Hurricane Sandy brought a wave of disaster to NJ, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York.The jersey shore from Atlantic City to Long Beach Island was left powerless, under water and with thousands of homes destroyed.
Tons of rain and untold miles per hour of wind crashed onto the east coast. This left many home owner with massive basement and crawl space damage (along with destroyed roofs and siding). Basements and crawl spaces flooded, destroying personal effects, photo albums, furniture and knocking out electricity for hundreds of miles.
They saw a crack, ignored it, saw it grow, still put it in the back of their minds, then one day, the whole damn wall bowed and crumbled. They thought about having their basement waterproofed when they saw the crack and come water on the wall, but, they just didn?t have time to call the basement guy.
Well, basement waterproofing in NJ can not take a back seat to more visually appealing home improvement tasks. It can end up being a costly mistake. Many times, when a foundation needs repairs, it can cost upwards of $100,000 and is not covered by insurance, so you pay out of pocket!
How do you know if you need waterproofing? If you have any of the following, then you need basement waterproofing.
Musty odor ? your basement doesn?t have to ?smell like a basement?
A fine white powder on unfinished walls
Puddles of water
High humidity
Dark spots on drywall
Visible cracks in the floor or walls
Damp areas on the walls or floor
Bubbling or peeling paint or wallpaper
Windows or doors that stick when opening and/or closing
Window or door sills that separate from the frame.
See, in NJ, it rains often and the snow can come down heavy at times, so, that water has to go somewhere?and that place is usually your basement!
A lot of the construction materials used to build a house and basement, including poured concrete, cinder block, and brick, are porous materials. This means that, like a sponge, they will absorb water allowing it to pass from the outside of the foundation to the inside of the basement walls. This becomes a problem when water is allowed to collect against the outside of the foundation. Both hydrostatic and lateral pressure (pressure from the side and from underneath the floor) will build up.
Eventually the water will follow the path of least resistance and seep through the walls. Another contributing factor is the pH level of the groundwater. Most groundwater has a low pH meaning that it is very acidic. The acidic water will erode cinder blocks, concrete walls, and mortar over time, providing a path for even more water to get in.
Residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware are strongly encouraged to seek the help of professional contractors to help with their damages. A good basement contractor will be able to diagnose problem and fix them quickly, preventing further damage from occurring. If your home suffered structural damages, the contractor can apply braces and re-set any of the concrete that needs to be fixed. Do not attempt these solutions yourself!
These are not DIY jobs and are best left to a professional.
Please give us a call at 877-495-9111 for a free estimate on fixing any of your basement needs.
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Source: http://basements911.com/blog/2012/12/03/post-hurricane-basement-fixes/
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