Do you have Water Problems?
You may…if your home has one or more of the following:

• musty odor
• high humidity
• dampness
• white powdery substance
• damp spots on the walls and/or floor
• visible mold
• puddles on the floor
• cracks in the wall and/or floor
• visible silt
• rust around metal objects
• warped paneling
• black/green spots on sheetrock
• insects
  

Someone else’s problem…Or something you should consider?
 “This Old House” magazine states, “If you have a soggy basement, you're not alone. The American Society of Home Inspectors, based in Washington, D.C., estimates 60 percent of U.S. homes have wet basements, and 38 percent run the risk of basement mold”.  In fact, wet basements & crawlspaces are the number 2 problem in homes on the eastern seaboard.

And Consumer Reports states, “Waterproofing a basement is time consuming, messy and expensive. Many homeowners don’t realize this or won’t face up to it. And therein lies a trap - a specious promise of an easy solution”.  Bottom line, the earlier the problem is addressed the easier and less expensive it is to fix.  

You should know that the severity of the problem is NOT determined by how much or how often the foundation leaks. Very simply, foundations are not supposed to allow moisture to enter!

Well then, WHY does this happen?

The Culprits: Concrete, Tar, and Type of Water…

1.    Concrete.  Foundations are built with all or some concrete. Concrete is porous. It absorbs water like a sponge. A foundation does not need a crack to leak. If water or moisture comes near a concrete surface the water will be absorbed by the concrete. ALL foundations are built with concrete. Even brick, stone and terracotta foundations use concrete (mortar) as a leveling agent.
2.    Tar.  All homes are waterproofed when built. The majority of those homes are waterproofed with an asphalt-based product (tar). Tar is biodegradable. It has a shelf-life of 7 years. Eventually the tar will dehydrate & lose its’ elasticity. When that happens the tar will crack while the house settles. Once the tar cracks the water has a direct path to the concrete which will then absorb the water.
3.    Type of Water.  Two forms of water can cause moisture problems. Surface water (grading, downspouts, window wells, etc) and sub-surface water (high natural water table, underground stream and false water table). Surface water problems usually do not cause standing water in a foundation. The main symptom will be damp walls closer to the top of the wall. If the majority of dampness is at the base of the wall or there is standing water after heavy rains there is a good probability that it is a sub-surface water problem.

The Healthy Home Peace of Mind Solution
There are two general methods to fix a sub-surface water problem:
1. Waterproofing - waterproofing (sealing) the foundation can only be done correctly from the outside. Interior sealants will seal the water inside/outside the walls and increase the hydrostatic pressure. This will increase the chances of structural problems as well as speed up the deterioration process. These interior sealants get in to the pores of the concrete & stop it from breathing. This will slow up the evaporation process. The longer the water stagnates, the more mold & odors.  Since it’s the water you cannot see that is the problem, interior sealants are only handling the water you can see (the symptom). When the foundation is sealed from the outside along with perforated piping next to the footings these problems will not occur. The water is drained away from the house which alleviates the pressure & the walls are sealed from the outside so water cannot get in to the walls. If you also have water coming up through the floor this method alone will not work. You will have to add an interior sub-floor drainage system in addition.  Healthy Home’s waterproofing system is designed specifically for your problem.   But start simply – call us today to schedule your Straight Answer Inspection™.  If a waterproofing solution is needed, you can rest easy in knowing that we will warranty all of the contracted areas when we are done.
2. Water Management - this is an interior method that will allow the water in, direct it below the floor to perforated piping and ends at a submersible pump to eject the water back outside. This is the more commonly used method because of a lower price and usually less intrusion. Many times called a “french drain” this method can solve the entire problem as long as it is designed to address both water coming in from the walls and up through the floor.
Healthy Home’s water management system is designed specifically for your problem. This is why a Straight Answer Inspection™ is necessary before a solution and a price can be given. When we are done, our warranty will cover the walls and the floor against water penetration. Very few companies in our industry will warranty the walls to be dry when installing a water management system.

Don’t wait until your potential water problem is more costly than it needs to be.  Call us today to schedule a Straight Answer Inspection™ – or Chat online!

Choose Healthy Home and Choose Peace of Mind!