waterproofing-basement

The talk of inflation in the United States and around the globe makes homeowners more careful about the things they buy, and the things they need to save money to buy.  If they have children going back to school, they are thinking about school supplies and clothing for the new school year.  They probably want to take a vacation before they start another year of the school year, and that takes money. There are medical bills, car payments, home mortgages, and increases in health and car insurance premiums they have to pay every month.

In other words, for many families, making ends meet is difficult.  They are worried about making sure the bills are paid before they worry about anything else. Doing home improvement projects at home is not something they worry about too much.  That’s why we want to give you some home improvement projects that will brighten your home without spending too much.

On the other hand, if you own a home and want to do some more serious home improvement projects to liven up your house, then the sky is the limit. For the rest of us, here are some projects that will make our home look newer, brighter, and inviting.

1. Painting a room-One of the easiest home improvements you can do that won’t cost a lot and will brighten the rooms in your home right away is painting them. Choosing a different color from the one you have right now can change the way you look at the room, and give you a sense of newness.
2. Install New Flooring-If painting the rooms was too easy for you, perhaps installing new flooring in the room will give you a new challenge.  The variety of great flooring in many stores is everything you could need. Also, installing new flooring is not as expensive as you think it is.  Because home improvement stores carry many types of flooring from different companies, you can choose one of high quality with a reasonable price tag.
3. New Light Fixtures-If you have committed yourself to improving only one room in the house, why not go all the way?  Painting the room and installing new flooring can be enough for a room, but, if you install new light fixtures, new lamps, or crown molding, you are improving the room and making it a lovely one for the whole family to enjoy.
4. Installing a Bathroom Vent Fan-One of the easiest places for mold and mildew to grow is a bathroom without ventilation. The humidity and dust accumulation makes the growth of mold and mildew easy, making your bathroom unhealthy and dirty.
5. Painting the Kitchen Cabinets-It is too expensive to do a whole new kitchen for some families. But, if the drawers and frames of the kitchen are in good condition, you can clean them and paint them to obtain a new clean look. If you can paint them and add a new backsplash to brighten them, your kitchen will look new without spending thousands.
6. Declutter Your Home-There is nothing cheaper than getting rid of unwanted stuff you have been accumulating for many years and making your home look cleaner.  If your living room, kitchen, bathroom, or office is cluttered, a new coat of paint won’t do too much to make it look nice. Get rid of unwanted or useless items from your home to make it easy to do a paint job or flooring job.
7. Cleaning the Kitchen or Bathroom Tile-Painting the walls in the kitchen or bathroom might not be enough to make these rooms look new, but if you add cleaning to the flooring of these places, then you might be looking at a new room.  Choosing a good grout cleaner to clean the tile in these rooms can bring back the original look of the new flooring.
8. Cleaning the Drapes and couches-If you can afford to professionally clean the sofas and love seats in your living room, by all means, do it. If you have drapes that need to be professionally clean, then save the money to do it.  Many of these materials do not do well if you try them yourself, and the cost of doing it yourself might be greater in the end.
9. Washing the Walls-If painting a room is not possible, washing the walls might be your next best option. You will be amazed at how much grime comes off of the walls, and the look left behind is a brighter room for you to enjoy.
10. Cleaning Everything You Can-If the idea of spending money to have a new look in a room is not possible, cleaning it might be the only solution.  A clean, decluttered room is more attractive than a new room full of decorations. Cleaning the walls, windows, light fixtures, drapes, and rugs can offer you a clean new room that you might be missing.

A home project doesn’t need to be an expensive one.  Decluttering a room and making it comfortable can be a project you can do without spending any money.  Not everyone has the extra cash to remodel a kitchen, but everyone can have a clean new room to enjoy.

The summer months are the preferred months for major home improvement projects for many homeowners.  From remodeling a bathroom, kitchen, or patio, homeowners are enthusiastic about beginning a project during this time.  Keep in mind there are home improvement projects that are a necessity to many homeowners, and those home improvement projects need to be done first.

For example, a basement waterproofing project is not a project many homeowners look forward to doing.  First, that is a project they cannot do it themselves.  And even though basement waterproofing seems like a straightforward project, it is a difficult project if you do not have the experience doing it. Many basement waterproofing companies do not recommend the homeowner trying to do this kind of project.

Secondly, basement waterproofing is not something you get to experience. A kitchen remodeling is something your family will experience all year long, but basement waterproofing seems like a project nobody can really see. Basement waterproofing is a necessity for many homes, even if nobody can see the benefits.  Also, the value of the home can be diminished by water damage in the home.

If your home has basement waterproofing issues and you want to take care of them this year, here are a few recommendations for you.

5 Basement Waterproofing Tips for the Homeowner

1. Hire a professional company to waterproof the basement of your home.
2. Do not refinish the basement if there are signs of water issues.
3. Do not postpone the work.  If your basement has water issues, the sooner you take care of them the better.
4. Test your water sump pump.
5. Do not try to waterproof the basement on your own. Do not patch walls thinking you are taking care of the problem.

Choosing The Right Flooring For Your Basement

After you have waterproofed the basement of your home, and if you have decided to refinish it, now it is the time to start thinking about the flooring. There are many choices when dealing with the flooring for a finished basement.  You have to choose the flooring you want taking into account the comfort you need, the durability of the flooring, and most importantly the cost.

If you are refinishing a basement, chances are the flooring that is already there is poured concrete. Believe it or not, that is a great beginning for the homeowner. If the concrete needs fixing, make sure the flooring is even, smooth, and has no cracks or bumps that will make the installation of the new flooring a headache.

The 4 Best Floor Choices For Your Basement

1. Tile installation is for many homeowners a good choice for the basement. They are durable, can be non-slip resistant, and can add a beautiful finished look to the basement.  They are easy to clean and maintain, and for high-traffic areas, tile is the right choice for the homeowner.
2. Vinyl Plank Flooring installation can give you the right flooring for your basement.  With their authentic designs, this kind of flooring can be a great accent to the basement’s decor. Vinyl Plank Flooring is water-resistant, easy to maintain, and is guaranteed to last.
3. Engineered Wood Flooring installation is a great choice for those homeowners that want to have the look of real wood flooring in the basement of their home.  They are durable for those high traffic areas, they are easy to install, and they are economical.  They will bring the beauty of hardwood flooring into the basement of your home. 
4. Sheet Vinyl installation is a great choice for you if you want an affordable option for the basement’s floor.  It is durable, easy to clean, and now more than ever you have a great choice of styles, colors, and patterns to make the basement of your home inviting at a reasonable price.

For many homeowners, carpet in the basement is not a good choice.  It might seem more inviting when you first install the carpet but is not the first choice for many families. Regardless of what floor you want to install in the basement of your home, remember that is a very personal choice for you and your family. Also, remember installing a great quality flooring can save you money and work in the long run. Good quality flooring lasts longer and looks newer if you take of it properly.

If you haven’t started cleaning the yard for the new year, you might be falling a bit behind.  You can feel the nice weather has arrived, and if you look outside, you can see whether you did a good job last fall preparing your yard for the new year, or whether you still have work to do.

These are some of the basic chores you must do this April to prepare your lawn for the summer and fall ahead.

1. Cut and trim any branches that died or splintered during the winter.  This will allow your trees to start new growth, and your yard will look cleaner and greener without dead branches or shrubs around the yard.
2. Level the flower beds if mulch or other types of debris accumulated around the foundation of the home. This is a very common problem with water in the basement. Leveling the flower beds will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
3. Trim the perennials and get rid of the annuals to keep a flower bed free of dead foliage and leaves.
4. Prepare your lawn for the grass seedling you might need.  Remove dead grass or lawn moss to get ready to plant grass seeds.

Doing those chores might not seem like you are doing anything for the protection of the basement. But, even leveling the flower beds will help you with the water run-off that gets to the basement of the home. Now, the following tips will help you protect and maintain the basement of your home dry and healthy for your family.

5 Tips to Protect The Basement of Your Home

1. One of the most important chores to protect your basement this year is leveling the flower beds to prevent water from seeping into it. Spring showers can be a blessing or a curse.  If water accumulation around the foundation of the home is finding a way to the basement, your problems with a wet basement can be many and expensive as well.
2. Did you remember to clean the gutters last fall?  It is always preferable to clean the gutters after the fall to get rid of all the dead leaves or other debris accumulation.  If you forgot to clean them or didn’t have the time, the springtime is still a good time to clean them to get them ready for the spring showers ahead.
3. Drainage-  If your home doesn’t have a great drainage system, you should consider installing one.  Even installing a simple one can get water pooling around the foundation away from it and leave your basement dry for you.
4. Basement Waterproofing-If your home has already water sitting on the basement floor, you have basement waterproofing problems you need to take care of right away.  Calling a professional basement waterproofing company to come and diagnose the problem should be easy enough, and many basement waterproofing companies offer a free estimate for homeowners.
5. Leveling driveways and pathways around the home can help you keep the basement of the home dry.  Water run-offs into the foundation are 100% certain to take water into the basement of the home.  It might not happen in one year or two, but pooling water around the foundation is not something you should have.

If your basement has water issues already, do not wait any longer. By ignoring those water issues they can become bigger, more expensive problems you do not want to have. Here are 5 tips for you to consider if you have a basement waterproofing issue with your home.

1. Call a basement waterproofing company with many years of experience and a great reputation to back them up.
2. To protect yourself, you need to call at least three different companies and obtain three different quotes to be able to compare their services and prices.
3. Check their Better Business Bureau rating, their customers’ testimonials, and their reputation around the area.  Ask friends and family for a basement waterproofing company recommendation if you do not trust online reviews.
4. Make sure you do your homework before hiring any company or before signing any contract.  Money or signatures should not be the first thing they ask from you.  Ask questions and for references when you talk to anyone about fixing your home.
5. Do they offer a guarantee of their work?  Pioneer Basement Solutions is a basement waterproofing company that checks all the boxes.  They have been in business in the Northeast Ohio area since 1979.  They have an A+ rating at the BBB with zero complaints. They have won numerous service awards in Ohio for their outstanding customer service. They offer a lifetime homeowner guaranteed. And most importantly, they come to your home to diagnose the problem and offer you a solution without offering bogus patented systems that do not exist.

The home is for many people one of the biggest assets they own.  And as such, they need to protect it from the inclement weather conditions of the region, from the wear and tear of the home, and from bad companies doing shoddy work on their property.  Doing your homework before hiring any company to do work on your property will save you money, time, and headaches in the long run.

What home remodeling project did you do during the pandemic? A new kitchen? A remodeled bathroom? Installing new windows? Did you install new flooring or doors?  The number of home remodeling projects homeowners undertook during the pandemic was vast and varied.  According to experts, exterior home improvement projects are a growing sector in today’s home remodeling markets and are supposed to keep growing in 2022.

Many of the interior home remodeling projects homeowners did during the pandemic are understood. Many office workers needed the extra space to perform their work, parents needed the space for schooling, and children needed their own space to be children.

Regardless of the need for more space, homeowners felt the necessity to acquire or re-arrange things and space to meet their needs.  For this reason, home projects were varied to meet the specific needs of each family.

1. For example, the installation of windows, or doors leading to the outdoors was a major home improvement for many of these homeowners. The need to be outdoors and provide natural light to their surroundings was the main reason these home remodeling projects were undertaken. Although in many parts of the country the installation of windows won’t let you recoup a big part of the investment, the savings and the appeal of new windows make this home remodeling project a favorite to many homeowners.
2. Home offices-This is a home remodeling project that was expected when you consider the millions of home office employees working from home during the pandemic.  Even at the beginning of this year, many employees haven’t made the transition to the office yet. A home office doesn’t have to be a whole room for a transitional period for an employee.  It can be a nook in a part of the home designated and remodeled to meet the needs of the individual. On the other hand, if a room is available, remodeling it to make it a home office is a home project many people would love to have the opportunity to do, and many have accomplished it already.
3. Basement Finishing-This is a home remodeling project that is big, can be expensive and needs time.  But, the many benefits a finished basement can give your family are many.  Starting with a personal home office, a finished basement can give you a family room/children’s room, a bar, a home gym, extra bedrooms, etc. The basement of the home is in many cases the same square footage as the first floor, the space for you to experiment is available to you.
4. New floors-There are many cases when changing the floor in a room can make it brighter, more spacious, and modern.  There are hundreds of different flooring for a homeowner to choose from, the price is affordable, and the quality of many flooring options is excellent.  Changing the flooring in any room is an easy project many homeowners can do by themselves, and they can change the look in a room in less than a week with excellent results.
5. A new kitchen-If you had an old kitchen, the pandemic was a great opportunity to remodel it.  You had plenty of time and plenty of extra hands available.  Not counting the delays, and the availability of many of the materials needed, remodeling a kitchen by yourself is not an easy task.  There are many homeowners that prefer to hire a professional to do the remodeling, but you have to pay a hefty price for the job.  On the other hand, if you were willing to do it yourself during the pandemic, you probably saved thousands of dollars remodeling a part of your home you really need.  A new kitchen is a great visual for many prospective buyers, and a part of your home you can enjoy every single day.  The recoup amount for this project is not even 75%, but if you are selling the home, a new kitchen will help you sell it faster.

Keep in mind home remodeling projects are very personal.  Many families need more rooms to accommodate their growing families, while others only want to beautify the space they have.  Regardless of the reason, a home remodeling project needs to be taken seriously and done properly to add value to the home.  If you hire someone or do it yourself, you need to have a budget and clear plans to accomplish the project if you want to be happy with it and the price involved. To remodel the kitchen well, you might want to hire a plumber or an electrician to complement your skills.  On the other hand, if you are capable to do both jobs, you will be saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars in a single project.  Don’t forget, good planning and budgeting will be your friends till the end of the project.

If you live in the Northeast Ohio area, you know the troubles you can have with a leaky basement.   unfortunately, a leaky basement is not only troublesome for the homeowner, but it can also be dangerous to the health of your family.   For instance, mold and mildew grow in damp places in the basement or where condensation accumulates. It can be a dangerous health issue for your family if mold or mildew is present in the air. Respiratory illnesses are a possibility and can become dangerous if the air in the home is contaminated.

Do you know If You Have a Leaky Basement?

There are many easy-to-spot signs for any homeowner if they have problems with water in the basement. For example:

1. Water on the basement floor is a clear indication you have a water problem
2. Wet basement walls at the top or bottom indicate water seepage to the basement
3. Water sediment visible on the walls means you have a water problem 
4. Cracked or bowed walls
5. High quantities of water condensation on the walls
6. Mold or mildew growth
7. Rust on stored items 

These are problems too common in many Northeast Ohio homes, and the problems can become serious if ignored.   Also, if the basement waterproofing issues you have at home are postponed till the money is not an issue, you might have to pay a lot more to fix those problems. Plus, basement waterproofing issues can become serious and expensive problems to fix if you procrastinate too much.

Where Is The Water Coming From?

There are three main ways water can get into the basement of your home.

1. The exterior
2. The inside of the home
3. The subfloor

Water coming from the exterior of the home can be the most common.   For example, after a rain shower or melting snow day, you can have wet walls or water sitting on the basement floor because of the water coming from the outdoors.   That’s an easy sign to spot if you want to find out about basement waterproofing problems.

If you have wet or damp basement walls, there is water seepage happening someplace behind those walls.  The seepage might be minor, but those problems never go away, they only get bigger and more expensive.

On the other hand, if you have water coming from the subfloor, or from the inside of the home, you need to contact a basement waterproofing expert to find the root of your problem.

Can I fix Basement Waterproofing Issues by Myself?

Pioneer Basement Waterproofing does not recommend you try to fix those problems yourself.   Basement waterproofing issues can be serious issues, and perhaps some of those problems have been ignored for many years. You might not know the difficulty or seriousness of tackling the problem by yourself. Also, you might not have the tools, men power, or knowledge to do the job well. It is better economically to hire the right company to do it for you.

Pioneer Basement Waterproofing is a company with over 40 years of experience waterproofing basements in the Northeast Ohio area and delivering dry, waterproofed basements that will last for generations.   There are many issues involved if you have a water problem in the basement. At Pioneer, we have the experience and the talented teams to deliver a job well done every single time. Many homeowners do not know whether they have an interior or exterior water problem, and they do not have the experience to do the job well. At Pioneer, we have the experience to fix any problem with your wet basement, or foundation because we have the skills and knowledge to tackle many problems dealing with water.

Can I Finance My Project With Pioneer?

Yes,  you can!

Call Pioneer Basement Waterproofing at your earliest convenience to discuss the basement waterproofing issues you have at home. We will come to your home to discuss the problems, offer you a solution, and a quote with no pressure tactics or overpriced bogus systems. Pioneer can fix the basement water problems you have at home with the right price tag, and no overcharging you for our work.

The first line of defense against water entering the basement of your home is prevention.  The beginning of water damage in the basement can begin with a trickle and become an expensive basement waterproofing problem for the homeowner pretty quickly. Unfortunately, water damage can go undetected for many years in many homes across the country. And in many instances, homeowners are unaware of the damage happening below their first floor.

Fortunately, you can prepare your home and your finances by being proactive and ensuring water damage doesn’t ruin your home and your finances.

How can you protect your home?

There are several proactive measures you can do yearly to protect your home from water invasion.  There are some measures you have to do yearly, while others can last you for many years. First and foremost:

1. After the Fall Season, Clean the Gutters of your Home

Cleaning the gutters from leaves, sticks, and dirt accumulation is one of the chores that will help protect your home from water damage.  After the trees have finished shedding their leaves, it is time for the ladder to come out and make sure the gutters are clean.  Also, check that all the spouting is firmly in place to allow the water flow to continue where the drainage is best for your home.

2. Protect the basement with window wells protective covers

Not many people cover the windows wells with protective covers, but those covers can help keep the rainwater and melted snow from pooling around the foundation of the home.  You can buy a two-pack if that’s all you need online or from any home improvement store you frequent.  These protective covers will ensure the water is not going directly to the walls of the foundation, and instead, spread it farther away.

3. Leveled Driveways and walkways around the Foundation 

Tilted driveways or abutting walkways can carry the rain’s excesses right into the basement of your home.  Keep in mind tree roots can be the culprit when we talk about unleveled driveways.  Either way, make sure melted snow or rainwater is not pooling around the foundation and seeping into the basement and walls of your home.

4. Make sure the water Drainage is at least 10ft. from the foundation

During the construction of your home, the drainage system put in place might be too old, or not working properly right now. Especially if you have an older home.  Make sure the pipes carrying the water from the home are clear and working properly. There are many instances where the plastic pipe put there many years ago is clogged, or has too many holes.  If that’s the case, water is not properly draining away from the perimeter of the home. You can replace the plastic pipe with a PVC pipe to keep water away from the foundation and keep your basement dry.

5. Is the Sump Pump working properly?

Every homeowner should check the sump pump’s condition in their home at least once a year.  It is easy to ignore it or to believe it is working well.  It is better to be prepared with a working sump pump before the torrential spring showers come. If the sump pump needs to be replaced, do you know it? 

Water damage in the basement is a common occurrence in many older homes. Many homeowners do not notice the water damage till it is very obvious, and by then the work needed can be expensive.  In some other cases, new construction homes can have water damage in their basement if the construction was not done properly. Either way, water damage in many homes in the Northeast Ohio area is a common occurrence.  

Thankfully, Pioneer Basement Solutions offers free, no-obligation quotes to All homeowners.  We talk to you about your options without the pressure and without giving you bogus patented solutions so we can charge you more. Contact Us today to offer you the best service and best solutions for your home in the Northeast Ohio area.