i've written in before about a bad basement - I'm across from ONeida Lake in NY, and my poor little house (980 sq ft) has a basement issue (700 sq ft) the size of texas. I'm trying to find someone to come in and dig up around the house, and properly install the necessary components to the perimeter of the house. The water that pools, literally pools in my back yard, also needs a mechanism to exit (ground drain to the storm trenches). Then, I have the basement walls, which are cracked in the step wise pattern, and bowed on one side. Finding someone who has the wherewithal to do the project has been unsuccessful. Might someone know of anyone in the Syracuse/Utica area willing to take this on and do a great job? We have yet to have snow, so the ground is not frozen. please email me at natasis@msn.com

thanks

Check out the www.nawsrc.org

bernardsby: I agree with basementguy.Go to www.nawsrc.com there are several nawsrc members and certified contractors in upstate N.Y. Respectfully,Frank O'Pinion

Bernardsby : ooops, I wrote .com when I meant .org www.nawsrc.org Respectfully, Frank o'Pinion

You should also try Service Magic web site
www.servicemagic.com fill out the information and any contractors that have proper licenced, insured and credentials will call you.

You bet they'll call you...but wait until the job is done and you still have the problems you started with, and see if they call you THEN.

Check references...ask for 10, then ignore them and ask for 10 more, and check the second 10.

Demand to see any warranty BEFORE you sign a contract, and read it carefully, and see exactly what is covered and what isn't, and if you don't see it in print there in front of you, assume it won't be covered. Also read what IS covered, and read exactly how any problem will be remedied, IF you can find that part.

Last, DEMAND a full and complete explanation of why your basement has water, why your walls are cracked and bowing, and DEMAND to know exactly how the steps the contractor proposes will SOLVE...not PATCH...SOLVE your problems.

In other words, be VERY VERY careful with an area of the business world that is fraught with charlatans who will gladly take a LOT of your money to PATCH, not SOLVE, your problems.

ask these INSIDE companies if THEY guarantee NO water will enter the Basement WALLS, ask them if the the wall(s) will be damp/moldy, ask them if its possible RADON can enter YOUR basement Through the Gaps they leave OPEN when installing their Inside system--

yes indeed, READ and UNDERSTAND what their Supposed-Lifetime-Warranty Actually covers! Sure! See what they leave OUT in this supposed Lifetime Warranty!

what MOST cover is, there will be no water on the FLOOR-where-THEY-worked/installed their system....THATS what Most cover. Has nothing to do with the 90% or so of HO`s who have water Entering through the Bsmt Wall(s). Has nothing to do with relieving/lessening soil pressure against the outside of wall(s).

many companies in the U.S. are very good w/misleading statements in advertising etc. Many are good at trying to soak HO`s for as much money as possible, many are good when they get inside your house,some don`t want to leave! lol, some in this business have actually stayed for HOURS when coming to give HO an estimate, UN-believable!!! They APPEAR-to-be very trusting,and some give a WONDERFUL presentation of....what THEY want to BS you about....WATCH out!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LicensedWaterproofer,

Geez: You know lwp and rich people aren't as dumb as you think. All they have to do is go to www.nawsrc.org and get hooked up with a professional that has actually fixed a foundation problem.Respectfully, Frank O'Pinion

I've been watching "Holmes on Homes" show on the Discover Home channel. In the last month they've shown at least 2 different episodes on problems similar to yours. The last one was Fri, 1/19 repeated 3 times on Sat. It dealt with the interior problems and repairs, titled Lamin A'int.I only wish I'd seen your posting before so you could have watched the show.

A couple weeks ago they had an exterior basement water show. See:
http://www.holmesonhomes.com/episodes.php?sid=9

If you click on Flooded Foundation that's the show I refer to. The gallery pictures are out of order so here goes. Pics 1,6,9,13,18 show some of the problems/causes. Pics 7,8,14,17,19 show some of the solutions. Unfortunately they don't offer streaming video or explanatory text for more precise informaion. They do however list Advanced coatings at the bottom as the contractor.

For correct schedules in the US on Discover Home Channel, go to there web site at:
http://home.discovery.com/tvlistings/series.jsp?series=...id=13061&channel=HOM

It is a different schedule than what you will find on the Holmes on Homes web site.
Best of luck.

I agree that all methods concerning water entering a basement should be corrected from the outside. An inside drain promotes the water to come in, and helps to feed and/or create a MOLD situation.I think you are doing the right thing asking for help here, many QUALIFIED people post great opinions here. If you have any questions regarding this reply, please feel free to email me at john@ripbugs.com or go to my web site at www.ripbugs.com and feel free to pick my brain. Good luck!

quote:

Geez: You know lwp and rich people aren't as dumb as you think. All they have to do is go to www.nawsrc.org and get hooked up with a professional that has actually fixed a foundation problem....

Notice how some people go out of their way to post clear, detailed and lucid explanations of the possible causes of foundation problems, and all the possible solutions to them, and then explains in great detail how the systems they propose will SOLVE (NOT patch)foundation problems. Patching isn't fixing. Not by a long shot.

Unfortunately, the quoted poster is not one of them, and apparently will never be.

Personally, I would avoid members of the National Association Of Snake Oil Salesmen like the plague, if all their members are as tight-lipped as some we see here. When they start posting their own clear, detailed and lucid explanations of causes and solutions, perhaps my opinion will change.

Meanwhile, some of us will continue posting about tried-and-true methods that actually identify and solve problems. Perhaps those of us who have never actually repaired a foundation have also never designed one that NEEDED repair in over 40 years of practice. What has worked for over forty years will continue to work, and work well.

reb,

holmes is NOT anything close to a bsmt waterproofing/foundation expert.. sorry, yeah, seems he 'tries'. they screwed up in that episode. That HO did NOT need what Holmes said/did. BS they charge HO X amount too, thats what is bothersome

his knowledge/exp is in remodeling kitchens,decks etc.

after watching the flooded foundation episode (about 5 times) i e-mailed/wrote him, his/their producer response was nothing i could exactly re-post here ... they screwed up in that episode and will NOT admit it, didnt appreciate someone who wasn`t there pointing it out.

they STILL had problem(s) leak in basement after they left.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LicensedWaterproofer,

In picking a contractor you need to be very careful, when on sites like this you have individuals that have no verifiable credentials. That likes to give the wrong advice. I think because of a number of reasons.

1) They think it’s funny.
2) They don’t have the know how.
3) In their business they do not have the equipment, or can they afford to rent it to do it right.
4) They only offer one fix. So that’s the fix you should buy. They think.
6) They can’t afford to advertise.
7) This is their only way to get jobs. By lying to people.

So buyer bewares. If any company from here or any where that only has one fix. RUN! Because that’s what they will say you need. If you have a basement leak, or foundation problem, you need to find a company that knows how to fix it all. They should have the ability to do all types of drainage. Inside and out. In most cases both.
I would always suggest that any contractor that you use. Should go through continues education. On a regular basese. The easiest way to get someone like this is to look the National Association of Waterproofers and structural repair. NAWSRC.org you should always look for nationally certified contractors first. Then who ever you use always check them out with the BBB and attorney general. You will find some people on this site that that will say that using these resources is dumb. Use your best judgment.

Good luck with your project.

PS. The only reason a few people on this site say to stay away from inside systems. Is because they don’t know how to do them correctly, don’t have the equipment

When picking a foundation contractor you should see what these web sites have to say


http://www.abbysguide.com/basement-waterproofing/guide/hiring-contractor.html

http://www.contractorcorner.info/HiringaWaterproofingContractor.html

http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20021126_moisture.htm

http://www.basementdepot.com/topsites/index.php

http://ezinearticles.com/?Does-Your-Home-Need-Concrete-Waterproofing?&id=67765

Have fun

Basementguy,

no verifiable credentials huh? lol

how about nearly 3 decades versus your, what, 6-7 years. and in your several years you`ve amassed 5 or so more customer complaints than i have, hmmm

hey, are YOU telling people that some of us here have lied? Huh? We lied? Or YOU have/still are/and will contine to lie/bs people?

one day, hopefully sooner rather than later for the benefit of homeowners--not for any contractor, one day the media/atty gen`s etc will put this waterproofing story together and see which of us have been honest `n factual and which has not...hey Basementguy....got milk?

quote:

PS. The only reason a few people on this site say to stay away from inside systems. Is because they don’t know how to do them correctly, don’t have the equipment

No, my friend, it's because we know that inside systems fail to solve ANY of the problems which cause water in basements, insects in homes, radon gas in basements, cracked and bowed basement walls, and mold in basements, and we have explained that over and over again, enough times that even YOU should have gotten it.

Obviously, you haven't, and you and your National Association of Snake Oil Salesmen persist in attempting to mislead people into spending far more money than they need to to achieve "solutions" that fail to solve ANY of the problems and fail to address any of the causes of the problems. Credentials my rump...pay dues get credentials, is that it? Screw people and then advertise with all that ill-earned money, is that it? Did you ever ponder the question of why some reputable companies and individuals do not need to advertise?

"Nationally Certified Contractor" sounds wonderful. So do all those BBB complaints, and numerous lawsuits, and endless unsolved problems, all involving "Nationally Certified Contractors" who change companies faster than you change underwear. Tell us, what does one do to become so "nationally Certified" besides attend conventions on all that money which one has scammed from unknowing homeowners?