Effective Ways to Waterproof a New Jersey Basement
There a distinct difference between the many methods of keeping your basement dry, but it boils down to two solutions: Waterproofing vs. Interior Water Drainage. Each has their advantages (and disadvantages) but each solution can bring relief to excessively humid or flood-prone basements.
Waterproofing vs. Interior Water Drainage
Waterproofing involves taking steps outside of the foundation in order to prevent water from entering it in the first place, while interior water drainage refers to steps homeowners can take inside their basements in order to deal with an existing water flow issue.
It’s no secret that waterproofing is a much more expensive and time consuming process then interior water drainage, but when complete, any basement renovation or remodeling efforts you might have undertaken are safe from Mother Nature’s wrath.
Image courtesy of http://www.drycretewp.com/
Interior Drainage Methods
Interior drainage methods don’t deal with the real problem (water leaking through a foundation) but instead focus on dealing with that water in order to keep your basement dry. The most popular solutions inevitably use a combination of these three methods below:
- Application of Interior Sealants and Epoxies
- Installation of Sump Pumps/Floor Drains
- Installation French Drains
Interior Sealants
Image courtesty of http://www.basementbuddys.com/
Sump Pumps
Sump pumps are a common solution to basement water, and allow the water to collect within it’s reservoir which is then pumped out of the house using the sump pump. Typically incoming water is directed to these pump reservoirs using french drains and provides a powerful method to keep a basement dry.
Image courtesy of http://www.mymrbasement.com/
The image above displays an typical sump pump installation. A good set up will include a cover over the reservoir which not only prevent moisture from leaking into the basement, but also provides a seal over possible radon gases that could leak from the system.
French Drains
French Drains are a style of drain that involve a ditch being dug which is then filled with gravel and a perforated pipe which allows water (and not debris) to filter through the gravel and get directed away by the pipes installed. With regards to interior drainage, french drains are typically used in order to direct water from the interior wall of a house’s foundation to a sump pump in order to allow that water to get pumped away.
Image courtesy of http://www.jesbasementsystems.com/
In some houses a french drain can rely exclusively on gravity (and not a sump pump) in order to drain water in an basement, but this solution can easily get backfilled or clogged if heavy rainfall were to occur. Internal french drains aren’t as big of an investment as an external drainage system, but can provide much needed relief without the need to dig around the outside of an entire home.
External Waterproofing and Drainage
Exterior waterproofing and drainage is the only method the IBC (International Building Code) recognizes as adequate to prevent structural damage caused by water. These methods are often more costly – as they require extensive digging around the outside of a foundation – but provide a final solution to water problems and prevent water from ever entering your basement in the first place.
Exterior Waterproofing
Often done hand in hand with the installation of an exterior drainage system, exterior waterproofing involves the application of layer of polymer to the outside of a homes foundation in order to prevent water from ever entering a basement. The polymers used for this method have seen some great advances lately, and often are not effected by the PH of soil, and last for the lifetime of a building.
Image courtesy of http://www.basementwaterproofingpro.com/
Exterior Drainage Systems
This is the ultimate solution to waterproofing your home, and when installed with the application of a exterior sealant almost all water can be stopped from entering a home. Much like the french drain used indoors, this drain relies on gravel and a pipe system in order to draw water away from your home.
The image below shows an example of an exterior french drain being installed around a house.
Image courtesy of http://boston.basementtechnologies.com/
While this solution involves contractors digging ditches around the entire perimeter of your house, this solution provides a solution to the problem instead of dealing with water once it has already penetrated your foundation.
Eventually owners of this style of drain may have to deal with a possible clogged pipe, but when installed properly there is typically a method to flush the pipes without having to dig up your yard in order to access the pipes.
All of these methods can provide relief for a basement, and in some cases they can allow you to turn a mildewy basement into a family room or den in order to increase the value and living space of your house.
For more information on basement remodeling and redesign throughout New Jersey contact us at 908.210.0200 for a free in-home estimate!
‘Living Concrete’ and Other Emerging Construction Technologies
Originally discovered by the Romans, concrete has turned into one of the most widespread construction materials in use today. It is actually the sole reason why ancient structures such as the Pantheon and the Roman aqueducts are still in existence today (both use a core of concrete surrounded by masonry materials).
Even back then, builders were familiar with various additives they could add to their concrete mix in order to improve certain qualities of the material. Volcanic ash was added to allow concrete to set underwater, horse hair was used to decrease the amount of cracks that occurred while the concrete hardened, and even blood was used to make their concrete structures frost resistant.
Blood might not be a commonplace additive these days, but multiple companies have been researching technologies that will be bringing this age-old building material to the brink of modern technology.
Living Concrete
The words “living” and “concrete” have rarely graced the same sentence, but the Delft Institute of Technology has pioneered a concrete impregnated with bacteria that allows the material to repair itself when the concrete inevitably starts to crack. When a crack or fault does occur small pockets of food and bacteria, when exposed to air and water, are activated and cracks within the material are quickly filled by this living compound. What this can do in the long run is drastically increase the lifespan of buildings and roads that use this material when originally constructed. While this product is still in the development phase, it has the potential to revolutionize the industry.
Concrete Cloth
Used mainly in rapidly deployable concrete structures, concrete cloth is a flexible canvas based material that when exposed to water (ie sprayed with a hose), hardens to a tough concrete material that has all the material properties of normal concrete. As the video below explains this material is used primarily by a UK based company that provides a quick and easy to set up concrete canvas structure that not only provides shelter from the elements, but protection from more destructive forces that could easily tear through a normal canvas structure.
The ‘Carbon Negative’ Concrete Replacement
Researchers in New Jersey’s own Rutgers University and Solidia Technologies are on their way to developing a construction material that is stronger than concrete and uses recyclable instead of traditional concrete aggregates.
This makes a material that is not only durable, but carbon negative as well. In comparison traditional concrete manufacturing methods account for roughly 5% of CO2 emissions.
The key to this material is a proprietary process known as “Low Temperature Solidification” (LST) which combines CO2, landfill construction waste, and minerals into this new concrete replacement. While this material is still not available commercially, it’s one of many examples of new technologies that continue to push construction technology forward
Whats “New” in New Jersey Kitchen Remodeling?
Kitchen remodeling within the New Jersey area has been a hot topic lately. It’s no secret that remodeling your kitchen is one of the highest return-on-investments you can make to your home. Not only does the renovation provide value to your family, but it can greatly improve your resale value when/if you decide to move into a new home.
Fixr.com recently published a very interesting study that lists the trendiest kitchen remodeling trends that have hit the market since 2011. Whether you are seeking advice on the latest appliances to install, or deciding whether or not to “go green” with your kitchen, this survey should at least give you an idea of what features your neighbors may be clamoring over.
So what’s “new” in New Jersey these days?
General Kitchen Style
This year more than 85% of survey participants voted for “green” as the kitchen style they’ll be using in their remodeling plans this year. Beating out more traditional choices such as Shaker, Contemporary, and Traditional.
Cabinetry Materials
Stainless steel emerged as the top choice this year for cabinet materials. In a trend that is evident in appliances as well, stainless steel not only provides superior quality when it comes to durability but it’s ability to repel stains that would decimate normal wood cabinetry makes this a front runner. Despite green kitchen designs winning most of the votes this year, recycled materials came in second place compared to stainless steel this year. The top finishes this year for faucets and refrigerators was also Stainless Steel.
Flooring Materials
Reclaimed wood won more than 85% of the votes for trendiest flooring materials this year. Reclaimed wood flooring uses wood that is repurposed from older houses and building due for demolition, and cleans them up to live their “second lives” as your new kitchen floor. Bamboo came in second place, but consumers are still leaning more and more to a more “green” solution to their home repair work.
Cooking Options
Fixr’s survey also looked at popular options for heating elements in todays kitchens. Induction stovetops took 85% of the votes, followed closely by gas cooktops and wall ovens. Many homeowners have very strong preferences here that usually lean towards what cooking element they are most comfortable cooking with. If you’ve ever cooked on an electric range after getting used to a gas stove you’ll know exactly what we are talking about.
Whether your looking to create a warmer and more inviting kitchen for your family, or looking to increase the value of your house before you sell it, renovating your New Jersey kitchen can bring enormous benefits to your home and family.
If you need an estimate for a New Jersey kitchen renovation dont hesitate to contact us at 908.218.0200
Interior Excellence Launches New Website
In an effort to help our clients learn as much as possible about our renovation and remodeling process before they get an estimate we have redesigned www.InteriorExcellenceLLC.com in order to help you make more informed decisions.
Recently featured in The Bridgewater Patch, we’ve been providing home remodeling and renovation services for more than 32 years. If you have any questions feel free to contact us and we’ll get back to you shortly.
