the assurance that even the most severely damaged foundations can be repaired quickly and affordably.

The team at Frank's Basement Systems is fully trained and certified to conduct comprehensive foundation inspections; in addition, they utilize patented, industry-leading products to make permanent foundation repairs.

Training, engineering support and repair systems are supplied by Foundation SupportWorks, a contractor network across the United States and Canada dedicated to helping residential and commercial property owners repair their failing foundations.

"We're very glad to have the expertise and superior products that Foundation SupportWorks supplies," says DiMaria. "It's good to know that we're in a position to handle basement and foundation issues from A to Z, helping home and business owners to improve the value, safety, energy efficiency and usability of their buildings."

Frank's Basement Systems is a highly reputable basement waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation expert with 25 years of experience. Frank's Basement Systems has acquired the expertise, experience and equipment to handle even the most challenging moisture problems that pollute basements and crawl spaces. Contact them today for a free estimate for foundation repair in Rochester, NY and all surrounding areas.

Getting Rid of Musty Basement Odors

Fri, February 25 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Does your basement smell musty? Damp? Do you wonder where the smell is coming from?

That damp smell is actually, and unfortunately, mold. You might not be able to see it yet, but if the smell is there, so is the mold.

Mold is a fetid fungus which thrives in warm, wet environments and in the presence of organic matter, in which it feeds.

It is always warm enough in your home for mold to grow, and there is always some organic matter for it to feed on.

Even if your basement is unfinished and never used for storage, household dust carries enough organic matter in it to feed mold. These are things you can't control.

That said, the only way to prevent or eliminate musty odors in the basement is to control and eliminate moisture. If your basement is already smelly, that means one of two things:

You have something organic, porous and absorbent in your basement that recently came in contact with water and did not dry completely in 48 hours. That is, according to the EPA, how long it takes for mold to develop.
Your basement has a chronic moisture problem which needs to be addressed before mold growth gets out of control.

If you had anything organic, porous and absorbent in the basement, that came in contact with water and did not completely dry in 48 hours, you need to remove and discard asap. (That includes wood, paper, fabric, cardboard, upholstery). Organic matter feeds mold and once contaminated, according to the US EPA there is no 100% effective and safe way to remove mold from them.

Please be careful! If you have a mold problem that stretches for more than 10 sq feet, don't do anything. Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Disease Control, urge homeowners to call for professional help when the mold infestation is larger than 10 sq feet.

If it is smaller than that, you can clean it yourself with a bleach solution, (1 cup of unscented bleach per gallon of water). But you will need a N95 mask, goggles rubber gloves, and provide good ventilation. You do not want to breath in bleach fumes or mold spores and you don't want any of it in contact with your eyes and skin. Wire brush can be used to scrub the basement wall.

If your basement has a chronic moisture problem you will need to address it both ways:

By minimizing ground water infiltration through the basement walls. That can be accomplished with a good interior drainage system, like our patented Waterguard and a reliable sump pump system. By keeping the soil around the foundation as dry as possible, you will eliminate the bulk of the pressure that causes the water to leak in.
In addition, you will need to take every precaution to bring down the Relative Humidity levels in the basement, which may be apparently dry, but if it is still allowing mold growth, it is humid enough to allow it. Due to differences in temperature between the basement, the outside and the rooms above, there is always some level of condensation, which needs to be addressed with a good dehumidifier like our Energy Star Rated Sanidry.

Mold thrives in environments in which the RH is at 60% or above and the only way to eliminate the problem is to run a dehumidifier to keep moisture levels at or below 55%.

If you live in the Greater Buffalo, NY area, including Niagara Falls, Lockport, North Tonawanda, Amherst, Cheektowaga, and West Seneca, let Frank's Basement System help you with get rid of your basement mold problems.

We've been your trusted, locally owned and operated basement waterproofing company for over 25 years. As a Basement Systems dealer we have access to 24 patented and award-winning products to custom design a basement solution that is right for you.

You don't have to live with a smelly, moldy basement! Contact us today for a free estimate!