We have all heard the term relative humidity before. We know that it means something about how much water vapor is in the air.

And we know that relative humidity is important especially inside a building where we want to keep mold and other contaminants to a minimum.

But what is “relative” humidity, exactly? What is it relative to? And what does it mean to us individually?

The air we breathe is more than just air

We know that the air is far more than just oxygen. The atmosphere and air we breathe holds much more than just one gas. It holds a mix of Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and lots of others, in a mix that our lungs are used to sorting through. Our sensitive lungs can filter out their favorite candy from this Halloween grab bag of ingredients.

But also suspended in the air is a host of minor and major pollutants, including pollen, dust, and mold. And also, there is water vapor in the air, and that causes a problem.

The problem with humidity

Humidity over 70% supports and carries a whole boatload of allergens, irritants, and contaminants. It carries more pollen, more dust, more smoke, and of course, more mold. All of these wreak havoc on your lungs, making them work harder in an effort to reject them.

Individuals with asthma know that humidity means asthma attacks because of these pollutants and irritants.

Humidity makes these problems worse, so we work to keep it at an acceptable level, usually no higher than 60%

Relative humidity, defined

But what is relative humidity?

Well it turns out that air can hold different amounts of water at different temperatures. The warmer the air is the more water that it can hold. Colder air can hold less water vapor.

So the word “relative”  doesn’t mean it is compared to other times, it means that the humidity is compared to other temperatures.

So a “relative humidity” of 60% can feel quite different, and represent different amounts of water vapor in the air, based on the actual temperature.

A relative humidity of 60% when it is 60 degrees is very different from a relative humidity of 60% when it is 90 degrees. It represents far more actual vapor in the air at the warmer temperatures.

Of course, since indoor temperatures are usually highly regulated, this doesn’t mean too much of a difference inside, but whenever the inside air feels humid, you should grow concerned about the presence of mold and other contaminants.

Have a wet basement? Building a new property and want the Foundation dry? Call Mar-Flex Waterproofing Solutions.

Builders employ a wide range of methods to keep their foundation safe. Experienced construction designers know that a dry foundation is necessary for creating a building that will be problem-free for generations.

There are lots of ways to achieve the goal of keeping your foundation dry. A rare but effective method of building a foundation that also helps keep it dry in certain soils is to create a raft foundation.

When should you choose a raft foundation

A raft foundation is not always the best foundation choice. Under most normal soil conditions, a regular poured foundation will be suitable for construction of even the tallest building.

If, however, you are building on weak soil that might give way under the full weight of your building, a raft foundation is the right answer.

It works in these conditions because the raft foundation is one large, flat surface on which you place the entire building. The flat, open surface of the “raft” or mat works to distribute the weight over the entire surface of the foundation. By doing this, the weight on any one given spot is reduced.

By distributing this weight evenly, no one spot carries a great weight. Instead, the building weight is distributed and thus it is less prone to shift, drop, or settle.

What is a raft foundation, exactly?

The raft foundation works as the name implies. Think of a raft of the sort you might use to escape from a desert island. It is a flat surface upon which everything else is built.

It is not like a building constructed on pilings, footings or columns of wood or concrete which only make contact on certain points of the surface below.

The flat surface is its own full surface to build on, but not to drill through or otherwise breach.

It lays on the excavated flat surface at the base of the building site. Once it is waterproofed and poured into place, everything else is constructed on top of it.

A raft foundation doesn’t float, and for this reason it’s best to think of it as a mat foundation, in that it lays there, and everything else happens on top of it.

A raft foundation is not necessarily used for the purpose of waterproofing, though it also comes up in waterproofing conversations. The point of choosing this foundation type is to create the safest, most secure foundation on loose soil.

There is no doubt that this era of COVID and quarantine has raised the bar for the expectation of employee safety. Where previously employers had a responsibility to keep their workers safe from those on-site dangers that could be seen and anticipated, suddenly they had a new enemy.

Our employees and our productivity are now threatened by viruses that are invisible and can be passed before the carrier shows symptoms.

It is more important than ever to invest in employees’ safety from contagious diseases, and to find reliable providers of the PPE (personal protective equipment) they need to get safely through the day.

Keep employees safe from airborne COVID-19

Many companies found themselves in a competition for PPE when the quarantine started and the virus challenged our productivity and supply lines. Mar-Flex now has a range of options for protecting your employees with their new PPE offerings.

Mar-Flex offers a full range of personal protective equipment to keep your employees safe during COVID-19 and in other similar situations.

First, Mar-Flex offers masks, in order to protect employees and customers from airborne particles. In addition to stopping COVID, these masks have been shown to reduce the transmission of the flu and colds, meaning that investing in masks will help overall attendance and productivity.

A variety of designs are available, so employees can demonstrate personality while protecting everyone at the site.

In some situations, employees might risk contact with water droplets from infected people. In those cases, face shields are the necessary equipment. These keep employees safe from the spread of communicable diseases while allowing them to talk freely. Where masks might slip off during conversations, face shields remain in place.

Ensure safety with other PPE

Of course, airborne droplets are not the only concern we have for our employees and customers. We additionally need to protect them from surface contact with COVID and other communicable viruses.

For a variety of applications, Mar-Flex offers gloves. These can be used when your employees need to touch materials that might cause skin irritation, but where your employees still need the full function of their fingers for detail work.

These gloves are also handy for people who work with mail or other materials that come from an unknown source. Multiple contaminants might show up on envelopes and other external items, so surgical style gloves offer a level of safety and security.

Helping your employees feel safe is part of the optimal experience that keeps workers safe and feeling valued.

Finally, for every potential application, they offer hand sanitizer for office or construction site usage. Your employees and your guests will benefit from an abundance of hand sanitizer on countertops and in other common spaces.

Hand sanitizer remains an important part of your defense against the spread of communicable disease in your worksite.

Be prepared this winter and spring so your employees stay safe and productive.

Waterproofing a concrete foundation is a job best left to professionals, or to be attempted only by the most confident and accomplished do-it-yourselfer.

If you are in this second category, this guide can help you understand what you are up against and make the decision to do it or to hire the work out to a company like Mar-Flex.

Waterproofing or Dampproofing?

First you must understand whether the work you are doing is waterproofing or damp proofing.

• Will there be a great deal of exterior  ground pressure on the outside of the foundation and/or is the foundation submerged below ground?
• Is the space on the interior side of the wall to be used, either for storage or habitation / work?

If the answers to these questions are “yes”, then you are waterproofing, and your work is more rigorous than merely dampproofing.

Waterproofing Process

First, full expose as much of the external foundation as you can. This is easiest with new construction, of course, but even with an established building, care must be taken to reach the whole concrete side of the structure.

Then, patch any holes, chips or cracks with a commercial-grade mastic or cement patching mix.

Once that dries, clear the surface of any dirt or debris.

When the surface is dry and clean, treat it fully with a commercial grade waterproofing sealant. Be sure to wear appropriate protection for this process, including an appropriate mask to prevent breathing fumes.

When this surface dries a final time, apply an external waterproofing barrier. This final barrier might look like fabric, but it should be a product similar to GeoMat or ShockWave. These specially-made barriers are constructed to direct water away from the foundation of your home.

Once this is properly installed and inspected, begin the careful backfill of rock and soil around your home. Fill until you reach the level of your rainwater management system.

At the appropriate level, install a below-ground drainage system. This can be as simple as a french drain that will help capture water below the surface and direct it into your rainwater system and safely away from your home.

Enjoying your dry space !

Waterproofing the exterior of your home can last a lifetime. In fact, some Mar-flex products have guarantees that stretch as long as a lifetime when verified as being properly installed by a Mar-flex approved applicator on a residential application.

Some things change, and in 2020 that seems more true than ever.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to keep your basement dry. While you can always clean up after flooding and drainage issues, it is far better to avoid them in the first place.

But as a homeowner you will want to anticipate those costs to better budget your money and your time, and place a value on the investments you have made.

Using the general guidelines below will help you make the right choice for your situation.

Residential basement waterproofing costs vary by region. For this article we have referenced averages in the Cincinnati metro area and the Mason suburban region, for people in southwest Ohio looking for this information.

Individual situations will vary, of course, based on a variety of factors including the cause of the water infiltration, the setting of the house, the condition of the foundation, and more.

General Costs of Basement Waterfproofing in Cincinnati

Full basement waterproofing in Cincinnati averages $7,518. The typical range for this work falls between $4,000 and $12,000 with some projects costing nearly $20,000.

Of course there are lots of options here, including how completely watersealed the final work is. The full treatment can include digging out around the outside of the foundation, laying external waterproofing membranes, filling cracks, backfilling, drains and more.

A less comprehensive solution, perhaps one focusing on individual cracks and internal waterproof or moisture-proof paint will of course be cheaper by a magnitude.

General Costs of Basement Waterfproofing in Lebanon, Ohio

Even as far north as Lebanon, these same average costs hold up. It can be helpful to think of the projects in terms of the square footage.

Full waterproofing can average out to between $5 and $10 per square foot of your basement. If this is cost-prohibitive there is one acceptable alternative.

Perhaps your problem is more about moisture than water. In that case, you can hire someone to take a range of moisture-proofing steps that will economize, eventually costing between $3 and $6 per square foot.

Of course, you need to match the solution to your situation. If you’re finding standing water, a reputable company will not let you merely moisture-proof your basement. It would be a waste of time, and they would be back after the next major water event to make larger repairs.

When talking about moisture, mold, and all the problems that come with a wet basement, it is important to match the solution to the problem.

As always, Mar-Flex solutions are available to help you find the right solution for your southwest Ohio basement.