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Old 01-05-2010, 09:13 AM
 
153 posts, read 603,598 times
Reputation: 37

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Hello all. Hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday season.

My wife and I are looking to finish our basement, however we had some mold in the basement at one point (as some of you who know me may remember). Now we're looking to waterproof the basement. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right.

I called in a company "Home Healthy Homes" and they gave me a quote for installing a drainage system around the entire basement (basically a slight more sophisticated pumping system).

(1) Anyone had any experience with HHH? The guy seemed great, good waranty, just not sure if they're overly pricey or trust worthy?

(2) Can anyone recommend another water proofing company around the LI/Nassau area?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


ps- Baring that, I'm taking up donations to pay HHH lol (joke)
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Old 01-05-2010, 09:28 AM
 
456 posts, read 1,423,797 times
Reputation: 285
Every basement will get some form of moisture related mold since basements tend to be cooler and damper than the rest of the house. Unless you actually have a foundation leak due to a crack, the best things that you can do is make sure your gutters are in good working condition and the water from the gutters has a place to go away from the foundation. On the inside, you can use Drylock on the basement walls to help keep additional moisture out and run a dehumidifier to minimize dampness. Remember any pipes, especially copper ones, will develop natural condensation so you will want to keep the air as dry as possible. Seriously, though, I've been in very few finished basements that didn't have a bit of a musty odor. My basement is my TV/entertainment room and I've been through it all down there. One last thing: aside from redirecting water away from the foundation, if you do have cracks/leaks you should repair them. Fill them with concrete. I'm sure the steps I listed can save you a lot of money if you don't mind doing a bit of work yourself.
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Old 01-05-2010, 03:28 PM
 
153 posts, read 603,598 times
Reputation: 37
Thanks for the quick reply. Our house is a little older (60+ years) and it seems like a lot of the foundation is beginning to go, a few very decent sized cracks, "limestone salt" showing on the cinderblock, etc. etc. etc.

I wanna do things right, and I feel like the drylock and etc. is all a temp. fix.



Still, anyone who's had experience with Home Healthy Homes, or knows another Water proofing company I can contact, it would be GREATLY appreciated. THank you so much!
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Old 01-05-2010, 04:19 PM
 
520 posts, read 1,646,374 times
Reputation: 293
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr.mrs.b.i View Post
Hello all. Hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday season.

My wife and I are looking to finish our basement, however we had some mold in the basement at one point (as some of you who know me may remember). Now we're looking to waterproof the basement. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right.

I called in a company "Home Healthy Homes" and they gave me a quote for installing a drainage system around the entire basement (basically a slight more sophisticated pumping system).

(1) Anyone had any experience with HHH? The guy seemed great, good waranty, just not sure if they're overly pricey or trust worthy?

(2) Can anyone recommend another water proofing company around the LI/Nassau area?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


ps- Baring that, I'm taking up donations to pay HHH lol (joke)
I have a morton ranch and also need to have my basement waterproofed. I was going to call HHH. Any chance you can give me an idea of what they charge and also the size of you basement?
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Old 01-05-2010, 07:17 PM
 
267 posts, read 596,346 times
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Re-direct gutter downspouts away from house. Make sure the exterior grade of your property is such that it directs the water away from your house.(no puddling around foundation). Then on the outside dig down to where the water is making it in, and apply tar to the foundation.Then dry lock the inside walls. I have a humidex dehumidifer in my basement and it never smells musty.People even comment that it isn't humid in my basement. I then had the owens corning basement system . All that work could be done with the help of alot of heineken. goodluck
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Old 01-05-2010, 09:55 PM
 
Location: Deer Park , New York
284 posts, read 982,000 times
Reputation: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr.mrs.b.i View Post
Hello all. Hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday season.

My wife and I are looking to finish our basement, however we had some mold in the basement at one point (as some of you who know me may remember). Now we're looking to waterproof the basement. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right.

I called in a company "Home Healthy Homes" and they gave me a quote for installing a drainage system around the entire basement (basically a slight more sophisticated pumping system).

(1) Anyone had any experience with HHH? The guy seemed great, good waranty, just not sure if they're overly pricey or trust worthy?

(2) Can anyone recommend another water proofing company around the LI/Nassau area?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


ps- Baring that, I'm taking up donations to pay HHH lol (joke)
Here's the pros and cons of Drylock and when to use it and when not to use it.

First off, a helpful overview of what makes basements different.

Foundation walls are underground (below grade). Due to this they are prone to moisture. Water that is in the earth, under the surface is constantly on the move. When it reaches your foundation wall is forces its way through due to hydrostatic pressure. The moisture that passes through is in the form of water vapor.

The average home in the northeast part of the country experiences an average of 15-18 gallons of water vapor per day. Ask anyone with a home that uses a dehumidifier and they'll agree with that statistic. Emptying it everyday.

The confusion is that some misinformed homeowners will attempt to drylock their entire basement. This poses problems because concrete is supposed to breathe. Concrete is porous by nature, so water vapor passing through is completely natural.

Now mind you, water vapor and water leaks are not the same thing. Water vapor is the moistness you will feel if you do not run your dehumidier regularly.

As that moisture enters your home your dehumidifier will pick it up. That's one of the great benefits of the Owens Corning Basement Finishsing System, is that the walls "breathe" and allow the moisture to pass through. Normal sheetrock would trap the moisture and poses mold, mildew, and other serious health concerns that need to be addresses for anyone finishing a basement.

Now what Drylock IS really good for is repairing cracks in the wall, often due to settling. Or any part of the foundation wall with excessively high moisture.

Just put a few coats of drylock over the cracks and it will serve as a really good "bandaid." It's not a perfect solution, but will serve you well.

Another thing to know about Drylock is that it has a shelf life of 2 years on your walls. So in 2 years, while the thick paint coating will still be there, the chemical components that make it effective will have worn off.

***You need to find out where the water is coming from the outside and address it , installing a frenchdrain system in your basement and then finishing it will only create more problems for you . The moisture that the drain collects will affect the framing and sheetrock and cause mold over time and you won't know about , if you have cracks in your foundation and need a guy message me , if you need a guy to do install a drywell for your gutters or need window well work or grading message me
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Old 01-06-2010, 08:18 AM
 
153 posts, read 603,598 times
Reputation: 37
Thanks for the great responses everyone.

PANIC i will PM you for the information, but one question publicly (so everyone can learn)

You say installing a French Drain will only lead to more problems and Mold and ETc.


WHy is this?

Wouldn't this "sump pump" HHH wants to install do the same thing?

ALso what are your thoughts on "vapor barriers".


PM'ing you now for the contact info.
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Old 01-06-2010, 12:22 PM
 
456 posts, read 1,423,797 times
Reputation: 285
Sounds like we just met the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System sales rep.
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Old 01-06-2010, 12:29 PM
 
456 posts, read 1,423,797 times
Reputation: 285
Hah, I was just joking on my previous post, but follow the link and check this thread I found on the topic, you'll see something very familiar there. FYI: Drylok has a 10-year warranty.

Do concrete paints (drylock) actually work? - Home Repair Forum - GardenWeb
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Old 01-06-2010, 12:56 PM
 
153 posts, read 603,598 times
Reputation: 37
I met with Allure and the Corning System, it seems like a great product, way to expensive from Allure (30k+).

Although the Corning system will HELP (harder to have mold grown on it, etc.), it will not save your furniture from a leak / moisture damage.

At this point my plan is to do the best job waterproofing, whatever that may be, and then finish it the plain ol' way.


Regardless, still looking for references for water proofing companies.
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