Photo Album: Basement Transformation in Rensselaer, NY

This photo album details a large revitalization job we did in a basement. This job involved waterproofing and foundational support, meaning we had a lot to tackle. The customer originally contacted us because the basement was often getting very damp and they could even see rainwater getting through at times. This also caused a bit of a musty smell in the air, but thankfully there had yet to be any flooding. Along with this, the customer noticed visible cracks on the foundation. Let’s break down the solution into two parts: the waterproofing and the foundation support.  As you can see in the first few pictures, the walls and floor had visible water damage and were in desperate need of relief. Our solution was to create a proper drainage system to keep intruding water moving and away from the basement. When water lingers, that’s when the damp, moldy damage happens. To create this system, we installed WaterGuards that go along where the walls meet the floor and collect seeping moisture from either direction then diverts it to the TripleSafe sump pump which then sends the water out and to a far enough distance that it won’t come back. The TripleSafe is perfect for a basement of this size that presents a number of spots for moisture to get in because the TripleSafe has a three-pump system designed to handle high levels of water. The TripleSafe can be seen in the corner of the basement in the last photo. Next to it is the SaniDry Sedona which may look small, but is highly effective at keeping the humidity to a minimum. Finally in the waterproofing department, we’ve got the CleanSpace system which acts as a vapor barrier, providing another layer of protection for the basement. Covering the CleanSpace is a Foamax polyisocyanurate insulation wall designed to keep heat in and aiding in preventing water condensation, all while brightening up the look of the basement. Installed on the floor is our ThermalDry Basement Flooring in a Sandstone Gray color. ThermalDry has built-in drainage and thermal barrier and won’t get damaged by water or mold, making it a perfect product for giving your floors a boost!  To combat the cracks in the foundation and other issues in that sector, we brought in three products: CarbonArmor, PowerBraces, and SmartJacks. The CarbonArmor uses epoxy and carbon fiber strips to fix cracks and support bowing walls. Bowing walls are what most likely caused the cracks in this home’s foundation, but sometimes it cannot be detected which is why it helps to call in a specialist like us if you suspect something is amiss. The CarbonArmor can't be seen in any of the pictures because it is put directly onto the concrete wall so the CleanSpace and Foamax are covering it. PowerBraces also help support bowing walls, but in a much more concentrated manner. You can see this series of four on the wall by the door. PowerBraces attach directly to the wall and help stabilize it from buckling any more. PowerBraces can also be tightened so over time the walls could even be corrected back to their original positioning. SmartJacks are also an adjustable product, but their focus is on supporting the floors above. Potentially due to the bowing walls or some other foundational issue, the floors of the house were sagging a bit, so SmartJacks were brought in to give them a lift.  This basement is completely changed from before we got there and is now well-protected from water and foundation issues, giving this homeowner peace of mind for a long time.