Professional Basement Remodeling Experts in West Hartford, CT

This homeowner in West Hartford, CT noticed that water was seeping into her basement, especially after heavy rainfall and snowmelt. She was frustrated because she could not locate the source of the leaks, and now her finished basement was suffering water damage because of it. To keep the issue from escalating, the homeowner reached out to Total Basement Finishing in search of a solution.

Matthew Kraus, a Certified Waterproofing Professional, traveled to West Hartford to visit the homeowner and assess the issue at hand. After inspecting the basement’s affected areas, he determined that there were multiple causes for the water damage. For one, groundwater was saturating the home’s backfill – the dirt just outside the basement walls. This water was building up and putting pressure on the basement walls, eventually leaking inside. There was also a significant amount of moisture collecting near the water heater and other pipes. This is a common source of basement moisture because warm summer air produces condensation as it flows over the pipes that store cold water in the home. It is also important for homeowners to inspect their water heaters periodically, because these heaters do fail eventually, which leads to extensive leaking. Matthew proceeded to explain his findings and propose a few possible solutions. After reviewing her options, the homeowner decided to move forward and improve the quality of her basement with several Total Basement Finishing products.

Foreman Kevon Barnett and his crew led the way into production by removing the damaged walls. This allowed them to replace the damaged material with EverLast Wall Panels. Unlike drywall with fiberglass insulation, these panels are made from Rigid Foam Insulation that comes with a 50-year transferable warranty and won’t support mold growth or be damaged by moisture. Next, the crew installed a WaterGuard Basement Waterproofing System along the perimeter of the entire basement. This is a drainage channel just below the surface of the floor that directs all leaking groundwater to the sump pump, which then pumps the water up and out of the basement. This homeowner invested in two sump pumps to protect her finished basement. Her primary pump, the SuperSump, can remove 2,650 gallons of water per hour at 8 feet of lift smoothly and quietly. The second pump, the UltraSump3, is a Battery Back-Up System that kicks in automatically should the primary pump be disabled due to a power outage, tripped circuit breaker, or any other kind of unexpected failure.

The crew also installed a FloodRing near the water heater, which directs moisture away from this area and into the WaterGuard drainage system. Finally, Kevon and his crew wrapped up the project by covering the basement’s cement floor with ThermalDry Carpet. This flooring is waterproof and won’t support mold growth, plus it stays 8-10 degrees warmer than the cold concrete below. After learning about the function of these products and witnessing their installation, the homeowner was pleased to see that her basement had been effectively protected against groundwater leaks and mold growth.