Getting Ready to Finish Basement in Indiana & Kentucky
A Basement Finishing in Evansville, Indiana adds living space and value to your home.
Healthy Spaces has seen hundreds of finished and unfinished basements. Water problems we’ve solved ranged from dampness to all-out basement flooding. If you’re about to create a basement finishing plan, this is what we recommend. If you’ve already finished your basement, the majority of these precautions can still be implemented.
- Install an effective perimeter waterproofing system.
- Install a cast-iron sump pump with alarm and battery backup system.
- Prevent floods from frozen sump discharge lines.
- Install a vapor barrier on the basement walls before finishing them.
- Keep the basement floor warm, dry and comfortable.
- Stop common plumbing leaks from ruining your finished basement.
- Inspect or replace your basement windows.
- Dehumidify the basement.
- Perform basic exterior waterproofing and maintenance.
1. Install an Effective Perimeter Waterproofing System
If you have a basement has any groundwater seepage at all, it’s important to start by installing a reliable basement waterproofing system like WaterGuard, DryTrak or one of the other French drain innovations available from Basement Systems. Because basement water problems never get better, the drains and coatings that protected the house will only to continue to fail as the home ages. Even if water seepage is only a once-a-year occurrence, it should be fixed before the basement is finished. In fact, many cautious homeowners will install a basement waterproofing system even if they have not had seepage. This makes sense- it’s far easier to put in a basement finishing system in an unfinished basement than in one where finished walls and floor coverings restrict access afterwards. It’s also highly recommended to install this system around the entire perimeter of the basement.
2. Install a Cast-Iron Sump Pump with Alarm and Battery Backup System
Before creating a basement finishing plan for your basement, you should invest in the best sump pump protection available. Guarding your home against flooding from primary pump failure, pump overload from torrential rains, and power failure will potentially save your remodeled basement from thousands of dollars worth of damage. Basement Systems' TripleSafe sump pump system is prepared for any basement water problem. With primary and secondary AC-powered pumps and a third battery-operated backup pump in a single airtight sump liner, it has a line of defense for every common sump pump problem. The TripleSafe system automatically pumps water out of the basement even if the power goes out or the primary pump mechanically fails to operate. Without this triple protection, your remodeled basement is only one pump or power failure away from a flood. Make sure your basement stays dry all the time with triple protection.
If you do not opt for the TripleSafe sump pump system and instead install Basement Systems' SuperSump, it’s very important to at least have an UltraSump back-up pumping system installed with a WaterWatch Sump Pump Alarm. The UltraSump (a standard feature of the TripleSafe system) is a battery-operated back-up pumping system with a DC sump pump installed with the primary pump. It includes a battery and reliable charging system, and it can pump up to 7000 gallons of water out of your basement in the event of the primary pump failing due to a power outage or other failure. And standard on all Basement Systems Sump Pumps, the WaterWatch Alarm will sound off to alert you to of any pump failure before your floor gets wet.
3. Prevent Frozen Sump Discharge Lines from Resulting in Sump Pump Floods
Your sump pump probably discharges outside. Snow and ice can block the opening and cause it to freeze. When this happens, your pump will be running and the water can't get out, causing your basement to flood. Basement Systems’ IceGuard, available standard on most systems, will prevent this problem automatically.
4. Install a Vapor Barrier on the Basement Walls Before Finishing Them.
Basement walls often leak at a point higher up off of the floor in Indiana and Kentucky. Water vapor will also pass through the basement walls and add higher humidity levels to the living space. By installing a sheet of high-quality extra-durable plastic, water seepage will be directed down to the drainage system below and kept off the studs and drywall or paneling. It will also keep water vapor from entering the basement environment, leading to lower the humidity levels. If a drainage system exists below the vapor barrier, then the lining should be tucked in there. The top of the vapor barrier should be caulked to the top of the wall.
Installing a vapor-proof drainage sheet on the wall, such as Basement Systems ThermalDry WALL System, will actually insulate the space, reflecting 97% of the heat back into your basement.
5. Keep the Basement Floor Warm, Dry and Comfortable
After eliminating any possible leakage problems in the basement, you should eliminate any water vapor coming through the concrete floor. Because concrete is porous, water vapor will slowly and continuously travel up through it. By laying a carpet on top of the concrete floor, this moisture becomes trapped underneath the carpet, causing odors, mold, and rot in the carpet.
Basement Systems solution is the ThermalDry Basement Floor Matting system. This consists of a specially designed polypropylene, 17-inch tongue-&-groove square tile that, unlike systems that use wood in their system, is totally waterproof. A specifically engineered grid on the bottom of each tile forms an air space that insulates the floor but will not cause water vapor to condense. The installation will use only 3/8' of the basement’s height, instead of 4' for other methods.
6. Stop Common Plumbing Leaks from Ruining your Finished Basement
Water leakage in a basement, whether it’s from the ground or not, has a damaging effect on your finished basement. Basement Systems has the best and easiest solutions for the two most common domestic water leaks that we encounter all the time.
The first is water heaters leaking. The average life of a water heater is seven years. When a water heater fails in a home it will usually leak and flood the basement. Basement Systems’ FloodRing provides the perfect solution. The FloodRing contains water seepage and drains it into the basement’s waterproofing system when the water heater leaks.
The second common plumbing leak is when washing machine hoses flood your basement- which can happen even when the washing machine is on the upper floors. Normal washing machine hoses are not designed to withstand the 50 or 60 pounds per square inch of water pressure the way our hard plumbing system is. A valve is supplied to shut the water pressure off when the washing machine is not in use, but these are rarely used every time. In time, inexpensive hoses will leak or blow-out entirely, requiring what may be an expensive cleanup.
Instead of risking this, Basement Systems FloodChek hoses are the recommended answer. With a 20 year guarantee, FloodChek hoses are made to take the pressure and will not blow-out, corrode, or rust at the end connections.
7. Inspect or Replace your Basement Windows
Will you be happy with a finished basement that still uses the windows you have now? Basement windows are notorious for being hard to open, drafty, and ugly. As the window well or ground nearby the basement windows collects moisture and water, it causes a metal-framed window to rust and a wood-framed one to rot. Additionally, many basement windows have no screens, and painting them is a constant challenge!
Basement Systems can replace your rusted single-paned steel or wood basement windows with double-paned energy-efficient, all-vinyl EverLast windows. With smooth-sliding operation, double glass, full screen, easily removable panes for cleaning or passing long objects into the basement, and the fact that they never need to be painted, they’re the best option on the market for your finished basement!
The best time to replace basement windows in Indiana and Kentucky is before the basement remodeling takes place. If done at this time, then the basement remodeling contractor can trim right up to them for a professional finished look.
8. Dehumidify the Basement
The SaniDry Basement Air System is a powerful, energy-efficient and effective dehumidifier. Where most standard dehumidifiers are too small to make much difference, the SaniDry has the power needed to get the job done right. This basement dehumidification system dries the air and automatically drains the water out of the hose. This means that you will never have to empty it, like you would with a conventional dehumidifier. The SaniDry removes three times the amount of water out of the air as a typical dehumidifier with the same energy used. The powerful blower draws musty air in and sends dry, clean air back out into the basement. This unit protects your basement, keeping high humidity and musty smells out of the finished area.
9. Perform Basic Exterior Waterproofing and Maintenance
Extending your downspouts with Basement Systems’ RainChute keeps roof water away from the foundation. Foundation soil should be graded away from the house wherever possible, and all gutters should be kept clean. Keep window wells clear of leaves and debris.
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