Waterford, VA Trusted Basement, Crawl Space & Foundation Repairs

A finished basement can be a wonderful addition to any home. It can provide extra usable space, but there are other reasons that finishing your basement can improve your home.

1. Finished basements improve the health and comfort of your home. An unfinished basement is prone to damp conditions, especially in Northern Virginia. Moisture can lead to mold and mildew, and it can make the basement feel clammy. An insulated, finished basement will regulate temperatures and conditions just like the rest of the home - so now it can be used just like the rest of the home!

2. Finished basements contribute to lower energy bills. When your basement is insulated and sealed, there are no longer escape and entry points for outside air. Air leakage can cause HVAC units to work "overtime" because the conditioned air escapes and must be replaced. With less AC/heating running, energy bills lessen as well.

3. Finished basements can be living spaces. A finished basement can provide an extra bedroom or storage space, now that it is dry and comfortable.

4. Finished basements add value to the home. Extra usable square footage or even an extra bedroom adds value to any home. A basement remodel project can yield up to a 70% return on investment. 

The Case for Basement Waterproofing from the Inside.

Water intrusion into basements is one of the most destructive problems that you can have in a home.  Mold, Rot, Rusted appliances /mechanical systems, Odors, and other related problems caused by high humidity throughout the house are the issues that can result.

Waterproofing in the modern era is generally done from inside the home.  You may ask yourself why.  This article articulates my thoughts on the topic.

#1 Cost: Attempting to eliminate water intrusion from outside the home is generally very expensive and labor consuming.  The crew attempting to do this work would be damaging mature landscaping, may have to dig trenches around the effected perimeter of the home using heavy equipment or by hand.  This excavation process could further damage the home’s foundation.  Hardscapes are in the way and may require elimination or extensive damage to install the water proofing solution.  The combination of expensive collateral damage and the cost of damaging land and hardscapes create extensive cost..

#2 Disruption:  All construction projects at your home are disruptive.  Projects that include extensive excavation and moving land are particularly disruptive and unpredictable.  The weather may lead to periods of time where no work can be done due to rain or freezing weather.  Inside systems can be installed with a great deal of reliability and consistency.  Interior systems generally represent a project, that when properly staffed, can move from inception to completion in just a few days.

#3 Reliability: Interior French Drains and Vapor/Water Screen systems like those used in Basement Systems Designed waterproofing systems are reliable and maintainable.  Exterior French drains are subject to environmental conditions that are more difficult to control.  The location of exterior French drains make them virtually impossible to maintain over the lifetime of the property.  For this reason, modern day waterproofers generally design and install interior systems.

While maintenance of gutters and grade and any drain system that you can take care of is important in taking care of the integrity of your home and it’s ability to keep water out, the corrective actions required to resolve problems is best left to systems designed for the inside of the building.

Call 3 Pros Basement Systems to have them design for you a world class water proofing system using Basement Systems designs.