Sunday, April 29, 2012

Basement Waterproofing - Consider Your Options Carefully


Foundation problem is one of the worst things for any residential structure. In majority of the cases water has been identified as the primary cause. So it should necessarily get you alarmed if you’re particularly a house owner and you must think of waterproofing your house. It’s always best to start with waterproofing your basement, as this is the root from where all the other foundation related problems usually generates.

First Address All the Possible Aspects of the Problem

While water can be one of the most necessary things when it comes to the matter of saving human lives, but it can also be one of the deadliest enemies of your basement foundations. The initial step you have to takebefore starting the basement waterproofing process is to address all the possible aspects of the problem. Suppose while you’re trying to assess in what ways your basement is leaking but leaving out one portion of possibilities while concentrating on some others, then it’s always possible that the problem will not end permanently. You have to be thorough while assessing the possible ways water can penetrate so that you don’t face the same problem twice. 

Keep Your Foundation Dry in All Possible Ways

One of the most primary and elementarythings you should dois to keep the foundation of your basement dry. To do such, you can find hiring a foundation repair company handy to do the job for you or you can also take the measures yourself. However, it’s basically wiser to leave it in the hands of the professionals in this area but you can take the matters in your hands as well. In that case, the first problem you’ll see is that most of the typical concretes are not waterproof. The un-cracked concrete can easily keep out the water, yet there’s every possibility that you’ll not be able to prevent water vapor from penetrating through it. So it’s best to keep water drained away from your concrete foundations.  This will stop the water from penetrating through your basement’s concrete foundations and keep you free from facing the problem of basement leaking.    



Repair the Cracks for Water Prevention

Duringyour basement waterproofing, you should eye on fixing those small cracks in the foundation. You can use the exterior repair method in this purpose and this should fix your problem once and for all. In such cases, excavation is done to repair the cracks. After completing the excavation, the cracks are filled and by this time your work is almost finished. You should also test the water to ensure that the foundation’s weeping tile system is working in a proper manner. After the cracks are done, it’s time for a system that’s called Dimpled Membrane. Applying this method will ensure that the water never comes back to ruin the foundation of your basement.

In the case of waterproofing your basement, there will always be some measures you’ll understand and some you’ll not, but when it comes to turn your basement into a waterproofed one then it is better you don’t take any chances. Like in other cities in Canada, you can always find a renowned foundation repair company in Ottawa. Though hiring a competent company can cost you like $1000 to waterproof your basement, but it will also ensure that you get a nice and strong foundation of your house that will go on for years. 

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Structural Damage - What You Should Know!


As you need a doctor’s suggestion and regular check up in order to keep yourself healthier and stronger, you must check your house regularly to strengthen your protection. Structural damage must be a very well known fact to you if you are house owner. It does not only impinge on your house’s foundation but also lessens your house’s value. So, before you lose your protection you must take proper care of your house. Spend money on it otherwise it will cost you double when you keep it will become worse later on.

Expansive Soils Are One of the Primary Causes of Your Anxiety

In most cases, foundation repairs cause from problems regarding expansive soils. The problem can be overloading, poor waterproofing, disproportionate minerals, compaction problem etc. As the name suggests the main problem with these soils is their expanding and shrinking nature which changes with the moisture that is contained in the soil. It expands when it is damp and shrinks when it is dry. This can cause damage to your house structure as the expansive soils cause stresses which affects the foundation of your house. You can apply the proper methods of underpinning your house which guarantees the stability of your foundation.



When Water Becomes the Villain

Water accretion can create a great deal of damages when it happens in the soil in the region of the foundation of your house. It can expand the soil and can also cause stress on walls and the base of the foundation which results in cracking. To avoid these types of troubles, you must make sure that the drainage system is good and properly made, the slopes are made in proper way and soil is accurately graded. The drain system mostly connects to the sewer system of your house which helps the excessive water to be removed from the surface level. You should also think about building a perimeter drain system which conduits the sub-surface water far from your foundation. In rainy season or in excessive rain, your house can be affected grimly. You should keep in mind that your drainage system must be built in proper way so that it can protect your house from being affected. You can use concrete, plastic pipes, tiles to make the drain system. Whether you find any problem with your house’s drainage system, call on the professionals then and then for their suggestions. 

You must test the areas in where you are thinking about building your dream house. Test it with the help of experts and the local building authority to watch out the existence of expansive soils in the area. Remember one thing. This is not that type of matter which you can keep for the weekends to do by yourself. Don’t think twice seeking help from the connoisseurs when you face this kind of problem.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

How Serious Are Foundation Cracks?


A building foundation is indeed very vital in every structure there is. It should be the primary consideration when one is planning to put up a house, a condominium, a shopping mall, a high rise hotel or a coliseum. No matter how small or big an establishment it may be, having a strong foundation is a prime requirement. 



A building’s foundation determines its capacity to withstand forces of nature like earthquakes, typhoons or strong winds. Without having a strong foundation, a structure is weak in every aspect. A building with a weak foundation could easily have foundation cracks or worse, major damages such as structural damage of the entire building.  This poses a threat to the community of which it stands. Indeed, securing a strong-enough foundation is a safety issue.  A building that does not have a firm and stable foundation could collapse at any time and pose danger to the society.  

One of the major indicators for a weak building foundation is the presence of foundation cracks. It should be considered as a warning sign and should never be taken for granted. Delaying concrete repairs of these cracks is dangerous. It can lead to a more serious problem and more costly foundation repairs. Much more obvious signs include sunken floor foundations and wall leaks. If they are observed, an immediate call to a foundation repair company should be made at once.

Foundation Repair Companies

The internet has some rich resources of companies that offer great services at great deals. Normally, you need data regarding the correct floor area of your basement so that the company can give an initial quote. From that, you can start scouting companies and compare their offers.

In choosing the company to provide you with a foundation repair service, consider the ones that are already proven and tested. Foundation and concrete repairs are best handled by competent professionals. And a credible company definitely should have these professionals to ensure quality of their projects.

Foundation repair costs vary from one company to the other. What you can do is to ask for various quotes from different companies and compare which package is more reasonable and practical to you.  One foundation repair company in Ottawa offers foundation repairs something around $10,000.  

Indeed, having to go through any building foundation repairs requires no petty cash. Therefore, to avoid future foundation problems and costly repair service, make sure that foundations be critically designed and analyzed for safety prior to construction. A good foundation design not only minimizes, if not prevent future concrete repair and other related problems but more importantly, it ensures safety of the people staying inside and around it. 

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Basement Waterproofing Facts


Have you been bothered by a flood of water in the basement for the longest period of time? Do you feel like you’ve tried every possible basement pipe repairs but the water just won’t stop coming out? Are you tired of having to clean and dry your basement over and over again?  Perhaps, it is about time that you install an effective basement waterproofing system in your home. 
Basement waterproofing is a method of preventing water to seep into the basement floor.  Basically, this technique includes drainage system improvement and/or sealing the basement floor itself.  As soon as you notice a collection of water in your basement floor, necessary actions need to be done immediately to avoid a much bigger problem in the future.  This is because, when left unresolved, basement leaking could lead to a basement flood.  You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?  As early as now, act before it’s too late.



There are readily available kits and materials in the market that can be used to prevent basement leaking and eventually, basement flooding without spending so much money on labor.  Videos to follow and step-by-step procedures are made accessible on the internet to guide any household member every step of the way. However, before proceeding with the actual waterproofing, you have to check first where the leak is coming from. More often than not, it comes from outside moisture that gradually reaches the basement floor. Usually, concrete basement wall problems such as presence of cracks in the wall are causing this problem. It can also be caused by improper drainage lines and pipes. Identifying which part of the basement is causing the problem would help ensure an effective basement waterproofing system installation.

If the main problem is from the moisture outside, you can apply moisture-resistant paints specially tailored for basement walls and floors. On the other hand, if basement leaking is caused by the presence of cracks on the basement walls, concrete repair of these walls should be the option. These cracks must be immediately filled in with hydraulic cement, which is a mixture of water and cement. The cement can be purchased at most hardware and home supply stores. To apply, just use a knife in filling in the cracks with hydraulic cement. If the problem is with the drainage lines and pipes, you have to get rid of the damage part and replace it with a new one.

However, in severe cases, the best way to deal with basement leaking is probably just to hire a professional to do the job. Since every household basement is different from the other, these professionals have gone through extensive training and years of experience to address and handle the varying basement problems and concerns. Aside from their expertise, the company at which they are working for usually offers warranty work to cater future problems in a given period of time. With this, the costumers are self-assured that the money they will be spending for basement waterproofing is worth it.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Water in Basement - How Do I Stop the Water Coming In?


Basement flood or basement leaking is one of the alarming problems for your house. Waterproofing your basement is a must for you to do in order to keep the foundation of your house steady and stable. When these types of difficulties and problems occur you must strive to find out all the aspects regarding those and come out with the solutions. You must not keep any one of the aspects be ignored, because if any of the aspects is not attended that can bring other problems as well. You have to solve all the problems thoroughly so as to stop water dissemination problem eternally. The best way you can apply is to call on the specialists and let them do their work for keeping your basement as well as house safe and sound.

Now You Can Take Control over the Enemies of Your House

You can now take a nap in an anxiety-free mood because you can take control over the problems regarding water and obviously you may think that your house is safe now. But, what will you do if excessive rainfall or bad weather wants to harm your house? Yes, bad weather also has damaging effects and you’re not actually in any kind of need to think that you will now dedicate your house to bad weather. It happened in earlier days when people did not know about the technologies and did not able to apply those. New technologies give you the freedom to take control over the water accretion problems in excessive rainfall. A drainage system which is built by using the latest technology can give you the time of relaxation even in bad weather. One interesting fact regarding this is nature can act as an important role here. You obviously know that tree can soak up quite a good quantity of water. So, if you plant some trees in your house surroundings it can help you by absorbing the extra water near your foundation. By applying this natural method, you can save your house from the problems regarding Basement flood or basement leaking. But you will also have to watch over the matter that trees must be removed before it can create any problem.

Don’t Delay to Repair Your Basement or Foundation

Before it begins cracking inside the walls or other portion of your house’s basement or your basement starts leaking you should repair it. If you delay then the problem, trouble and cost all will be increased.



Know the problems regarding water in basement, Basement flood or basement leaking well in order to find out the affected areas and then find the solutions. Do not do it without experts’ direction or suggestion. Know about the products and the offers like ‘get one buy one free’ or ‘lifetime warrantee’ regarding the products. Remember that your concern can save your shelter and protect your next generations shield from being decayed.