https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/
Foundation Repair Company in North Carolina, South Carolina & Georgia | Basement Waterproofing in Asheville, Greenville, Spartanburg & Nearby
2014-06-02T15:00:00.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas is your trusted expert for basement waterproofing & foundation repair in Greater Columbia. Call today for a free estimate!
© 2014
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/22164-cleanspace.html
CleanSpace
2023-02-14T10:08:10.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>Our design specialist here at All-Dry of the Carolinas went out to this customers property to give a free estimate, and to inspect what was going on.</p>
<p>To fully waterproof the crawl space, our team installed CleanSpace, a pump, and a dehumidifier.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;">A previous customer needed more work done, and needed waterproofing in their crawl space. The customer also needed a pump, and a dehumidifier. </span></p>
2023-02-14T10:08:10.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/16654-waterguard-installed-in-asheville-nc-basement.html
WaterGuard installed in Asheville, NC Basement
2020-07-14T14:48:37.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>WaterGuard is the most effective and reliable way to solve wet basement problems permanently. This is a piping system that is made specifically for basement to resist cogging from the dirt under the floor. WaterGuard intercepts water at the perimeter of the basement and drains the water unseen into whichever sump pump is placed in the basement. WaterGuard is installed by jackhammering around the perimeter of the basement down to the footing and creating a trench for the WaterGuard to be placed in. The piping system has a 3/8 inch wall flange that is designed to be pushed against the wall to catch water that comes down the wall. Once the WaterGuard is in the trench it is covered with gravel to stabilize the drainage system and then covered with concrete to make it invisible. The WaterGuard is connected to the SuperSump pump at the lowest section of the basement; the SuperSump is also under the ground like the WaterGuard. The SuperSump Pump is one of the best pumps on the line and is able to pump up to 2,650 gallons of water an hour. It is also equipped with a Water Watch Alarm system that sounds off if water rises above the point of where the pump should turn on. The SuperSump pump then flushes out the water into the yard through the LawnScape outlet.</p>
<p> Together with these products our All-Dry of the Carolinas team was able to make this basement dry again for the family. They could now use their basement as a storage space without fear of anything getting damaged.</p>
<p>This home in Asheville, NC was experiencing water getting into their basement. This was becoming a huge problem for the homeowners because the basement was being used as a storage space. The water would bubble up from the ground and come down the brick wall of the basement. Once the water started coming into the basement, moisture levels began to rise. This amount of moisture was getting in the air and starting to damage the items that they had in the basement.</p>
<p> This started to become a big problem for the homeowners so they called us at All-Dry of the Carolinas and we sent out our design specialist, David Listovitch. David was able to give these homeowners some suggestions on how to waterproof this space. The homeowners decided to go with our company and have us install WaterGuard with a SuperSump pump to fix this problem.</p>
2020-07-14T14:48:37.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15743-waterproofing-greenville-sc-basement.html
Waterproofing Greenville, SC basement
2020-02-25T10:29:41.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>Our All-Dry team tackled this issue head on using several different methods of our water proofing technology. After cleaning the crawlspace of debris, our team inserted the CleanSpace Liner. CleanSpace is a 20 mil tick liner that is laid across the basement floor and wrapped around walls and piers. This liner works as a barrier to keep moister that is produced from the ground of the basement. In this specific case, the CleanSpace was just placed on the walls; this was to hold in moister that came from the water that dripped down the walls when entering the basement. Once the CleanSpace Wall was installed our All-Dry crew installed our SuperSump pump, which is a pump system that can flush up to 2,650 gallons of water per hour from the basement. In addition to the CleanSpace Wall and SuperSump, WaterGuard was added to the baseline of the basement. The WaterGuard system intercepts the water at the perimeter of the basement and drains it unseen and safely into the SmartSump where it is then flushed from the basement. WaterGuard is different because it is designed to not sit in dirt like most draining systems do. There is a special wall flange that creates space between the floor and wall allowing wall seepage to drain through the WaterGuard while keeping it away from the dirt. Since this type of drainage is separated from dirt, the chances of it clogging are nearly impossible! The WaterGuard leads the water to the SuperSump where it is then flushed from the basement outside to the LawnScape outlet. All resulting in a dry basement!</p>
<p> This home in Greenville, SC was experiencing major water issues in their basement. Water was seeping into this basement through the foundation, dripping down the walls and puddling around the perimeter of the basement leaving damage and the risk of molding. The homeowner had already attempted to fix the issue by installing a sump pump, although this method failed. So to fix their water issues they called All-Dry of the Carolinas to help them out!</p>
2020-02-25T10:29:41.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15740-total-makeover-in-westminster-sc-crawlspace.html
Total Makeover in Westminster, SC crawlspace
2020-02-24T11:59:46.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>To solve this problem, our All-Dry of the Carolinas team was able to use a series of our products to help this crawlspace become a clean, moister free environment. Mold-X Cleaner was used for cleaning the contaminated mold surfaces in the crawlspace. Mold-X’s purpose is to remove and reduce staining from mold, mildew, dirt, soil, and other organic debris from surface areas in the crawlspace.</p>
<p>After cleaning the crawlspace of debris and draining the standing water, our team got started with installing CleanSpace. CleanSpace is a 20 mil tick liner that is laid across the crawlspace floor and wrapped around walls and piers. This liner works as a barrier to keep moister that is produced from the ground out of the crawlspace. In addition to the CleanSpace a SuperSump was added to the crawlspace as a way of pushing excess water that enters from outside. The SuperSump can pump up to 2,650 gallons an hour, has a WaterWatch system, Superliner with 96 holes for water flow, and an Airtight Lid. The SuperSump works in coordination with the Aprilaire, a dehumidifier which is used to collecting extra moister that is produced under your home. The SuperSump has a dehumidifier drain that connects the two machines to fully expel water from the crawlspace. From the machines, the water is pushed from the crawlspace through a drainage system to the LawnScape outlet.</p>
<p>To finish the major makeover this crawlspace had, the extra openings in the area were foamed to prevent air from coming in. In addition to this preventative measures, an EverLast Door replaced the old crawlspace door, which has an airtight seal preventing moister to enter.</p>
<p>This home in Westminster, SC had a crawlspace that needed major help. The homeowner had begun to experience issues with moister collecting in the crawlspace that was leading to mold. Mold caked the floor joist which was damaging the strength of the home’s foundation. With the mold issue, water was pooling along the perimeter of the crawlspace. Old installation hung from the ceiling while a dirty liner covered the dirt floor. Water and moister was getting into the crawlspace through unsealed piping entrances, the foundation, and a ratty old crawlspace door. All of these issues could’ve led to cold floors, higher heating cost, insects, odors, unhealthy livings space, etc.</p>
2020-02-24T11:59:46.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15729-total-encapsulation-and-foundation-work-in-taylors-sc.html
Total Encapsulation and Foundation work in Taylors, SC
2020-02-20T14:17:43.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>Our All-Dry of the Carolinas team was able to solve this problem by using a series of our watering proofing technology. Our crew installed a CleanSpace liner, sump pump, and dehumidifier. When encapsulating the crawlspace with CleanSpace, it seals the area to keep moisture from creeping up from the ground and causing damage to your foundation. A dehumidifier was placed in the crawlspace as a solution to the humidity that is produced from the pipes under your house. A SumpPump is to flush out entering water and excess water from the dehumidifier from the crawlspace. Together with all these tools, the crawlspace is completely protected from moisture.</p>
<p>To solve the foundation problem, our All-Dry crew installed SmartJacks. The SmartJacks were placed under the floor joist of the home and then used to push the floors back into place. To install it, we excavate a two-foot cube at each SmartJack location. The hole is then filled with concrete or engineered to create a stable, loadbearing footing. The SmartJack sits on top of it with a custom-engineered base to prevent the support system from sinking when the moister starts to affect the soil. SmartJacks are then adjusted to the perfect position to support the floor joist of the home. This SmartJack technology, is made of steel which will not rust when exposed to moister and it can also hold over 60,000 pounds! This product was able to save this homes sagging floor problem.</p>
<p>This crawlspace in Taylors, SC was anything but perfect. Dirt covered the crawlspace floor that was then topped with an old filthy liner. Some areas of the crawlspace had rocks and other debris that had fallen from the ceiling and walls. The insulation had begun to fall from the ceiling and onto the floor. Along with the moister issue in the crawlspace, the home had foundation issues that had caused the floor joist to start sagging, making the home’s floors uneven.</p>
2020-02-20T14:17:43.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15694-total-encapsulation-in-waynesville-nc-home.html
Total Encapsulation in Waynesville, NC home
2020-02-12T10:10:50.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>Our All-Dry crew was able to install a series of our waterproofing technology that would take care of the water issue in the crawlspace. Our crew installed a CleanSpace liner, condensate pump, and dehumidifier. When encapsulating the crawlspace with CleanSpace, it seals the area to keep moisture from creeping up from the ground and causing damage to your foundation. A dehumidifier was placed in the crawlspace as a solution to the humidity that is produced from the pipes under your house. A condensate pump was connected to the dehumidifier to pump the water from the crawlspace. Together with all these tools, the crawlspace is completely protected from moisture.</p>
<p>This home in Waynesville, NC was experiencing high moister levels in their crawlspace. There was evidence of water damage on the walls as well as water on the crawlspace floor. The homeowners had tried to handle the situation with a plastic liner although it did little to help with the moister levels. Fortunately, they called All-Dry of the Carolinas to help them solve the issue.</p>
2020-02-12T10:10:50.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15676-makeover-in-hiawassee-ga-crawlspace.html
Makeover in Hiawassee, GA crawlspace
2020-02-06T10:30:54.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
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2020-02-06T10:30:54.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15669-sky-valley-ga-crawlspace-saved-with-cleanspace-smartsump-and-dehumidifier.html
Sky Valley, GA crawlspace saved with CleanSpace, SmartSump, and Dehumidifier
2020-02-04T10:16:08.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>Our solution for this issue was a series of our waterproofing technology. To begin to tackle the issue our team had to first clean the space of debris and rocks. Once that was finished, our team had to figure out a solution to installing a drainage system that would work around the bolder that was unable to be moved. After careful consideration our team decided to place the drainage system at the base of the wall and bolder. We did exploratory digging to find the edge of the bolder to make sure that water draining off it would go into our drainage system. From there, drainage matting was added and then covered with CleanSpace to keep moister from coming from the soil of the crawlspace. A SmartSump was also added to the area to flush excess water from the crawlspace. Finally, a dehumidifier was added to the crawlspace to take care of the remaining issue of high moister levels in the air. </p>
<p> When some envision their dream home, they might imagine it sitting on the side of a mountain. This is the case with this home in Sky Valley, Georgia. The downside of living in the mountains though is the issue of water running downhill and entering your basement or crawlspace. This home had the problem of high moister and water puddling in their crawlspace. Along with the water problems, it was also a physical challenge to work around because the area was covered in rocks. In the far right corner of the crawlspace there was a bolder that caused an issue placing in a drainage system. The homeowner feared that even with our waterproofing technology that the bolder would cause water to drain in a direction away from the drain. Although these problems faced our All-Dry of the Carolinas’ team they were able to tackle the issue and create a water free area under the home.</p>
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2020-02-04T10:16:08.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15495-easley-sc-crawlspace-in-desperate-need-of-a-solution.html
Easley, SC Crawlspace in Desperate Need of a Solution
2019-12-10T13:06:40.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>The solution began with a few products recommended by Design Specialist Jonathan Geddie. Before the official install began, however, we needed to tear down all of that useless insulation and remove the scattered debris. To take care of the mold problem, our crew applied our Mold-X Cleaner to the infected surfaces. They covered all vents in the crawlspace and replaced the faulty crawlspace door with an EverLast Door designed to keep out moisture.</p>
<p>Product installation came next. Once the space had been cleared of all things, our guys set to work installing Drainage Matting. Over that they spread out the CleanSpace liner and tailored it exactly to the crawlspace. This included pulling it up at least three inches along the wall and wrapping all piers in the material. The CleanSpace is then sealed using several methods designed to keep it in place. While they’re doing this, they’ve already started on the SmartSump installation. A hole is dug at least 22 inches for the sump pump. It’s placed inside and the lead is placed so that it’s closed around the CleanSpace. Lastly, an Aprilaire 1820 dehumidifier is installed. It takes in the moisture from the air, and returns it dry.</p>
<p>These products each provide an essential element in the encapsulation. And the encapsulation—if installed correctly—is a guarantee for a moisture free crawlspace.</p>
<p>Many crawlspaces will endure what this Easley, South Carolina crawlspace has endured. Moisture can destroy the best and worst crawlspaces around. Just judging by these photos here, we can tell that this crawlspace has been put through the ringer.</p>
<p>Mold dots the wooden beams supporting the crawlspace ceiling. Insulation is falling down by the bucket full, filled to the brim with water. A thick paste of efflorescence smothers much of the walls in white. The liner itself is lifted and torn in so many places that it’s—quite obviously—not doing its job. The humidity level in the crawlspace is through the roof, leading to problems deeper into the home. Altogether, it’s a tricky situation and a hard place to be. The good thing is that this situation is far from hopeless. It looks terrible, and the problems are severe, but there’s definitely a way to come back from this.</p>
2019-12-10T13:06:40.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/15109-arden-nc-experiences-moisture-issues-and-needs-cleanspace-and-ultra-sump.html
Arden, NC Experiences Moisture Issues and Needs CleanSpace and Ultra Sump
2019-07-24T14:21:15.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>So, to handle this problem, David had to perscribe a small assortment of products to not only replace what had already been installed, but to also add extra coverage. To start, we installed CleanSpace liner and CleanSpace Wall. This is a 20 mils plastic liner that is coated with a cross-hatching of corded material to prevent it from ripping. We used this along the walls and floor of the crawlspace and sealed it using a variety of methods including specialised tapes and sealants. The top edge around the walls is sealed with urethane caulk. Another added bonus of using the CleanSpace is that you can also use it for storage which most people wouldn't even consider with a dirt crawlspace. </p>
<p>To dry the air, we installed one of our dehumidifiers and elevated it from the floor.</p>
<p>We also installed an UltraSump with a WaterWatch Alarm system to alert the homeowner if water rises above the point where the pump should turn on. The space is now completely protected and it looks twenty times better than it did.</p>
<p>This customer in Arden, North Carolina had a sump pump installed into her crawlspace, but she was still experiencing water issues. When our Design Specialist, David Listovitch, got over to the home, he immediately checked the humidity levels within the space. They, of course, revealed that the homeowner's crawlspace was way above the reasonable humidity level in a crawlspace. David also found efflorescence, or dried water, decorated all over the wooden beams that supported the crawlspace ceiling. And that was an issue because letting water get to those beams is like saying you no longer want that support. Water, over time, can cause an innumerable amount of damage to wood, rendering it almost completely useless. Moreover, as the customer said, there were random puddles of brown water dotted all over the crawlspace plastic liner. In additional to being unsightly, this water revealed that the homeowner's pump and "sealed" plastic was no longer doing its job. There were several pockets along the "sealed" plastic liner that not only allowed water through but dirt as well. The issue is that the person who installed this liner used a tape to secure it to the walls. Not only that, but the liner was thin so almost anything could puncture it.</p>
2019-07-24T14:21:15.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/13275-salem-sc-crawlspace-needed-push-piers-and-cleanspace-encapsulation-for-outside-cracking-and-water-intrusion.html
Salem, SC Crawlspace Needed Push Piers and CleanSpace Encapsulation for Outside Cracking and Water Intrusion
2018-10-03T10:55:39.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>This homeowner decided to have All-Dry of the Carolinas do the work because we were not only able to take care of the foundation settlement, but we also had another great solution to take care of the moisture in the crawlspace. Our System Design Specialist suggested having a total of 12 of our Push Piers installed to take care of the cracking on the outside of the home. As far as the crawlspace waterproofing goes our Specialist suggested going with a full encapsulation. This encapsulation included CleanSpace Liner, drainage matting, 3-inch drain tile, an EverLast Door, SmartSump Pump System, and a SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier.</p>
<p> The next step was for our crew to come out to the home and get this work done for the homeowner. Since there were essentially two different projects that needed to be completed, the crew got hard at work installing the push piers to help lift and stabilize the foundation. This was a very important part of the job, because of how severe some of the cracks in the foundation were. This part of the job actually had some challenges as well. The biggest being that not all of the lifting from the push piers could be done from outside the home. This led to a few of the Push Piers to be installed in the crawlspace. Although different than normal, our production crew did a great job with installing the push piers in the crawlspace, as well as the ones outside the home. </p>
<p>After the foundation settlement issue was taken care of, the crew started working on the encapsulation of the crawlspace. This was a quite large crawlspace, so the crew worked on getting the SmartSump system and the drain tile first. After this was completed the drainage matting was laid out in preparation for the CleanSpace, which came next. The CleanSpace is really the last and most important part because it is what really separates the crawlspace from the outside world. The last thing the crew had to do was to install the SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier. This entire system works together great and now the homeowner no longer has to worry about foundation issues in this area or moisture in their crawlspace.</p>
<p>Foundation issues are not picky and can affect just about any home, anywhere. There are certainly some factors that can make a home more succeptible to foundation issues, but for the most part, any home can suffer from them. This homeowner began noticing some cracking on the outside of their home. The cracks appeared in several different area and varied in size, so they knew that this could be a pretty serious issue. They gave us a call and we sent one of our System Design Specialists out to the home to figure out what this home was going to need!</p>
<p>This homeowner had originally called us for the foundation issues, which were pretty obvious when looking at the outside of the home. The first couple of pictures shown on the right show off a few of these cracks. However, this was not the only issue that this homeowner was dealing with. There were also concerns about high moisture levels in the crawlspace that our Specialist noticed while inspecting the foundation. More than likely the cracks in the foundation were caused by settlement of the earth under and around the home. The homeowner wanted to get all of these issues taken care of so they no longer had to worry about them. </p>
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2018-10-03T10:55:39.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/13034-cleanspace-encapsulation-installed-in-salem-sc-crawlspace-when-solution-from-another-company-fails.html
CleanSpace Encapsulation Installed in Salem, SC Crawlspace When Solution From Another Company Fails
2018-09-10T17:00:21.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>The homeowner wanted to get the work done by our company after doing quite a bit of research on our website. They saw that we had a lot of happy customers through our testimonials and reviews on our website. It also didn't hurt that, at the time, we had been in business for 25 years! They really felt like they could trust our company to come in and fix the issues that they were continuing to have. They set up a time for one of our System Design Specialists to come out to the home and figure out the best way for our company to take care of this homeowner's problems for good. </p>
<p>We were able to get one of our System Design Specialists out to the home the day after they called in. Upon arriving at the home, he saw that they already had a similar system to what we install, but because it was not installed properly, the system failed. Our Specialist told the homeowner all about our system how it works, how the crew installs it, and how we stand behind our work and our system. The system that our Specialist proposed was simple but effective and included; 3-inch drain tile, CleanSpace Liner, and a SmartSump pump system. The homeowner loved the system and got set up to have our crew come out as soon as possible. </p>
<p> Just over a week and a half after our Specialist went out to the home, our crew was back and ready to take care of this homeowner's water intrusion issues once and for all. Since this was a smaller area, our crew was able to get everything installed in just one day! This was a little different situation because we didn't completely redo the other company's system, but altered it and added some of our own products. This was the most difficult part of the project on our side, but was worth it because we were able to save the homeowner some money. The crew went in and started off by installed the 3-inch drain tile and SmartSump in order to help drain out any water that was getting in. The SmartSump then pumps the water outside and away from the home. The last thing that our crew had to do was to replace some areas of the other liner with our CleanSpace liner. After this was done, the crew made sure everything was sealed up, cleaned up, and made sure this homeowner was happy!</p>
<p>This customer was pretty well informed when they called in to have us come take a look at their crawlspace. While we run into well-informed homeowners often, there are also many who don't know much about our system. Through our conversation, we found out that this homeowner had actually already taken care of this problem before. They had some serious water intrusion in their crawlspace, and were happy when they had it encapsulated. However not long after they had it installed water started getting back into the crawlspace. They knew that they needed a solution that was actually going to work. </p>
<p>The biggest struggle for this homeowner was finding a company that they could trust to install another system to take care of the water intrusion permanently. They wanted to have the work done as quickly as possible, but also took their time in making sure that they chose a company who knew what they were doing and stood behind their work. Through some online research, this homeowner found All-Dry of the Carolinas. </p>
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2018-09-10T17:00:21.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/12628-waynesville-north-carolina-crawlspace-overwhelmed-with-water-and-sagging-floors-has-cleanspace-liner-and-smartjacks-installed.html
Waynesville, North Carolina Crawlspace Overwhelmed with Water and Sagging Floors Has CleanSpace Liner and SmartJacks Installed
2018-07-13T15:48:09.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>This homeowner initially found our company while scouring the internet for companies to work on their crawlspace. They were initially impressed by our website and the content that was local to the Waynesville area. This led them to book an appointment with our System Design Specialist, who came out within a week of their call. They were even more impressed with the presentation and knowledge of our Specialist, and decided to have the work done that was proposed by him. This homeowner actually had his his project split in two different installations, one for the foundation issues and another to encapsulate the crawlspace. For the sagging floors in the crawlspace, our Specialist suggested going with a few SmartJacks to support the floor. The recommendation to waterproof the crawlspace was a much more extensive project, which included CleanSpace, drainage matting, a SuperSump Plus sump system, and last but not least an EverLast door.</p>
<p>One of our crews went out to the home about two or three weeks early in order to install the SmartJacks. This only took one day, but the crew worked hard to make sure each SmartJack was installed in the proper place to support the sagging floor. After this was taken care of, another crew was able to come back to the home to make sure that the homeowner no longer had to worry about water in their crawlspace. The crew did this by first installing the SuperSump Plus to help pump out any water that makes it into the crawlspace. The next big portion of the job was to install the drainage matting which helps to move water to the sump pump. One of the most important parts of the installation came next, with the CleanSpace liner being put in. The CleanSpace is what really separates the crawlspace from the earth. The crew then put in the EverLast door, which is an inorganic, plastic door that creates an airtight seal, preventing air from getting into the crawlspace. Last, but not least the SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier was put in the crawlspace to ensure that the relative humidity level is low enough to prevent mold growth. While the CleanSpace does a great job at preventing moisture and water from getting in, it doesn't quite catch everything, so the dehumidifier acts almost as a back up. </p>
<p>We received a phone call from from a very concerned homeowner when they noticed that their crawlspace had a large amount of standing water in it. The homeowner was also worried that mold was already growing in the crawlspace and even some areas of the actual home. This was extremely likely, especially with the amount of water in the crawlspace, because the air in the crawlspace eventually makes its way into the rest of the home. This wasn't a new issue for this home, but the owner had never noticed it until it was almost too late. </p>
<p>This home was built on an area where a lot of water would pool up, so there was almost always water under the home. However this got much worse when it would rain in the area (which was quite often unfortunately). During these rainy times the ground in the crawlspace would almost completely change to mud and wouldn't dry out, meaning that there was almost always moisture in this crawlspace. After the homeowner learned about the state of the crawlspace, they wanted to have it taken care of so that they no longer had to worry about the health of their home or themselves. One of the biggest issues for the homeowner was making sure that no more mold would be growing in the crawlspace or get up into the home. </p>
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2018-07-13T15:48:09.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/12565-severe-water-intrusion-in-greenville-sc-crawlspace-leads-to-cleanspace-encapsulation.html
Severe Water Intrusion in Greenville, SC Crawlspace Leads to CleanSpace Encapsulation
2018-07-09T16:44:22.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>This homeowner was impressed with the products and system that was presented to them by our System Design Specialist. Our systems are simple to understand and extremely effective once installed. The online research that they did combined with our Specialist's presentation really convinced the homeowner that our system was the one that needed to be installed in the crawlspace of their home. Our Specialist recommended that they go with a full encapsulation system to really protect the crawlspace. This system mainly consists of CleanSpace liner, a sump pump, and a dehumidifier, as well as a few other products. Specifically, the products that were installed were CleanSpace, 3-inch drain tile, Mold-X, a SuperSump pump, and a dehumidifier. </p>
<p>The installation process went smoothly with the crew having very few problems during the four days that we were at the home. One of the biggest jobs for the crew was removing all of the insulation that was soaked with water and mold. This was necessary because it got rid of the majority of the mold that was in the crawlspace and took the mold's "home" away. After this was done, a trench was dug out around the perimeter of the crawlspace for the 3-inch drain tile. Next came the CleanSpace Liner which is what really sets this system apart from others. CleanSpace is much thicker than most liners that can be bought, but more importantly our crews are experts and have installed hundreds of thousands of square feet of CleanSpace. Last, but certainly not least was the installation of the dehumidifier to catch and remove any moisture that the CleanSpace didn't keep out. </p>
<p>The homeowner was completely surprised when they saw the crawlspace after our crew had finished the project. They knew that the water intrusion issues were finally taken care of and they no longer had to worry about that part of their home any longer. </p>
<p>Crawlspaces usually get a pretty bad rap because they don't seem like the cleanest or most appealing part of a home. This also leads to them not being visited or checked up on often. Unfortunately, this was the case for this particular homeowner in Greenville, South Carolina. They had not been down to their crawlspace in quite a while, but luckily had a pest control company come out to their home, who noticed excessive moisture in the crawlspace of the home and notified the homeowners. While the technician knew there were issues under the home, he wasn't aware of how serious the issues actually were. The homeowner did some research online and found that All-Dry of the Carolinas did just the type of work that they were looking for. </p>
<p>The crawlspace was facing a few different problems, mainly coming from the water intrusion into the crawlspace. The water intrusion caused the majority of the crawlspace floor to be quite saturated. There was enough moisture in the crawlspace that the insulation had started to fall and mold was already growing on the floor joists of the crawlspace. The homeowner knew that they had to get the crawlspace taken care of especially because of all of the health problems that can come along with the presence of mold. The biggest thing for the homeowner was just to ensure that they were in as healthy of a home as possible, and the CleanSpace Encapsulation was the best way to help with this. </p>
2018-07-09T16:44:22.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/crawl-space-repair/case-studies/11350-powerbrace-system-and-waterguard-drain-installed-in-hendersonville-nc-basement-to-protect-from-water-intrusion-and-bowing-walls.html
PowerBrace System and WaterGuard Drain Installed in Hendersonville, NC Basement to Protect from Water Intrusion and Bowing Walls
2018-02-09T16:38:23.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
<p>Now it is time for the exciting part of this story: how all of the homeowner's problems were fixed! One of the biggest benefits to our products are that because most of them are manufactured by the same company or in collaboration with each other, so almost all of our products are able to tie into each other one way or another! This of course helps out a lot when trying to design a system, because you can almost "mix and match" products to fit a specific need. </p>
<p>As mentioned before, this was both a foundation and basement waterproofing project, and we came up with a slightly different than normal solution to address both of these issues. In order to correct the water intrusion, Mike Lee suggested the homeowner go with WaterGuard drain, CleanSpace wall, and a SuperSump pump system. As far as the bowing walls were concerned, Mike suggested to use PowerBraces, which are pretty simple and effective to use. </p>
<p>Next came time for the crew to head out to the home and actually install the entire system. This is where the crew had to be careful in the order that they installed the products, because it wasn't a completely linear process. The crew started out by removing a few inches of concrete along the back wall, this was for both the WaterGuard to be installed, as well as the anchor points for the PowerBraces. Once this was done, they installed the CleanSpace on the wall to help with water drainage. The crew then switched back to the PowerBraces to install both the top anchor point, as well as the actual beam. After the beam was attached and tightened, the foundation part of the job was completed.</p>
<p>All that was left for the crew to take care of was the waterproofing part of project now. Since the trench for the WaterGuard and the hole for the SuperSump had already been dug out, it was just a matter of installing and connecting everything together! The SuperSump pump system was installed first, then the WaterGuard was laid out and connected. Once everything is installed, the crew mixed some concrete and covered everything up! This homeowner does not have to worry about the health of his basement any longer!</p>
<p>Combination projects are always a little more interesting than others because we have to make sure that both problems are solved and the solutions work together seamlessly. This homeowner originally called to have us take a look at the water intrusion in the basement, but our Systems Design Specialist, Mike Lee noticed that the outside wall was bowing as well. This was certainly a concern to both Mike and the homeowner. Mike took a few minutes to figure out and draw up a quote for the homeowner.</p>
<p>Again, the biggest issue in combination projects is making sure that the products installed are able to work around each other, or (more preferably) with each other. This took a little ingenuity to accomplish, but because our Specialists are extremely well-trained and well-versed in our products, Mike was able to come up with the perfect solution. This helps to make sure that there are no issues once the system is actually in place.</p>
<p>This homeowner was extremely concerned with these issues for two main reasons; his basement was a somewhat finished basement, and he used this area as a workshop. He was worried that the increased moisture levels would have an effect on the tools in his workshop, as well as the walls in the basement. Unfortunately he was correct, but this would only be the case if he didn't get the problem taken care of, which you'll find out how he did in the next section!</p>
2018-02-09T16:38:23.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/30299-a-full-cleanspace-encapsulation-is-like-acake.html
A Full CleanSpace Encapsulation is like a......Cake?
2017-11-07T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
The creative juices are flowing today, because we'll be explaining how a full CleanSpace encapsulation system is just like a cake!
<p>Our high school English teachers would be so proud, because what we have here is a huge simile. Not smile, but simile. This blog post will explain how our full CleanSpace encapsulation system is just like baking a cake. Cake does not take too many different or complex ingredients, but when they are put together they make something amazing! This is just like the CleanSpace encapsulation that we do in most crawlspaces that we work in.</p>
<p>Let's start with the basics. To make a cake you need a few key items like; eggs, flour, milk, and baking powder. When all of these are put together, we get a nice foundation for the cake. For our system, the "ingredients" are products like 3-inch drain tile, drainage matting, getting vents sealed, and sump pumps. These are all very crucial parts of the system, however, they sometimes get hidden or overlooked because they are not usually seen in pictures. While we are not mixing all of these together, you certainly aren't seeing how effective these products are.</p>
<p>What do you do to a cake after you have pulled it out of the oven? That's right, it's time for the frosting (or icing, whichever you prefer). If you have looked at anything else on our website, you may already know what the icing on the cake is...the CleanSpace liner! The CleanSpace liner really seals everything up. It acts as a barrier between the ground and the crawlspace. Just like the ingredients to a cake, the icing is another key part of the whole thing. CleanSpace is an extremely important part of this full encapsulation system.</p>
<p>Last, but certainly not least come the decorations like candles, or dinosaurs, or whatever your heart desires. Again, another extremely important piece of the whole, because no one wants a boring cake. The decorations for our encapsulation are a little different, and include products like dehumidifiers and LawnScape outlets. While these are not always key parts of the system, they certainly help everything work better, and work together. The exception to this is the dehumidifier, which is almost always a must in a full encapsulation. The dehumidifier keeps the relative humidity level below the level that mold can grow. </p>
<p>While this may have been a strange connection to make between our system and baking a cake, I think it is something that really makes sense and is an easy way to look at how our system works and interacts with itself! Thank you for reading!</p>
2017-11-07T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/30012-award-winning-at-convention.html
Award Winning at Convention!
2017-10-04T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
Just a short post about the awards that were given out at convention!
<p>Earlier last month, a few of our employees made a trip up to Connecticut for the annual Basement Systems Convention! All of our employees who went were from different areas of the company and all learned a lot of new things while at convention, which we are all grateful for. Our Systems Design Manager and a couple of our Systems Design Specialists learned a lot of new tactics to use during their inspections, in order to be even more precise and efficient in their analysis of the home. Our Human Resources Manager also learned a lot about setting company goals, and for employee motivation. They were even able to bring back some information to me (the marketing intern)! </p>
<p>What our company is also excited about were the awards that we won for the "Widget Contest" that Basement Systems was running. The entire Basement Systems network was able to participate in this contest, so there was a lot of competition! There were several different categories for the different "Widgets" like photo galleries, Before and After photos, Job Stories, and Case Studies. We were able to win first place for the Most Testimonials uploaded! We were also able to land the runner-up position for Best Case Studies!</p>
<p>No matter how much work our employees put into their activities and the company, none of this could happen without YOU. The reason that we won the Most Testimonials is because of all of our kind customers who wrote us back to tell us how we did! Thank you for everything that you have done for us!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/646e41b261004f0605d63b6ef44b0be6-trophy-cup-gold-cup_1507142200.jpg" alt="Award Winning at Convention - Image 1" width="552" height="480"></p>
2017-10-04T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29845-what-to-expect-installation-days.html
What to Expect: Installation Day(s)
2017-09-14T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
Now that you have made it this far, there are only a few more steps to take! This is probably the one that you are most excited about, the solution to your problems. Installation Day.
<p>Now is the moment of truth! You have talked to our ladies in the office and scheduled an appointment, one of our Systems Design Specialists have been out to your home, and you have already taken all the proper steps to ready your home for the installation crew to put in your system! It's installation day! Our crew will be coming to your home for a day (or maybe a few).</p>
<p>As per the usual, this is what you should expect. The first thing that will happen, is a few days before your installation date, you should receive a phone call from the office. This phone call is to remind you of the installation date in case you had forgotten, which is actually pretty common. We try to have your installation as soon as possible, but sometimes during the year, our calendar gets booked up quite far, sometimes a month or more. This is just a quick reminder that lets you know the date of the installation, as well as what time the crew should be there to install the system!</p>
<p>After that, the next time you will hear back from us is when the crew gets to your home! You definitely are not required to be at the home during the installation process, but we do ask that if you are not there, that you provide us access to the area in which we are working in. This includes basements, crawlspaces, and areas around the home that the crew may need to access during the installation process. Another scenario to think about is if you live in a gated community that requires approval. The crew will arrive as early in the morning as they can (travel times vary), however, they crews are usually on site around 9-10 am and on an average day will work until 5 or 6 in the evening. Before they leave at night, the crew will clean up the area as best as they can (of course sometimes this is impossible), but they do their best to "hide" as much as possible. Now since the average job is between 3 and 5 days, more than likely the crew will be coming back at least a couple days in a row. They will complete this process until the job has been completed. The crew often needs to stay later on the last day of a job, because the work can be finished that day, it just may take a few extra hours.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/pg4_1505417280.JPG" alt="What to Expect Installation Days - Image 1" width="640" height="480"></p>
<p>After the crew has finished the job, from start to finish, then you're almost done! Well sort of, there are still a few little things to get done. We invite you to check out the system and ask any questions that you may have. Our crews, especially the foremen, are extremely well versed in the systems that they install, so they should be able to answer any questions without a problem! The last step is to collect the rest of the payment from you. Now if you are paying with a check or cash, we ask that you give the crew foreman that. However, if you are financing or paying with a credit/debit card, that will be taken care of through the office! You can call us if you'd like to, but don't worry, someone will give you a call the day that the work will be done for a few reasons. One to let you know that the crew will be finishing, but also to collect the payment.</p>
<p>While this is pretty much the end of the process and series as a whole. I will be writing one more, short, blog about a few miscellaneous things that will/could happen after your system has been installed. So stay tuned for that!</p>
<p> </p>
2017-09-14T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29699-what-to-expect-pre-installation-workelectrical-standards.html
What to Expect: Pre-Installation Work/Electrical Standards
2017-08-24T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
Now that you've decided to have us install our products/systems in your home, we have a little more footwork to do before we are ready to install our products. This post will outline what will happen before your installation date.
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have some good news and some bad news for you. I always like to end on a good note, so I'll give you the bad news first; this is probably going to be the time where YOU have to put in the most work. However, the good news is that it usually is not that much work! See, it could have been much worse! The rest of the blog post will be all about the responsibilities you have as the homeowner, and what we will be doing in order to make your installation as smooth as possible.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Payment</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">There are basically two options when paying for the service. The first one that we will go over first is just straight payment. This is relatively simple, which is why we are discussing it first. So, when you sign your contract, we require a 20% down payment for the project, however, you can put down as much as you would like at this point, even paying for the entire amount. This is so that we are able to purchase some of the materials for your project, to have them ready to install! The rest of the payment for the installation of our products is due upon completion of the installation.<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The other way to pay for our services is through a financing firm that we are partnered with called Enerbank. You can find other information about the financing options once the project is scheduled and Enerbank gets back to you after filling out an application. We have this option as well so that even if your home is in dire need of our system, but you don't have the "cash" up front, you are still able to get the system installed. Both Enerbank and our office are huge helps in getting you through this process!</span> <br></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Electrical</span></strong><br></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/1197102376925968224johnnyautomaticwallplugsvghi_1503604336.png" alt="What to Expect PreInstallation WorkElectrical Standards - Image 1" width="420" height="276"></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The electrical component of our installations are actually pretty important to your system. There are very specific guidelines and requirements that must be met to ensure that our products can work correctly without fail. Another important part of having the correct electrical setup is so that your warranties are not negated. <br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fortunately, we have a flyer that we will give you that specifies exactly what you need to have installed! you don't even necessarily have to understand exactly what you need, but you can show your electrician the flyer so that they will know exactly what they need to do for you. Again, I can't stress the importance of getting this right, because it could void your warranties. Another note is that plugging your products into an extension cord will negate any warranty on a pump or dehumidifier. This means that the outlet must be installed very close to the sump pump or dehumidifier.</span><br></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Electrical Requirements</span></em></strong><br></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">TripleSafe Pump System<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> We recommend 2 outlets on different circuits.<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Pump#1 - 9.7 amps<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Pump#2 - 9.4 amps<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Charger - 3 amps<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">SuperSump Pump System</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 9.7 amps (13 amps with Charger)<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">SmartSump Crawlspace Pump System<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 9.7 amps (13 amps with Charger)<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">SantaFe Edge 2 Crawlspace Dehumidifier<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 5.7 amps<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">SantaFe Element Mini Crawlspace Dehumidifier<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 5.1 amps<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">SantaFe Elite<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> 6.4 amps<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Condensate Pump<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> 1 amp</span><br></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Miscellaneous</span></strong><br></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are not too many other things that we would ask you to do before coming to install the system, but sometimes there are smaller requests. One of the biggest things that we ask for (especially when installing WaterGuard) is for the homeowner to move everything at least a few feet back from the wall. Some other requests may move certain objects or parts of structures (like stair steps to work under), or to remove flooring like tile, wood floors, etc.</span><br></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
2017-08-24T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29603-what-to-expect-systems-design-specialist.html
What to Expect: Systems Design Specialist
2017-08-11T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This blog post will talk about "What to Expect" when having our Systems Design Specialists out to your home, and what exactly will go along with that process.
<p>The very first part of your free estimate with one of our System Design Specialists happens several days before you'll meet with them and probably before you even talk to them. After your phone call with someone at the office, we immediately prepare a pre-mailer, which is basically a packet of information on some of our products, as well as an informational booklet about crawl spaces/basements/foundation issues (depending on your reason for calling, of course).</p>
<p>After the pre-mailer is sent out and received by you, our prospective customer then comes the moment of truth, you get to meet one of our great System Design Specialists. The only other thing that probably will happen before they arrive at your home is a phone call from them. They often do this the day before or earlier in the day, just as a reminder to the estimate.</p>
<p>This next part is where all of the magic happens, the Specialist has arrived at your home, and ready to meet you, determine your problems, and give you a reasonable, effective solution. Now, these inspections can take awhile, between an hour or two, maybe more if the home/business needs a lot of work and different products. The Specialist will go under/around the home and begin making notes and measurements of the home, measure humidity levels, and anything else that he needs for the estimate.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/16101105-cartoon-salesman-stock-vector_1503596771.jpg" alt="What to Expect Systems Design Specialist - Image 1" width="409" height="480"></p>
<p>After figuring out exactly what your needs are for the work, the Specialist will have a presentation prepared for you. In the presentation, he will show off some of the products, as well as how they work. Some of this information will be a review if you've read the books that were sent to you. However, the Specialist is there to answer any questions about the system/products, and any further technical questions you may have. At this time, the Specialist will actually show you his proposal on what is needed to fix the problem, as well as price, and anything else that may come with the proposal.</p>
<p>This certainly will not be the last time you hear from our Specialist, they are almost always available to answer questions that you may have. After you have met with the Specialist and have seen the estimate, it is then up to you whether you decide to choose our company or not. Once you call the office, we will set up an installation date for your project to be completed.</p>
2017-08-11T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29530-what-to-expect-initial-contact.html
What to Expect: Initial Contact
2017-08-03T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This is a new "series" that I'm starting called, "What to expect". It will be about what you should expect when you get involved with our company. This first one will be about the first steps in contacting us and beginning the process to make your home healthier.
<p>So, if you're still trying to figure out which contractor you should contact for an estimate, want to know more about our company, or just want to know what to expect when dealing with our company; you've come to the right place. I'm going to be writing several of these, basically spanning from the first time you call our office to the installation of your system, and even after that!</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/istock000001467909xsmall-answer-phone_1501789375.jpg" alt="What to Expect Initial Contact - Image 1" width="428" height="280"></p>
<p>We're going to start off at the very beginning, our first contact together. This will happen one of two ways (you'll probably never guess); you will give us a call, or we'll give you a call! That was a tough one, but I think we're getting through this pretty easily. Now, for you to call us, you've probably spent a lot of time on our website; looking over our countless photos, before and afters, and other content. We hope that you have even read up on our Service Design Specialists, and we know you have looked at the products we provide (although you may not understand them, that's okay!). After you've done all your research, you give us a call and one of our lovely office employees will answer your call. More than likely it will be Karen, Shannon, Brooke, and if you draw the short straw you'll get me (Braden). Now pause for a minute while I described the other way.</p>
<p>So if you'd rather have us call you back, you can fill out a contact form for a free estimate <a href="https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/free-estimate.html">here</a>. This form allows us to collect some basic information (name, address, and the reason for contact) so that we know who and what we are dealing with. Once we receive your form, we will give you a call to set up your free estimate and get a little more information about you!</p>
<p>Alright, now that we've made contact, one way or another, it is time to schedule your free, no-obligation estimate. While on the phone with someone from our office, they will get some information from you including; name, address, email, the reason for calling, and a few others. After finding out a little more about you, and answering any questions that you may have for us, we move on to scheduling a date for one of our Service Design Specialists to visit you for the estimate. This is a relatively painless process and usually only takes a minute or two of figuring out which Specialist is required for the type of work you're in need of, your location, and the date that you would like to have the estimate done on.</p>
<p>That pretty much sums up the initial contact that you are likely to have with our company. All of our customer service representatives here are very nice, polite, and sweet ladies, I promise they won't bite! Now that I've walked you through this process (probably in too much detail), give us a call at [[phone]]! Thank you for reading, keep on the lookout for the next few "What to Expect's"</p>
2017-08-03T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29481-gfci-breaker-or-receptacle.html
GFCI Breaker or Receptacle?
2017-07-26T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This blog is going to go in depth about the difference in a GFCI breaker and receptacle. It will explain what each one is and does, as well as why we recommend the GFCI breaker, over receptacle.
<p>Many people, whether you are knowledgeable about commercial electricity, how it flows, and different types of circuits or not, have probably at least heard of a GFI/GFCI, which stands for “Ground-fault Circuit Interrupter” (you may have learned something already!). You also probably already know what these are used for, they’re installed in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. However, unless you’re an electrician or have researched this before, the way they work may be unknown, let’s start there.</p>
<p>A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), also known as a ground fault interrupter (GFI), is a device that shuts off an electric circuit when it detects that current is flowing along an unintended path, such as through water or a person. In layman’s terms, a GFCI keeps people from getting shocked or electrocuted by shutting off when the circuit is interrupted by water or from a person. The way that it does this is through constantly measuring and comparing the output and returning currents, when the currents do not match up, the GFCI trips and must be reset. The photo below shows a pretty simple illustration of how a GFCI works.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/august3figure1_1501097849.jpg" alt="GFCI Breaker or Receptacle - Image 1" width="640" height="351"></p>
<p>There are three main types of GFCIs, but only two that we will focus on in this post. The one that will not be discussed is the portable GFCI. Think of this as a short extension cord (hence the “portable”) that can serve as a GFCI. The main two, as you may have guessed from the title is the GFCI outlet and circuit breaker. A GFCI outlet is exactly what it seems, it is an outlet that is “GFCI protected”, meaning that it will do exactly as described above. A GFCI circuit breaker is very similar, except that it is installed in the breaker box, rather than as an outlet. Another big difference is that a GFCI circuit breaker protects a whole circuit, rather than just one outlet. So instead of having 4-5 different GFCI outlets, the home could just have one GFCI circuit breaker.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/9gfitypes_1501098062.JPG" alt="The three main types of GFCIs" width="640" height="306"></p>
<p>There are pros and cons to both of these options, whether going with a GFCI outlet or a GFCI circuit breaker. However, because we are a basement and crawlspace waterproofing company, we are going to focus on the application of this different GFCIs in these areas. The answer without a doubt is to go with a GFCI circuit breaker in basements, and especially the crawlspace. The reason is not a very complicated one and is more of a convenience than anything. The word convenience is thrown out, because, in reality, a GFCI outlet and a GFCI circuit breaker are almost the same thing, and definitely perform the same function.</p>
<p>A little background may be needed to understand why this is more of a convenience for basements and crawlspaces. If a customer is having a product that needs to be plugged in, they are required to provide a dedicated outlet; these products include sump pumps, dehumidifiers, and condensate pumps. I’m sure you’re able to make this connection relatively easily, but we are a waterproofing company, meaning we are dealing with wet areas daily. Since GFCIs are set off by water, it is pretty common for an outlet to be tripped in the areas where our products are installed.</p>
<p>We often get service calls about our products not working/running/etc. Every once in a while, the product is defective, but a lot of times it is as simple as a tripped GFCI outlet. Now some people realize this and will go into the crawlspace to see if the GFCI was tripped, but there are two problems with this. First, it can be a real inconvenience for the homeowner to have to get in their crawl space just to see if this is the problem, whereas, with a GFCI circuit breaker, all they have to do is to check their breaker box. Another issue is that we have a lot of older customers who aren’t actually able to get to their crawlspace, so a GFCI circuit breaker is imperative for them.</p>
<p>Overall, because a GFCI circuit breaker and outlet perform the same function, the convenience of the GFCI circuit far outweighs the benefits of the GFCI outlet, especially in our line of work in dealing with basements and crawl spaces!</p>
2017-07-26T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29412-why-do-i-need-basement-drainage.html
Why Do I Need Basement Drainage?
2017-07-17T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This blog will give you a few reasons to think about why you should at least get drainage in your basement, if not completely finish your basement!
<p>You may be reading this saying, "Of course I should be getting drainage, it's just too expensive" or "I'll do it soon" or maybe you're thinking to yourself that basements are scary places and it is just a fact of life that basements are dark, scary, and damp places. Well, hopefully this blog is able to change each and every one of your minds because having a finished basement can add a lot of value to your home, and provides you with extra space to enjoy or use as storage.</p>
<p>There are several different scenarios in which you may need to look at having a basement drain installed (although personally, I think it is better to be safe than sorry)! </p>
<p>It seems to be more common than not that people believe that the problem is not actually a problem, but more of a minor inconvenience every few months. People don't mind spending a hundred bucks here or there to fix the problem temporarily, but are less likely to shell out a little more for a permanent solution to the problem.</p>
<p>We see this when people will call around or talk to friends (as you should do) and many people hear solutions like cleaning gutters, landscaping options, exterior drainage, and others. The problem is that these solutions will work, but often not for long. But because the solutions work temporarily, people believe that the only problem is that their gutters aren't clean or that the soil around the home isn't sloped correctly, which may all be true. These aren't the problems to the underlying issue, which is that of the basement. Unfortunately, the materials we use in a building aren't perfect, so we have to come up with solutions like the ones that we use here at All-Dry. These are interior drainage products that don't pretend to keep the water from getting into the home (because this is very difficult), but rather products that if (but more likely when) water gets into your basement, will collect the water and keep it from damaging your home.</p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/66ff29be-7a0b-4b92-90b9-7a941dbc2e0e_1500320495.JPG" alt="A photo from a recent job, it shows a basement that had our WaterGuard drain installed, as well as BrightWall." width="640" height="480" /></p>
<table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 312px; height: 111px;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>This picture is from a recent job in Maggie Valley. This homeowner had WaterGuard drainage system, as well as BrightWall installed.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>As mentioned earlier, some people just believe that basements are kind of supposed to be these dark, scary areas. This is definitely not true, as you can see if you check out some of our basement pictures in our photo gallery or before and afters! Finished basements can be a huge blessing and add a lot of value to your home; imagine you have a 1,000 square foot, one-story home with a basement, by finishing your basement you have almost doubled your livable square-footage of the home. These places don't have to be scary, unusable places, but can be transformed into dry, fun, and livable areas!</p>
<p>If you still aren't convinced about finishing your crawlspace, or at least getting drainage to keep it from becoming damp and moldy, then maybe this last reason will help you out. This is more of a practical benefit, but it is still true and very important. It is pretty likely that at some point you will be selling your house, whether your family is getting bigger, maybe smaller, you're moving because of a new job, or maybe you're retiring! The fact is, you're going to be selling your house, and there are two ways that your damp, wet, and/or moldy basement can go for you; your potential buyer may love the home, but then see the crawlspace and either immediately back out because it isn't an issue they want to deal with or you may end up having to pay for a solution anyways. If you're going to be paying for it anyway, why not do it sooner? That way you can actually enjoy the benefits too!</p>
<p>I won't go through all of the different ways that you can use your newly finished basement, but I'll give you a lot! Here's a short list of different things to do with your basement: a playroom, bedroom(s), home gym, home theater, wine cellar, and many, many more! I hope this post has enlightened you to why you should get basement drainage and finish your crawl space, there aren't really any negatives to this process!</p>
<p>Call us with any questions you may have about getting work done to your basement! Our number is [phone], we look forward to hearing from you!</p>
2017-07-17T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29336-terms-of-the-trade-basements.html
Terms of the Trade: Basements
2017-07-05T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
We're starting off a new "series" all about basements, basement waterproofing, and anything else you can think of! This post will be a very simple and short one.
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/imagepng_1499277472.jpg" alt="Terms of the Trade Basements - Image 1" width="640" height="467"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>For this post, we're going to start outside and work our way inwards, so first we will start by going over the outside items.</p>
<ul><li> Grade
<ul><li>This refers to the ground level a home is on. It also refers to the angle of which the ground is at. Generally, the most favorable grade around a home is a downward-sloping grade, so that water runs away from the home.</li>
</ul></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Virgin Soil</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">The soil around the home that has not been disturbed when the home was built. Essentially when a home is built, a large "bowl" is dug out, where your foundation is laid. After the foundation is laid, the builder then fills the bowl back up. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Backfill<br><ul><li style="text-align: left;">This is the soil that that was replaced by the builder after the foundation was laid. This soil is usually pretty loose and "unsteady", a common cause of settlement.</li>
</ul></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Exterior Footing Drain<br><ul><li style="text-align: left;">This is also referred to as an exterior drain tile and is placed on the footing or bottom of the walls. These drains are placed to drain off any water around the foundation walls and footings. These are usually large plastic pipes with slots/holes in them to allow water seepage. The problem with these drains is that they are often installed incorrectly which leads to a number of different problems.</li>
</ul></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Sub-Slab Soil or Floor Backfill<br><ul><li style="text-align: left;">This is soil/rock/etc that is placed after the foundation has been poured, but before the basement floor/slab is poured.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul><p>Now onto the actual home and foundation itself. For this section, we will work from bottom to top.</p>
<ul><li>Footing or Footer
<ul><li>These are on the edges of a home and help to spread out the weight of the home on more ground. This is important to do because a home (and everything inside of it) can weigh a lot, these footers help to bear that burden.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Basement Floor/Floor Slab/Slab<br><ul><li>This is a pretty self-explanatory term, this is a slab of concrete that serves as the floor for a basement.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Foundation Wall/Basement Wall<br><ul><li>Another self-explanatory term, this is part of the foundation, but it is also that wall of the basement. Since it is part of the foundation, it holds up the majority of the home's weight.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Floor/Wall Joint<br><ul><li>Another easy one! This is where the floor slab and the foundation wall come together. The reason that this is important, is since it isn't a single slab, it leaves a gap between the two. This gap is a perfect area for water to come through and cause problems.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Footing/Wall Joint<br><ul><li>Another area in which a gap is created by the two different slabs being poured separately. In this case, this is the joint, or area where the footing (or footer) meets with the foundation wall.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Sill Plate<br><ul><li>This is a board that is laid horizontally around the top of the foundation (walls). This sill plate is basically used to construct the home off of. What I mean by that is that the studs and eventually walls are fastened to the sill plate for a more sturdy foundation.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Rim Joist<br><ul><li>A rim joist is essentially the cap on the end of the floor joists. It gives the floor joists an anchor and holds everything together.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Floor Joists<br><ul><li>These are the boards that run across a home, essentially creating the foundation for the floor of a home. These floor joists are also the ceiling for a basement.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul><p>While many of these you may have already known or could have guessed, with the upcoming blog posts about the basement, I thought it would be best to list out all of these "key terms" for basements, so that they won't have to be explained in detail in the upcoming posts. I hope you learned more about basements and foundations!</p>
2017-07-05T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29227-social-media-and-you.html
Social Media and You!
2017-06-26T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
Just a quick blog post about our different social media channels and an overview of what we do on each!
<p>Instagram, Twitter, Facebook! You name it, and we might have it! We're on all of the major social media and social networking sites! This includes; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google+.</p>
<p>All-Dry of the Carolinas has recently brought on a dedicated marketing person! My name is Braden, and I am the marketing intern for All-Dry! I won't make this too much about myself, but I would like to give a little background on myself. I'm a senior at Lander University, pursuing a degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in marketing/management and finance. I started here in March, and have been pretty busy ever since!</p>
<p>Now enough about myself, and more about our social media! Most of our social media accounts (excluding Facebook) are relatively new. Our Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have all been created in the last three months that I've been here. While our social media is very important to us, I focus a lot on posting content to our website, like this blog! I write most of the content that gets posted on the website including; before and afters, photo galleries, and case studies.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/social-media-icons-stacked_1498491722.png" alt="Social Media and You - Image 1" width="640" height="264"></p>
<p>Now let's talk about where you can find us on social media, and a brief overview of what kind of content is posted on each (although the content is relatively similar).</p>
<ul><li>Facebook</li>
<li>This is our "main" social media outlet. It is where we have the biggest presence and audience. Anything that gets posted to other social media, will more than likely be posted here as well. There are a lot of different types of content posted here, from photos to website content, and even interesting, short articles.</li>
<li>Twitter<br><ul><li>Our Twitter has a very small following, but maybe you can help with that! If you know about Twitter, then you know the content here is much shorter. Usually just random tweets about "National Holidays" like National Doughnut Day, with the occasional website content or testimonial thrown in!</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Instagram<br><ul><li>Our Instagram is brand new as of today! The content on here will more than likely be more "behind the scenes" content; office life, celebrating those funny "holidays", and other things of this sort.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>LinkedIn<br><ul><li>Since this is a more professional site than say, Facebook, I try and treat it as such. On this site, the content is usually more about job postings, but also has content from the website as well.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul><p>Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I hope you all follow us on our different social media channels! If you have any questions or suggestions, please send a message to us on any of these social media sites, or shoot me an email at alldrymarketing@gmail.com.</p>
<p>Here is a list of all of the social media handles:</p>
<ul><li>Twitter-@AllDryCarolinas</li>
<li>Instagram-alldrycarolinas</li>
<li>Facebook-All-Dry of the Carolinas, Inc</li>
<li>LinkedIn-All-Dry of the Carolinas</li>
<li>Google+-All-Dry of the Carolinas</li>
</ul><p> </p>
2017-06-26T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29136-solutions-to-a-failing-wall.html
Solutions to a Failing Wall
2017-06-14T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
You've made it to the final part in our "foundation series"! Great job, if you made it this far. In this case study, we're going to talk about the solutions to wall failure.
<p>Congratulations! If you're reading this, you've made it all the way through the foundation blogs! It is no surprise to you how this blog will be set up, so we will hop right into solutions for wall failure, or rather solutions that (don't) work, and move our way to reasonable options!</p>
<p>This first option is something that we've talked about in another blog, so we won't go into too much detail; total foundation replacement. Total foundation replacement is essentially where a house is completely raised off of the ground (foundation) and then has a new foundation poured. While this seems like a good option, it is actually one of the worse ones. Total foundation replacement is extremely expensive and does not tackle the issue at hand -- the soil. If you're having issues with wall failure, this is one of the last "solutions" you want to do!</p>
<p>This is going to get confusing but bear with me on this. This section is going to be talking about carbon fiber straps. Now, carbon fiber straps can be a somewhat reliable option, especially if you have the correct type, but others are very stiff and are not great for helping to fight against wall failure. We'll talk about the types that don't work first. There are two types of carbon fiber straps that don't work very well, the first type being laminates. These are very strong products but are also extremely rigid. So while the may have the strength to support the wall, they may not have the flexibility to attach to the wall correctly. The other type of carbon fiber strap that don't work well are called grid systems. These grid systems don't have nearly as much or tightly woven carbon fiber strips as the laminate systems and therefore aren't nearly as strong, even though they are flexible.</p>
<p>So why can't you just combine the best of both worlds? Well lucky for you, Foundation Supportworks has done this with their CarbonArmor and ArmorLock System. This carbon fiber strap is both flexible and extremely strong, 10 times stronger than steel. Everything about this system is great for basement walls. Not only are the straps themselves strong, but the epoxy and the ArmorLock anchorage system are extremely tough and well-designed.</p>
<p>On to the next, steel I-Beams. These I-Beams can sometimes be an option for a homeowner, especially when there is limited space between property lines or other obstacles. However, since these I-Beams take up a lot of room and run floor-to-ceiling, they aren't recommended if you want to eventually finish your basement or if it is already finished.</p>
<p>An even better option than I-Beams is the PowerBrace system. These PowerBraces are even better than I-Beams because of their ability to be tightened over time. This means that not only can the wall be stopped from getting any worse, but it can actually improve the condition of the wall over time.</p>
<p>One of the most popular ways that we use to handle wall failure is wall anchors. Simply put, wall anchors consist of three separate parts, 2 plates, and a rod. A hole is dug several feet away from the home, where one anchor plate will be installed. A hole is then drilled through the basement wall, all the way to the Geo-Lock anchor that is installed outside. The actual wall anchor plate is installed on the basement wall and the entire system is tightened. These really are one of the best and most effective solutions that we offer. These walls have the best opportunity to straighten the wall over time and the only downfall is that you must have a few feet outside of your home to install the outside plates.</p>
<p>As always, I'm including a table from FSI's "Foundation Repair Science" book!</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/imagepng_1497452298.jpg" alt="Solutions to a Failing Wall - Image 1" width="626" height="480"></p>
2017-06-14T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/29051-how-to-fix-a-homes-sagging-floors.html
How to Fix a Home's Sagging Floors
2017-06-05T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This is a continuation of the "foundation series" that has been going on for several weeks. This blog will talk about how we can fix sagging floors.
<p>We always like to save the best for last, so we are going to start this blog out by telling you solutions that some companies may try to push on you. While some of these solutions do work, they are often temporary or can sometimes cause more problems than before.</p>
<p>The first solution that doesn't work are concrete columns. These concrete columns are basically just a concrete footing, with concrete blocks stacked on top of them, with shims put inbetween the concrete blocks and the girder. While this seems like a good solution and something that you've probably seen before, it doesn't actually tackle the real problem (does that sound familar?). This is not a reasonable option because the soil is the problem, so by just putting new columns without addressing the soil, the same issue will arise again when the soil keeps settling.</p>
<p>The next solution that only provides a temporary solution is additional shimming. Additional shimming is very cheap and extremely easy to do. This is eseentially taking wedges of wood and pushing them in between the girder and the existing column. While this may be cheap and easy, it is a very temporary fix and you are going to have to keep repairing and putting more and more shims in. With this solution, you get out what you put in. </p>
<p>Another solution that you definitely should not do is to install a light-duty jack post. This is essentially a smaller, weaker version of the SmartJack that we install. This is more than likely a DIY project taken on by the homeowner. There are a few problems with using light-duty jacks. The first problem is that these jacks can't really support the weight of a home, even installing several of these won't keep them from collapsing or failing. The other problem, as with other "solutions" is that it doesn't address the underlying issue-the soil.</p>
<p>We can finally move on to the one solution that can repair sagging floors, a SmartJack Stablizer or SmartJack. SmartJacks are similar to the "light-duty jack posts" except much, much better. They are able to hold over 60,000 pounds, which is much more other jacks. Not only can the SmartJacks hold more weight than other jacks, but the way that they are installed actually tackles the underlying problem, not just the issue with the sagging floors. When SmartJacks are installed, a small cube of soil is dug and and filled with concrete or crushed stone. This new base is much stronger and will not settle like the rest of the soil around and under it. SmartJacks are really the only solution to sagging floors that is permanent. Not only is the product strong and adjustable, but it also is the only solution presented that addresses the problem soil. </p>
<p>I am including a chart below that shows the pros and cons of each of these solutions. This chart is actually the chart from Foundation Supportworks's "Foundation Repair Science" book. As always, feel free to call us or message us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn with any questions!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/image-4png_1496678015.jpg" alt="How to Fix a Homes Sagging Floors - Image 1" width="618" height="480"></p>
2017-06-05T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/28982-we-are-foundation-settlement-problem-solvers-at-all-dry.html
We Are Foundation Settlement Problem Solvers at All-Dry!
2017-05-24T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This blog is the third and final "chapter" of the foundation series of blogs....at least for now. This blog will talk about all of the different solutions to foundation problems. Some will be good, some will be bad. We'll tell which one is best for you, and which ones will cause even more trouble.
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This installment in the "Foundation Repair series" is going to be a little different than the other two blogs about foundation problems. Since there is so much information and different solutions for each of these problems, there will be at least two different blogs talking about the solutions for the different foundation issues. This one will only go over foundation settlement solutions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Foundation Settlement</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">First we will start off with the solutions that do not work, then go into the ones that do. One option you have when you foundation is settling is a total foundation replacement. This is exactly what it sounds like, the dirt around your home is excavated like a archeaological dig site, your home is raised above the ground, and then a whole new foundation is poured for your home, and the dirt is replaced. This seems like a good plan, right? If the foundation is broken, we should just replace it. While this kind of makes sense, it is a flawed way of thinking. This is because even though the foundation is broken and settling, it is not the problem. The issue is the soil around and beneath your home. So this solution is only temporary, even though the cost is huge. This is definitely one solution that you don't want to try.<br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another solution that you should be wary of is concrete underpinning. This may be something that you've never heard of so we'll go over exactly what it is. This solution starts off similarly to the last, the crew begins by excavating the soil around your home, then pours larger footings beneath the existing ones. The soil is then put back into place. The reasoning behind this method is because the footings are meant to hold the weight of the home, therefore if the footings are larger and cover more area, the weight of the home will be more spread out. This method generally does not work because the new concrete footings are not poured outside of the "active zone" (the active zone is the area around the home in which the soil is still settling). This again, does not address the underlying of the issue and will only cost more when it needs to be repaired. <br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">We still have one more bad "solution" to go over, concrete piers. These piers are pushed into the ground and held together by a wire. A shim is then placed on the top of the tower of concrete cylinders in order to hold up the home. This is not the worst solution out there, but it does not work too well because of how wide the pillars are. It is very difficult to push down these concrete blocks through the soil, and concrete is known for breaking and cracking when under immense pressure (like holding up a house) and during temperature changes. <br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now onto the real solutions! The first actual foundation settlement solution is to install steel push piers. If you have checked out any other content on our website, you have probably seen these push piers. The push piers are are steel rods that are driven deep into the soil to either bedrock or a stable soil layer. While these push piers can be installed both in-and-outdoors, we generally only install them outside the home. These piers are attached to a large, steel bracket that is secured onto the base of your foundation. After all of this is taken care of, the push piers attempt to lift the home back towards its original position, raising the home and closing gaps in and outside the home. The reason these push piers work is because it helps to solve the actual problem, the soil. The piers are driven much further than the still-settling soil until it reaches a stable soil layer. This means the weight of the home is transferred from the "loose" soil around the home, to the sturdy soil deep beneath the home. <br></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The last real solution are helical piers. Helical piers are a very similar concept to the steel push piers, except the are a little more versatile. The helical piers have helix shaped blades on the shaft of the pier, which provide more support and easier installation. One thing that helical piers do that are much better than the normal push piers are that they help to stabilize lighter structures (like decks or stoops), as well as homes and other buildings. The table included below shows off exactly what each of these methods are capable of. <br></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/image-5png_1495647512.jpg" alt="We Are Foundation Settlement Problem Solvers at AllDry - Image 1" width="437" height="385"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As previously mentioned, this is part one of the "foundation repair solution" blogs. Look out for more parts talking about the solutions for sagging floors and wall failure that will come up soon!</span><br></span></span></p>
2017-05-24T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/28878-what-causes-foundation-problems.html
What Causes Foundation Problems?
2017-05-15T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This blog will be going into detail about the causes of foundation problems, and some of the science behind the problems.
<p>Well, this was going to be named "The Science Behind a Broken Foundation" but there is not too much science behind why foundations need to be repaired. The main scientific principles that deal with foundation issues and repair deal with force, pressure, and water. Since there is not too much science to talk about in foundation repair (at least on a simpler level) we are going to go through the causes of foundation repair. We will, as in the last blog, break down this blog into three main parts, each part going over the causes of each different type of foundation problem someone may encounter.</p>
<p>The first foundation problem someone may run into is foundation settlement. Settlement is basically the movement a home experiences when the soil below your home shifts and moves because of the weight of a home. Conveniently, there are three different causes of foundation settlement; drying and shrinking of soil, wetting and softening of soil, and the compression of poorly compacted fill soil. Drying and shrinking of soil is pretty self-explanatory, but is commonly caused by a few different things. The two main ways that drying and shrinking of soil happens is through drought and maturing trees. A drought is, of course, a lack or percipitation. This lack of water begans to slowly dry out the soil, which causes the soil to begin to shrink. Maturing trees are a big one because the more trees you have and the bigger they get, the more water they all need. This again dries out the soil and when the soil shrinks, it creates an open space for your home to settle in.</p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/stair-step-foundation-wall-cracks-lg_1494863353.jpg" alt="What Causes Foundation Problems - Image 1" width="295" height="218"></p>
<p>The next cause is quite the opposite, being the wetting and softening of soil. There are, again, two different ways that the wetting and softening soil occurs; heavy rain and flood conditions and poor drainage. The first obviously can cause a lot of problems, if there is an excess of rain or flooding, the ground becomes soft and easily manipulated. Another cause of the softening of soil is poor drainage. Your area may not be getting a lot of rain, but if you don't have the correct drainage or you drainage system has malfunctioned, the water that pools next to your home can cause the soil around your home to get soft. This soft, pliable soil allows the home to sink down into it.</p>
<p>The last cause of foundation settlement is the compresssion of poorly compacted fill soil. Basically what this means is that when a neighborhood is being constructed, dirt is moved around or brought in to help make the whole area more level. Sometimes this soil is not compacted well enough, it has room to compress, especially when it has the weight of a home on top of it.</p>
<p>Sagging floors are a huge foundation problem, that many homeowners face at some point in their lives. The three main causes of sagging floors are: existing columns being spaced too far apart, weakened floor joists and girders, and the settlement of existing columns. The first one causes sagging floors because there is not enough support for the floor. When the columns are too far apart, the beams are overloaded with the weight of the home and everything in it. Weakened floor joists/girders are usually caused by excess moisture and humidity. The moisture penetrates the wood and begins to soften it. With the weight of the home on the wood, it can easily start to be damaged and cause the floor to sag. Last but not least, sometimes existing columns will begin to settle. The columns will settle for any of the same reasons as mentioned above, however when these columns sag, the floor joists and girders (which are supported by the columns) tend to go with it.</p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/failing-floor-joist-thm_1494863144.jpg" alt="What Causes Foundation Problems - Image 2" width="329" height="234"></p>
<p>Surprise, surprise! There are three main causes for bowing walls in the home which include; frost, expansive clay soil, and the most "exciting" one, hydrostatic presure. You could probably guess what each of these mean and why they can be detrimental, but as always, we will still go through them. Frost can cause basement walls to bow because of what happens to water that freezes....it expands! This increased pressure on the outside basement walls can cause them to bend and bow. The most interesting one is the clay soil. Clay can hold a lot of moisture which is not necessarily a bad thing, however because it can constantly dry and get wet, it can begin to put more and more pressure on a basement wall. One of the more common ways that walls begin to bow in homes is through hydrostatic pressure, which sounds really cool and maybe even dangerous. That being said, besides the danger it can bring to your home and basement walls, it is actually pretty simple. Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid due to the force of gravity. So basically what this means in relation to your home is that, as water begins to build up in the soil around your foundation, more and more pressure will be exerted against the wall.</p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/buckling-wall-basement-windows-lg_1494863200.jpg" alt="What Causes Foundation Problems - Image 3" width="331" height="247"></p>
<p>Hopefully all of this made sense to you and you now understand why such strong and well-built homes can be so easily damaged. Wait for our next installment of the foundation series, how we can help you fix all of these problems!</p>
<p> </p>
2017-05-15T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/blog/28841-do-you-live-in-a-broken-home.html
Do You Live in a Broken Home?
2017-05-10T00:00:00.05Z
Braden Cook
This blog will be all about foundations and some common signs that your home and foundation may need some repair.
<p>We will start off by first identifying and describing the three different types of foundation problems: foundation settlement, sagging floors, and wall failure.</p>
<p>Let's start with foundation settlement. First off, what is it? Essentially settlement means that the soil around your home is moving and settling into place from when your builder/contractor initially built your home. Homes are not just placed there, the area around your home is often excavated and after the foundation is laid, the dirt is put back. Since this soil is not packed in very tight, over the years it will start to settle and shift, along with the soil, your home will settle and shift.</p>
<p>We'll start outside and work our way in. Some of the common outside problems include: stair-step cracking, detached/separating chimneys, and cracks around outside windows and doors. Unlike crawlspaces and basements, foundation issues are usually pretty easy to notice, but if not taken seriously, can be overlooked. Stair-step cracking is very simple and is exactly what it sounds like. It goes from brick to brick up (or down) your wall, and as you may have guessed....it looks like a staircase. Cracks around windows and doors generally are stair step cracks, but because the wall is weaker around windows and doors, cracks will often appear here first. If your doors and windows don't seem square, you have cracks from the corners of your doors or windows, or there is separation from window/door to the wall, then you probably have some underlying foundation issues. Last, but not least is the chimney. This is dramatic and sometimes the most obvious sign of foundation problems. Since the chimney on many homes are built on their own small foundation, they will settle even easier and start to completely separate from the home. Signs of foundation settlement inside your home include drywall cracks and "sticky" doors. Drywall cracks often at the top corners of doors and windows inside the home, or cracks that follow drywall seams. "Sticky doors" may also be a sign of sagging floors. </p>
<p> Below are two examples of the types of cracks that often occur in homes that need foundation repair.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img style="float: left;" src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/pg2_1494433600.JPG" alt="Do You Live in a Broken Home - Image 1" width="329" height="246"> <img src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/blog/1203/medium/2ad0e568-4992-4d85-93f0-755ad47cc767_1494433774.JPG" alt="Do You Live in a Broken Home - Image 2" width="206" height="275"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Onto the next...sagging floors! This issue is pretty obvious and does not need much explanation at all. Sagging floors are when your floors start to bow, get lower in some areas, and may even seem bouncy at some points. There are several different signs of sagging floors. Sloping floors are often the most obvious, and if it happens near to a wall, sometimes there is actually a gap between the floor and interior walls. Another sign, similar to the outside of the home are cracks in interior walls, as well as gaps around door frames. Another good way to check is to check out the crawlspace. If you look at the top of the columns in your crawlspace (which are supposed to hold up your home) and they have spaces between the column and girder, you may have some foundation issues.</p>
<p>Last, but certainly not least, we have wall failure. Wall failure is much more common in homes with basements because there is a larger area and a lot of pressure on these walls. However, there are several different symptoms and signs of wall failure in a basement. The first sign is horizontal cracking, which is exactly what it sounds like. This is a horizontal crack in the wall that may start off small, and slowly began to widen. These cracks generally begin to form around the ground level or toward the middle of the wall. Another sign, as with the other types of foundation issues, stair step cracking is another big sign of wall failure. These cracks generally start at the corners of the wall. The next two are very similar, pushing in at the bottom of the wall and sliding in at the top of the wall. These can be pretty serious signs of wall failure. All of the pressure from the outside earth causes enough strain on the wall to actually move the wall and create gaps.</p>
2017-05-10T00:00:00.05Z
https://www.basementsystemscarolinas.com/about-us/press-release/594-all-dry-of-the-carolinas-awarded-during-2013-team-basement-systems-convention.html
All-Dry of the Carolinas Awarded during 2013 Team Basement Systems Convention
2013-09-11T12:32:49.05Z
All-Dry of the Carolinas
All-Dry of the Carolinas received two awards during this year's annual Team Basement Systems Convention held at network headquarters in Connecticut.
<div class="right"><img title="2013 Basement Systems Dealer Convention" src="https://cdn.treehouseinternetgroup.com/uploads/press_release/1203/medium/base-sys-13-a230-advanced_1378917607.jpg" alt="All-Dry of the Carolinas receives awards at 2013 Team Basement Systems Convention" width="350" height="233" /></div>
<p>All-Dry of the Carolinas was recently honored at the Annual Team Basement Systems Convention, a gathering of dealers from across the United States, Canada and the UK.<br /><br />The annual convention is held each year at Basement Systems headquarters in Seymour, Conn. and the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn. The three day event brings together dealers in the international network for training, seminars, networking, vendor and team building events, and a celebration of achievements.<br /><br />This year, All-Dry of the Carolinas was proud to receive two awards at the Team Basement Systems International Convention. <br /><br />Out of 221 active dealers, All-Dry of the Carolinas was awarded:</p>
<ul>
<li>Top 50 Basement Systems Dealers by Purchases</li>
<li>Top 25 CleanSpace Dealers by Square Footage</li>
</ul>
<p>The high-powered event featured best-selling author and motivational speaker Aron Ralston. His book, <em>Between A Rock And A Hard Place</em>, was turned into the critically-acclaimed movie titled <em>127 Hours</em> starring James Franco. Ralston moved the crowd with his inspirational story of survival and posed for pictures afterwards with attendees. <br /><br />Google also had a presence at this spectacular event. Two Google representatives delivered a behind-the-scenes peek at how to best utilize the search engines tools for successful business results.</p>
<p>Close to eleven hundred people attended the annual Basement Systems Convention this year, which is the highest attendance to date. The flagship event is held each August in Connecticut.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">About All-Dry of the Carolinas</span></strong></p>
<p>All-Dry of the Carolinas is an award-winning company and has been the area’s experts in foundation repair, basement waterproofing and crawl space repair since 1991. They have installed thousands of custom solutions for wet basements, damp crawl spaces, and damaged foundations. As the area’s authorized Basement Systems dealer, they provide local service backed by national resources. They offer free, no-obligation written estimates for all of their below-the-home services. All-Dry of the Carolinas is a five-time winner of the Gold Star Award from the Upstate South Carolina Better Business Bureau. They are a member of the Western North Carolina Better Business Bureau, the Homebuilders Association of Greensville and the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">About Basement Systems, Inc.</span></strong></p>
<p>Basement Systems, Inc. is the leader in the development of products used to provide a dry, below-grade space. These waterproofing solutions are delivered through a network of trained, experienced dealers. Basement Systems is a network of more than 300 dealers throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Each dealer receives comprehensive, on-going training at company headquarters in Seymour, Connecticut. All Basement Systems dealers have the same goal: to provide a permanent solution for healthier basement environments.</p>
2013-09-11T12:32:49.05Z