Perma Dry Waterproofing Blog
Do you have water in your basement or crawl space? Is there mold or mildew affecting the air quality in your home? It's likely you need basement or crawl space drainage. Perma Dry offers a wide variety of common sense solutions to your wet basement or crawl space problems. Learn more here in our blog. When you're ready, give us a call and schedule an appointment.
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Get Rid of Basement Mold Once and For All
*Before you do anything please make sure that any leaking water that could be causing the mold is shut off.
Mold is a silent destroyer: it creeps in when you least expect it, slowly and surely breaking down dead materials and growing in fuzzy, colorful clusters.
Outdoors, mold plays a key role in decomposing organic matter. Indoors, mold can irritate eyes, trigger asthma attacks, and even lead to chronic illnesses.
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When you see white, black, gray, or green mold in your basement, it can be tempting to panic and call in professionals with hazmat suits to remove it.
Don’t worry. Stay calm.
While mold can cause health problems in certain individuals, most mold is relatively harmless. Some estimate that we’re surrounded by tens of thousands of types of mold, and chances are likely that you’re breathing in mold spores right now.
Unfortunately, mold is unsightly, and it can cause additional damage to your home and basement if not dealt with properly. While you don’t need a hazmat team to remove your mold, it’s important to identify the cause of the mold and take steps to remove it yourself.
What Causes Basement Mold?
As mold grows, it releases microscopic spores that drift in the air. Because mold can be found almost everywhere, it’s likely that mold will find its way into your house no matter how often you clean it.
However, mold is attracted to moist, damp, and dark environments (such as your basement). Any of the following could encourage
mold growth:
- Condensation – Basements are often known for their humidity and cold temperatures. Together these create condensation which can collect on cold metal pipes, floors, and walls.
- Flooding – Basement flooding is one of the biggest causes of mold infestation. When a house floods, the water runs down to the basement, where it doesn’t dry as quickly as other rooms.
- Leaks – Basement leaks are sometimes hard to spot, as the leak often starts in a nearby room and eventually works its way to the basement. Additionally, cracks in the walls and flooring can also allow ground water to come into your home.
- Humidity – Even if water from a flood or leak has long since evaporated, the water in the air can create the perfect environment for mold.
You can minimize these growth factors by keeping your basement well lit, ventilated, and insulated.
How to Spot Basement Mold
The easiest way to tell if your basement has mold is the smell. Mold has a musty, earthy smell. In many cases, you can smell the mold long before you can spot it.
If your basement smells musty, it’s a good idea to check for mold because it grows just about anywhere. The most common places to check include the following:
- Wall cavities
- Wooden building frames
- Insulation
- Storage boxes
- Furniture
- Pipes
- Ducts and vents
Additional indications of mold include floor warping and ceiling or wall discoloration.
Steps to Remove Basement Mold
If you’ve spotted mold in your basement, it’s best to take immediate steps to prevent additional damage to your home. Multiple DIY techniques are available to eliminate mold quickly and safely.
Fight Mold with Bleach
If your basement is flooded, it’s best to dry the room thoroughly and then sanitize with bleach. Bleach reduces mold count while neutralizing harmful bacteria at the same time. Most experts recommend mixing about 1 cup of chlorine bleach with 1 gallon of water. Scrub the affected area thoroughly. If your mixture becomes dirty, flush the remainder and create a new mix.
Remove Mold with Borax
Borax is a powerful cleaning agent that kills mold and inhibits mold growth. As it dries it leaves behind a powdery residue that repels mold. Unlike bleach, it is chemical free and does not emit dangerous gases. You can use a borax-based cleaner or mix 1 cup borax with 1 gallon of hot water. Make sure the borax is fully dissolved, and apply the solution to the moldy area. Let it sit for a few minutes and then use a scrubbing brush or cloth to wipe the mold away.
Fall Back on Detergent and Water
If you don’t have bleach or borax available, good old-fashioned detergent and water may do the trick. It doesn’t kill the mold entirely, but it can help remove mold on non-porous surfaces.
Remember: Safety First
Keep in mind that as you use these techniques, you should also seal the area to prevent mold spores from traveling from room to room. The more you scrub, the more mold you disperse into the air. Be sure to wear safety goggles and cleaning gloves when removing mold.
Need Additional Help?
If none of these techniques work to remove the mold, then it may be time to call in the professionals.
Some companies specialize in mold removal and remediation, so they have trained technicians to remove even the most stubborn mold infestations. Additionally, local repair companies may be able to fix cracks and leaks that lead to mold. You may even consider purchasing a dehumidifying system to combat mold, mildew, and airborne spores.
Don’t let mold become a permanent guest in your home. With just a few simple steps, you can get rid of basement mold once and for all!
Where Should You Place Your Home’s Insulation?
You’ve been a homeowner for a few years now. The initial excitement you felt at having your own place has faded, and now you’ve settled in to the benefits and frustrations that come along with property ownership.
By now you’ve realized that you’re responsible for a whole lot more than you imagined. If a major appliance breaks, you have to decide whether to repair or replace it (no more calls to the landlord). You start paying attention to your energy bill more closely than before.
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And you start to wonder if your home is adequately insulated.
But do you know where your insulation should go? That’s all hidden away in unfamiliar areas of the house, like the crawl space or attic.
Clearly, it’s time to educate yourself on effective home insulation. A good place to begin is at the foundation; then you can make your way up to the roof.
What Lies Beneath
Before you became a homeowner, you may not have spared a thought toward the foundational crawl space of a house. Although crawl spaces can be situated both at the bottom of the house and under the roof, it’s fairly common for a house to have a sub-floor crawl space.
This area occupies the space between the ground and the bottom of your home. Generally, if you have a sub-floor crawl space, you won’t have a basement. And-as the name implies-a crawl space isn’t tall enough for person to stand up inside it.
Some crawl spaces have floors made from concrete; others have dirt or gravel. You can access this space through your home, generally through a trap door. Some homes access the crawl space from outside.
One advantage of a crawl space is that it allows your house sit above damp areas. That’s helpful if you live in a humid climate. Additionally, crawl spaces are cheaper to build than basements. It’s likely that most of your air ducts and plumbing pipes are here as well, making them easy to access.
It’s also an important location for insulation. Here’s why:
- Proper insulation keeps moisture at bay.
- Insulation can also repel pests.
- Insulation can also repel pests.
- The right depth and placement keeps your home more energy efficient.
So just what is the right placement?
When waterproofing and insulation installers look around the crawlspace, they’ll take note of vents, pipes, and ducts. All these areas require insulation. Another obvious location is the floor above, just between floor joists. It’s a good idea to use both insulation and moisture barriers to protect your home from mold.
Some installers prefer to insulate the foundational walls instead of the subfloor. In this way, they also protect sensitive pipes without needing to install much further insulation around the pipes themselves. However, it’s important to take care against invading moisture or pests from the outside.
Ask your installer about insulation that allows an airtight fit. This is the best protection from outside forces.
Vertical Spaces
Next, it’s important to assess your walls. The best time to do this, of course, is if you’re doing some other kind of renovation project where one wall is open to the studs. If you suspect your wall insulation is inadequate but you don’t want to dig into them to find out, ask your installer about blow-in insulation.
Blow-in insulation packs in insulation without a lot of fuss or cutting into walls. It works by injecting foam insulation into smaller holes that can be plastered over later.
If you have a basement instead of a crawl space, keep those walls well insulated. Your installer can recommend the best method.
On the Level
Do you have an un-insulated garage with a room just above it? If so, that room probably has a cold floor in the winter and a hot floor each summer. Look into better insulation.
First, it’s important to seal around vents and other places where air might rise into the room. Not only does this protect those in the
room from exhaust smells and other solvents or garage supplies, it creates an impermeable barrier so the floor insulation works more efficiently.
Think about your ceilings too, particularly if your home has an elevated (cathedral) ceiling. By insulating these level surfaces, you regulate temperature near the ceiling so it’s not much different from the ambient room temperature.
Lofty Thoughts
Last of all, take a look at your attic. This area has a lot of potential for energy loss. It’s relatively simple and inexpensive to install loose-fill insulation, which covers all areas well.
Before you order more, though, be certain the roof vents and fans operate properly. Create an airtight seal around them; then your insulation will work better.
Now that you know your home from bottom to top, you’ll be better prepared before your waterproofing and insulation specialist visits. Get ready to enjoy your newly insulated home, and stay comfortable in any condition!
Prepare Your Basement for Winter
The last thing you want to deal with during the busy winter season is your basement flooding. The increase of ice and cold can create leaks or cracks allowing moisture into your basement. If water enters your basement, you could face mold, mildew, or damage to stored items.
To avoid this, it’s important to prepare beforehand. Follow these small tips now so you can enjoy the holidays and keep your family safe. Here is how to prepare your basement for winter:
Look for Water around Basement Windows
Windows are a source for moisture to enter your home. After it rains, take a walk around the house to look for water near basement windows. Look for low spots in your lawn or pools of water around your basement window wells. Additionally, look for water running from the window. Any pools of water may cause problems if you have cracks in your foundation.
To avoid problems, look into replacing window wells. For an affordable, temporary fix you can purchase bubble window treatments.
Double-check Your Sump Pump
Take a moment to look for pooling water around your sump pump hose. This might include dips in your basement floor that could cause water to collect. During the coldest part of the winter months, any sitting water can freeze and cause your sump pump to stop working. As a matter of fact, your discharge pump lines should be safe from any freezing water to safely pump water away from your foundation. In severe cases, frozen water may cause permanent damage to your sump pump.
Water should flow away from the pump without any complications. If you do encounter pooling water, call professionals to come repair the area.
Seal Cracks
Cracks on the exterior of your basement may allow water into your basement. This means during large storms of rain or snow, water may seep into cracks. During cold months, freezing water expands, causing the water in cracks to widen and/or allow moisture into your basement. This could cause mold, which contaminates your basement’s ventilation and air quality.
To protect your basement, look for cracks in your foundation before the winter months. If you have experience filling cracks, you can use silicone or hydraulic cement to fill cracks smaller than two millimeters. If you haven’t filled foundation cracks before, please call a professional. Further damage can come from inexperienced people trying a do-it-yourself job.
Shovel Snow away from Your Home
After a snowfall or freezing rain storm, clear snow and ice as soon as possible. This will help you avoid ice accumulating near your foundation. You do not want water to freeze and melt near your foundation. Water that leaks into your basement foundation cracks may widen the cracks and cause further damage.
Additionally, as you shovel snow or chisel ice, push the it away from your home. You want to avoid piling snow or ice against your foundation. Doing so will help keep moisture away from your basement.
Remove Debris from Gutters
Before winter weather comes, clear gutters and roof drains of leaves or other debris. Any object that blocks water in these areas may cause water to overflow into the soil surrounding your home. The water in your soil may leak into your basement foundation.
Look for fall leaves left in your rain gutters or roof drains that may create barriers for running water. Additionally, trees on your property may cause fall leaves to accumulate in drains and gutters. Likewise, if you have evergreen trees, they may leave pine needles around your area that also clog these areas.
As a rule of thumb, water should drain at least five feet from your home’s foundation.
Prepare Pipes for Winter Freeze
Frozen water expands and puts pressure on pipes. This means if water freezes in your pipes, the water expands and may cause or widen cracks. Even minor cracks can create major flooding problems. For example, a small crack in a household pipe can leak 250 gallons of water a day. That much water can cause a major flood.
To protect your pipes from freezing you need to keep cold air from accessing them. Here are a few ways to do that:
- Wrap pipes with heat tape or cables.
- Insulate your basement.
- Drip warm water from the faucet overnight.
- In bathrooms, leave cabinet doors open to allow heat near pipes.
Check Your Humidity Levels
If you find your basement has poor drainage or high humidity levels, you may want to look into waterproofing your basement. This will prevent water damage that may occur during the winter season.
You can check humidity levels with a humidistat. Make sure levels are lower than 50 percent, otherwise your basement is prone to mold growth or structural damage. If you have high humidity, you can waterproof your basement, or for a quick fix, use a dehumidifier.
Don’t hesitate to call a professional plumber or waterproofer for help. He or she can help if you experience any leaks or flooding in your basement. You may also want to ask expert advice to avoid flooding before the cold winter months. The more you do now to dehumidify your home the more you can enjoy the holidays.
Now that you know how to get your basement ready for the winter months, check out our other blogs for more basement tips and tricks.
Steps to Protect Your Home From Water Damage in Seattle
Just a few inches of water is enough to cause problems in your building, whether it’s your home or your company. Water damage will threaten building components and furnishings, not to mention the many problems it can cause for those living or working in the building. Thankfully, if you deal with the water damage promptly the damage can be greatly mitigated. When you need water damage restoration you can’t afford to wait. That’s why Almighty Plumber specializes in water damage restoration and offers fast, efficient, professional service to you at any time.
Water damage can be caused by toilet backups, sewer line leaks, sump pump or water heater problems, washing machines or dishwashers, and floods just to name a few. With all of these possible causes of water damage to your building you need to react fast. Protect your property by calling Almighty Plumbing, we’ll extract the water fast and get to work right away on restoring damage caused by water as much as possible.
Not only can water cause visually displeasing damage, but water gets stuck between building materials. Floors, carpets, and between walls. This unresolved and extracted water and moisture lingers in building materials causing the most damage to the structure and the people in the building This type of water moisture can cause fungi growth or help foster mold. That’s why its extremely important that your floors and other surfaces are properly dried to avoid long term problems with fungi, mold or other growth in hidden parts of the building.
Water restoration is more than just drying it up and cleaning up the mess, solving the problems from re-occurring is just as important. So when water comes from pipes, pumps or other plumbing related sources, the fast, courteous and professional service at Almighty Plumbing is your one stop shop to cure all your damage woes.
Want to learn more? Contact Almighty Plumbing today and we’ll be happy to answer your questions or come out and take a look at your water damage to see what we can do to best serve you.
Want to learn more? Contact Almighty Plumbing today about our restoration services. Have a water
issues? Our fast response time will get your business or home back operating in no time.
How to Protect Your Seattle Home from Water Damage
In Seattle, we’re not afraid of a little rain. But rain can bring an unwanted risk with it: water damage in your basement or crawl space. A particularly heavy rain can flood your basement, but even light water buildup can cause water damage.
People worry about flooding and water damage in many places, but since Seattle gets a lot of rain, we worry about it a little more here. Fortify your home against the rain by waterproofing your basement and crawl space-if you do, you’ll avoid a disaster like a wet or damaged basement.
Here’s what you should do.
Install a Basement Drainage System
Hopefully you already have some kind of basement drainage system in place. This might include a floor drain, which contractors install in many homes during construction. You may also have a French drain installed outside your home; French drains direct water away from your foundation.
But nothing protects your home against flooding better than a sump pump. Contractors know the importance of these devices, and they install sump pumps in many newly constructed homes whether they could flood or not.
If you do not have a sump pump, a professional can install one in a sump pit. When excessive water runoff goes into your basement, the water flows into the sump pit. The sump pump then pumps out the water and sends it through pipes that take it away from your home.
Sump pumps come in two categories: submersible and pedestal. Submersible pumps have a waterproof covering and sit directly in a sump pit. On the other hand, pedestal pumps sit on a pedestal outside the pit. Pedestal pumps typically cost more.
When you look for sump pump installation, consider added features that could better protect your basement. You might consider a sump pump with emergency battery backup in case the main system becomes overwhelmed, or you could consider one with an alarm that will alert you about high water.
Install a Wall Moisture Barrier
Water can damage your basement in other ways in addition to flooding. Did you know that moisture can flow through your concrete wall to the inside of your basement or crawl space wall to the inside of your basement or crawl space?
A professional can install a moisture barrier between the foundation wall and the other layers. This blocks moisture from leaking in through cracks or pockets and prevents mold growth.
You should also seal any places in your wall that could allow water vapor to sneak in.
If you want to build or remodel a basement, speak to a professional about protecting your walls from water damage.
Dehumidify Your Basement
Another water damage problem in your home comes from a lack of ventilation. When air doesn’t travel out of your basement, excess moisture leads to mold and dampness. Purchasing a ventilation and dehumidifier system can improve the air quality in your basement and prevent water damage.
Install a Crawl Space Drainage System
If you have a crawl space, you know you’ll probably see the most water damage there. This happens because water in the soil outside your home can leak into the crawl space through the walls and floor.
How do you drain this unwanted water? The same way you get rid of basement water. Professionals can install a sump pump, add vapor barriers, and even install new concrete and insulation to seal all open spaces and prevent moisture damage.
Take Care of Outside Problems
If you have an effective drainage system and still experience water damage, the problem might lie in other areas in your house.
A waterproofing professional can help you determine and repair the source of the water damage, which may include:
- Foundation drains: You can find these drains outside basement footings. Your homebuilders should have installed these drains during construction. But if you have them and they don’t work, the contractors may have installed them incorrectly.
- Downspouts: Make sure they direct water 10 feet or more from the foundation; you can extend them if needed.
- Driveway trench drains: These drains keep storm water away from your home and driveway; check to make sure that debris hasn’t clogged them.
- Catch basins: These basins collect rainwater and send it to local waterways. Check to make sure the ones in your neighborhood function properly.
- Yard drainage: If you install an in-ground drainage system, you could prevent water buildup in your yard.
- Drain pipes: If you have clogged pipes, a professional can use of special pipe nozzles to remove dirt and minerals. They can also cut away tree roots blocking your pipes’ flow.
Say Goodbye to Water Damage
When you live in Seattle, you need to prepare for all kinds of water-related disasters. If you live in a newer home, the builder probably took steps to help you prevent water damage, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still occur.
Make sure you thoroughly examine your basement and crawl space for mold, peeling paint, and moisture-all signs that you have a water problem. If you have an issue with water damage, contact a waterproofing professional and take the necessary steps to prevent further damage. This could potentially help you save thousands of dollars in future repair costs.
Keep It Clean: 5 Things Every Homeowner Should Do To Keep Crawl Spaces Under Control
Leaks, dirt, dust, and mold all plague the infamous crawl space stereotype. In fact, the half basement terror even inspired a horror movie, but don’t let your crawl space turn into a place you avoid at all costs. A crawl space gives you a convenient place for storage. But if you want to use this area for storage, you won’t have much luck using a messy crawl space. Which means you first have to clean it up.
Take these essential steps to get a cleaner, functional crawl space:
1. Get Your Crawl Space Checked By A Professional.
Before you try and take a sledge hammer to your basement floor, consider calling a professional. Their experience and expertise can go a long way when it comes to home improvement. To get the best game plan for your basement, talk to someone who has dealt with basements before. Most of the time companies offer consultations for free.
Do this step as soon as possible. Whether you have a new home or one with decades of wear and tear, you could end up with a few problems if you ignore your crawl space. Health concerns from poor air quality can lead to mold illness. Damages to your foundation can also arise from a mistreated crawl space.
2. Dirt Be Gone!
If your crawl space still has a dirt floor, you might want to think of covering it. Not only can the dirt spread everywhere else in your house, but it retains moisture more than other materials. And if a flood strikes, it’ll turn your crawl space into mud and cause all kinds of problems.
The solution? Install a rat slab. A rat slab is a 2- or 3-inch slab of concrete that contractors spread over the entire basement floor. The rat slab gives your crawl space a clean flooring. Once you have a clean flooring to your crawl space, you can
start using it for storage, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t need more storage? It also prevents rodents and groundwater invasion.
If you want a quicker fix, a vapor barrier might work better for you. Barriers cost less, and they minimize the moisture in your basement to help keep the air quality clean. A vapor barrier is a piece of plastic that you lay down to stop the moisture in the air that causes mold and mildew. This solution can last for years and will help reduce problems with air quality.
3. Drainage System Delight or Disaster?
If you want to avoid mold, you have to install a drainage system. Water can get through floor foundations, walls, or through other drain pipes. When it does, mold and mildew start to grow and your crawl space starts to stink.
You have several options if you need to install a drainage system. Sump Pumps don’t cost too much, they give you a simple option if you don’t want to deal with the complication of a gravity flowing drain. Interior drainage systems take the water from inside of your house to the outside of your house. Builders dig a hole into the concrete from the drain to the outside of your house. They place a pipe in the hole, then they cover it back up with concrete.
4. Prevent Pests.
No one wants to go down into their crawl space and find that a bunch of creepy critters have invaded their space. Rats and mice gravitate toward any supply of shelter and food. Keep open food out of your crawl space if you want to avoid the pests. Store food in durable containers to reduce risk of unwanted pests.
If you have a lot of plants that provide cover outside, they will burrow there. If your foundation has any cracks, mice might follow roots and moisture through the cracks and into your crawl space.
Always fix foundational cracks as soon as possible to avoid this.
5. Prepare for Problems.
Now that you have a functioning crawl space, don’t to maintain it-the issues and invaders may return. Schedule a time every othermonth to do a problem scan. Complications like leaks or foundational damage can happen, and you want to catch them as soon as possible. If you forget your crawl space, you risk health problems for your family and foundational problems in your home.
Also, if make sure you check often, you can keep it tidy and avoid a hoarding situation. While you check, look for any type of water leakage, rat bites or droppings, and anything that looks out of the ordinary. Upkeep in a basement is just as important as upkeep in the rest of the house.
Now that you have the tools to keep your crawl space under control, you can get started! Take the suggestions one step at a time. Never overwhelm yourself or take on more projects than you can handle. Plan your work and work your plan.
Remodeling Your Basement: Questions for your Contractor
So you’re going to do it, make that cold dark unfinished basement a living and usable part of your home. This is a great idea and one of the best improvements you could make in your home. Every 1,000 square feet added living space to a home boosts the sale price by more than 30 percent, according to the 2005 study for the National Association of Realtors. But a basement remodel is more than a little framing, paint and carpet. What keeps basement remodels on track and valuable is to have a plan and ensure you check out some of the more important aspects of what could go wrong.
Who is the contractor?
Are you doing the work, acting as the general, or are you hiring a general contractor to act on your behalf? A contractor sets the schedule, gets the right people in at the right time and in the right order and when one contractor messes up another’s work (it happens more than you think), they take care of the issues. It costs a bit more, but when issues arise your project does not come to a halt while you try to figure out who to point the finger at.
Drawings, What Drawings…we don’t need no stinking drawings!
Have a plan. Draw it out or hire an architect. Planning where everything goes from walls to lighting makes a difference in the end. A poor layout will wreak havoc for years to come. Make a plan, because things will change as the room comes together but at least you know how far you have moved and what affects it has on other parts of your project.
Foundation and Floor
You need to ensure the floor and walls are in good shape and that you will have no structural or below grade water issues in the future. The conditions of your concrete walls and floor will tell the story of what is happening to your house.
Wall Cracks – Small cracks in the foundation wall are common. A little settling or concrete shrinkage and cracks will appear. If cracks are larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, or one wall is going forward and the other wall is moving back (offset), or the crack is wide enough to fit your fingers into it, your house is shifting and moving. Call a professional to inspect and correct any potential foundation and structural issues.
Basement Water and Moisture – You may have, maybe you have not seen water but it is only a matter of time before every unprotected basement takes on some waters. Basements are buried in the dirt, the same dirt that gets saturated when heavy seasonal rains hit your area routing excess water into any space it can find to relieve the pressure….your basement.
There may be a white fluffy like powder on the walls (efflorescence). This salt like material is residue left over as water or moisture comes through the foundation wall leaving behind salts and lime in the concrete mix. It is an indicator water is building around the structure or has come in through the walls into the basement.
Wall Coatings – Coatings are not all that they are hacked up to be. Prevention of water claims made by coating companies are soon revealed to be limited, as well as the application and surface preparation process is extremely detailed, costly and time consuming. Surface coatings help to limit the amount of moisture penetrating the foundation walls but will not stop water under great amounts of hydrostatic pressure from entering the basement.
Drainage Solutions – Drainage based solutions are probably the best as drainage routes water away from the foundation before it can build pressure and cause flooding in the basement. General rules for good drainage include; route roof drains away from the house 10’feet or more; install either a exterior drainage or interior drainage system lower than the basement slab floor with the aid of a sump pump or gravity discharge line. Also, cover walls with a heavy gauge vapor barrier to stop moisture and prevent wall leaks from damaging carpet, finished walls and personal items.
Permits – Three good reasons to always invest in the permitting process. One, it is harder to sell a house that has a recent remodel that lacks copies of permits for review by the buyer. Number two, inspectors are there to protect your health and safety and to get bad contractors off the street. An inspector sees tons of framing, electrical and plumbing work in a week, and their knowledge in what is right and wrong will protect you from faulty workmanship. Three, if you are acting as your own general contractor, this is one way to ensure the subs you hire are doing the best job possible. As a general rules of thumb, If it has to do with health and life safety, and could cause extreme harm or property loss if not done right it probably needs a permit.
Having Fun – Lastly, have fun. Any home repair project can have its headaches from time delays to cost overruns to not agreeing the right color of the walls with your spouse. But think of the fun and great time you will enjoy your new space once it is all said and done. It is fun remodeling a house and the enjoying the great times to come.
The Problem with Pests: Why You Should Do Something About It
With the exception of the cute, tamed rats you can find in any pet store, the common rat is not a welcome guest in your home.
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These pesky pests burrow, gnaw, and squeeze into your home through the tiniest cracks, and then they wreak havoc on your home’s insulation, electrical systems, and foundation. Some species breed year-round, and if the conditions are right, a pair of rats could potentially produce a colony of 2,000 rats in a year.
If you suspect your home has rats or mice, it’s important to deal with the problem quickly before they cause some serious damage.
What Harm Do They Cause?
Rats might not be big in size (on average), but together, a colony of rats can put your health and your home at risk.
- Electrical damage: Unlike human teeth, rat teeth will continually grow. If they grow without restraint, rat teeth will even grow through a rat’s own skull. Consequently, rats gnaw on a variety of surfaces to wear down the teeth, including wires and cables.
- Disease: Rats carry a variety of diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rodents transmit the following: Hantavirus, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, lassa fever, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and the plague. Contaminate food: Rats eat 15 to 25 times per day and consume roughly 10% to 15% of their body weight in food daily. Additionally, rats are picky eaters, so they’ll ruin almost 10 times as much food as they actually eat.
- Insulation damage: Thermal insulation in attics and crawl spaces provide the perfect nesting ground for mice and rats because it keeps the heat out in winter and the cold in during summer. The soft material stands no chance against sharp rodent teeth.
- Endanger pets: Cats may be natural hunters and some dogs even hunt rodents, but rats will attack predators many times their size when their colony outnumbers their enemies. Rats also eat pet food, spreading intestinal parasites to cats and dogs.
These are just some of the problems rats and mice can cause to your home and family. Don’t let a rat infestation get worse! Learn to identify problems early so you can take appropriate action.
How to Identify the Problem
Rats are quick and hard to spot; however, it doesn’t take much to determine if a rat is taking up residence in your home.
- Pets are panicked or upset: Pets can hear and smell rodents in the house, and they may be uncomfortable with rodents eating their food.
- Visible rodent droppings: Rats produce up 40-50 droppings per night, and they usually defecate in concentrated, specific locations. Rat droppings are brown, tapered, and resemble a large grain of rice.
- Small tracks in dusty areas: Shelves in high places, baseboard, and corner cupboards are perfect walkways for mice and rats. If you don’t dust regularly, look for small tracks in these areas.
- Gnawed wood: Rats gnaw on multiple surfaces. Look for small teeth marks and damaged baseboard. Smears along baseboard and other areas: As rats move along the wood, their grease and fur rub up against the edges, leaving small smears behind.
- Musky odor: Rats have a distinct musky scent that is different from domestic pet odors. In closed-off areas or corners, you may smell rat urine and feces. Dead rats will smell even worse as the body decomposes.
- Scratching Noises: Scratching noises in your attic or basement are tell tale signs that rats are in your home.
Rat and Mice Management
You can prevent rats from invading your home and becoming a problem by taking a few precautionary steps.
- Close of easy access areas: Rats and mice and squeeze into surprisingly tiny holes. Some mice can fit through holes the size of a pencil (about 1⁄4 inch). To keep them out, close off small gaps in the foundation, roof, and rafters. Cover up ventilation openings with rat proof, high strength mesh.
- Remove or trim shrubs and plants: Depending on the species, rats will climb up shrubs to access your home or use the shrubs as camouflage when they burrow into the home.
- Keep shrubs at least 18 inches away from your house. Monitor your bird feeder: Rats are attracted to food, so clean up any spillage and keep feeders away from the house.
- Do not feed pets outside the home: Closely monitor what your pets eat and drink. Rats will pillage food dishes if they have access to them. Clean spills immediately and thoroughly.
Why Manage Rodents When You Can Get Rid Of Them Forever
Most home owners will leave the basics of cleanup and prevention to a pest control or professional crawl space restoration company. The most effective solution to rodents is to stop “managing them” and start stopping them for good. Most pest companies are in the business of selling monthly service inspections, and then in many cases, laying poisonous bait in or around the house. If you have children, there should be no exposure to these deadly chemicals what so ever. You could save thousands of dollars a year if you just fired your pest control company.
Some of the most common ways to stop rodents is exclusion or concrete rat slabs. Exclusion is the use of steel mesh or metal screening to prevent the entry of rodents from any point (air vents, under siding, pipe penetrations). Concrete rat slabs is just that, concrete slab to cover the surface of your crawl space to stop burrowing rodents. A combination of the two are typically used to achieve a dryer, healthier home void of any furry critters taking up residence in your house.
10 Home Repairs You Should Never Put Off
A home is one of the largest investment people make in their lives. You should invest time and money into your home to prevent costly repairs down the line. Here are 10 home repairs that you really can’t afford to ignore.
Wet Basement Repair Federal Way
1. Protect Your Foundation
A crack in the foundation can threaten your home’s structure and value. If your doors aren’t shutting like they used to, that’s a good sign your foundation may have moved. Inspect the foundation along the outside of your home to find any cracks or signs of movement. You will need help from a professional to shore up the foundation if you have a crack larger than 3/16 of an inch.
2. Get Rid of Pests
Pests can pose a significant threat to your home. Termites can carve through a structure in a few months to a year. Mice and rats spread disease and cause fires by eating through insulation or wiring. Check the mudsill (sill plate) of your foundation for rotting wood. Clear the foundation of any debris that attract mice and fill holes in the siding with expandable foam.
3. Repair Your Roofing
A good, strong roof protects you from structural damage as well as leaks. You should inspect your roof for loose shingles or cracks. You can use stand on the ground climb onto the roof (be careful, as your weight can also damage the roof). Make sure to check vents as well, to make sure they are properly sealed. Replace broken shingles as necessary and consider hiring a professional for an estimate if you see significant damage.
4. Clean Your Gutters
Clogged gutters can cause large problems in all parts of the home, because they leak water onto the foundation, walls, and roof. Sometimes home insurance companies will not cover these types of leaks, which means cleaning your gutters should be a top priority. Keep gutters clear of debris and make sure that they empty away from the foundation.
5. Fix Leaks
Water leaks can form anywhere water flows in your house. Any water pipe can be a potential problem, so it important to pay attention to the signs of a leak, like a moldy smell or stains in the ceiling. Seal the leak or replace a pipe to take care of the problem as soon as possible. Home insurers will deny claims if you know about a leak for a long time and do nothing.
6. Clean Up Mold
Mold can cause disease and decay in the home. If you had a leak, there is a musty odor, or if your family has recurring colds, it’s important to check for mold. Look under carpet, in openings in walls, or behind wallpaper. If the mold is less than 10 square feet, use a mix of 1 cup of chlorine per gallon of water to clean it yourself. If the mold is larger than this, call a professional.
7. Monitor Sewage Lines
If you hear bubbling coming from the toilet or your shower is backing up, these could be signs that your sewer line is clogged. If these signs continue and a blockage is confirmed, you need to shut off the water at the source of the clog and call a plumber. They will run a cable to try and clear the clog, and if that doesn’t work they will send a camera through the line to find and eliminate the clog. Don’t wait for clogs to appear, for under $300.00, a video scope of your sewer main may help you get to issues before they become sewage backups in your house.
8. Inspect your Crawl Space
We know, the thought of your crawl space give you’re the willies and may make the hair on your neck stand up. But take this into consideration, 30% to 40% of the air you breathe comes from your crawl space. If you have rodents, they love the undisturbed nature of the crawl space, not to mention your heating ducts provide warmth in the winter months while they live in the ceiling insulation. Water too can create hazardous conditions by raising the humidity level in your house and provide poor air in the home. Put on some dirty clothes, get a flash light and a breathing mask and ensure the space is clean, neat and dry. If not, call a professional to come and inspect and make recommendations. .
9. Repair Flickering Lights
While your house is probably not haunted, flickering lights do mean that there is something wrong with your electricity system. Especially after remodels, this could indicate that you have too many appliances relying on a single circuit or that you have faulty wiring. Replace broken wiring and install new circuits dedicated to the different appliances to fix the problem.
10. Test Drainage Around the House
You may never think of roof drainage as being important until rain waters enters the house in an emergency. When the pipes in the ground become damaged, and water can no longer flow to the designated collection point, all that roof water backs up towards your home and into the house in one way or another. Taking a few hours to run a garden hose in the roof drain pipes in the ground and ensuring that no water comes bubbling back out, or enters your basement or crawl space is a great way to protect the value of your home and an important maintenance practice.
Why Inspections are Essential and a Boon to Your Basement
A basement remodel is a fantastic idea. If you are reading this blog you are probably considering finishing or remodeling your basement— and we think you should go for it! After all, a basement remodel has a wealth of benefits, including:
- Greater home value
- More useable space
- Higher home resell value
- Improved home energy efficiency
- Better home functionality
Your home will become better and more valuable once you have completed a basement remodel. But before you strap on your tool belt and get to work, slow down and consider having a professional drainage inspector or contractor inspect your basement beforehand.
Renton Waterproofing Contractors
Why should I inspect my basement for water before a remodel?
Do you know why there are so many basement waterproofing companies? Because homes will always leak and people will always miss an opportunity to take action at the right time. More importantly, things change over time, and where once there was no water the next year there could be a torrential flood in a home. Being proactive saves time, money and prevents the pain of loss.
You might hire a general contractor for your basement remodel because of their workmanship, ability to come in on time and on budget. But if the contractor has never dealt with water in a basement, how would you know to even consider it? It is up to the consumer do their homework and ensure all important factors are considered.
What should I be looking for in a drainage / waterproofing inspector?
Most people you would contact are drainage companies with a product or service to sell and install. Not everyone will offer a “consultation” or inspection, but it does not hurt to ask. My recommendation would be a general drainage contractor, not specializing in just one product or service, who is local based in your area, and understand local drainage issues and building practices. Experience is key too. Look for lots of reviews, and always call to talk to the owner about what you are looking for. Friendly staff willing to help without being pushy for a sit down presentation is a great sign right up front.
Be cautious of “Free Estimates”, and consider paying a fee for the advice. Free estimates are an opportunity to sell a product or service that you may or may not need. You may learn a lot and may see products you like, but by paying a fee, you are in the driver’s seat, not the estimator. You should expect the inspection and discussion time to take at least an hour or two, and an estimate for repairs or small report as part of the service. Typically the consultation fee will be applied as credit towards future work. And always read the guarantee provided by the contractor to ensure you fully understand what you are buying.
What Does a Thorough Basement Inspection Entail?
Every company is different, so all I can tell you is how we, at Perma Dry Waterproofing, prefer to handle and help our potential customers. You should always make time to be present and walk through with your contractor or inspector to learn the most and get all your questions answered. But a good basement waterproofing company in the Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue area will inspect:
On the exterior
- Soils too high against the house
- Negative grade of the yard towards the house
- Type of roof water drain pipe (older concrete and terra cotta pipes are bad, bad, bad!)
- Test roof drains, driveway drains, and other water system with testing dye
- Condition of gutters, downspouts, tree debris, and roof condition
- An additional service may include a video scope of roof drains and sewer mains.
On the inside of the house we are looking for
- Cracks in the foundation wall (sheet rock has to be removed and the space unfinished).
- Cracks in the floor that show signs of past water seepage up from the floor
- Efflorescence on the foundation wall indicating outside water
- Stains or runs of water across the floor
- Finished walls where water damage may have left damage from past water issues.
Electronics like infrared wall cameras and moisture meters are helpful, but they also can be very misleading and cause stress and harm where there is none to be concerned about.
We encourage you to remodel your basement, it truly is one of the best ways to improve the value and your personal enjoyment of your home. But always ensure you protect against not only what you know, but what you don’t know. A basement, is a basement, is a basement, and never take a wet basement for granted.
To learn more about our products, services, and ability to inspect your property for water issues, call Perma Dry Waterproofing today at 1-800-584-9118.
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