[ee-gres] – noun

-A means of place of going out; an exit

Most people are unaware of the benefits of egress solutions in structures, but Mar-flex owner Brett Oakley isn’t one of them. In 1984 Oakley was a volunteer firefighter for the then-underfunded township fire department. He had witnessed many different fires and emergencies and had become an experienced veteran. Unfortunately, one fire he arrived on was unlike any he had seen, in that he fell through the floor, landing in the basement of the home – which had quickly turned into a smoldering inferno. It was at that moment, as he lay on the basement floor, looking up at the burning structure – that he had a revelation that would change his life forever. As he got back onto his feet, he realized that, for the average homeowner, there was no way out of this situation. Luckily, Oakley was a 20 year vet, and could escape the home quickly and safely. However, after the fire all he could think of was how homeowners couldn’t escape from the same situations.

Four people will die each day in residential house fires, and many people will be trapped by tornados or other natural disasters in their basements – waiting on rescue. Your family doesn’t have to be in this situation. This is a truly sad and many times preventable, occurrence. This is why Mar-flex manufactures the highest quality, least expensive egress window solutions. Mar-flex knows in the event of an emergency you need a means to egress out of your basement, and the ability to do it safely. That’s why our windows are manufactured from high-quality heat-resistant plastics that allow for a quick escape. When your life or the lives of your family members may depend on it, why wait to install our window well solutions.

RhinoWells, StoneWells, and ModularWells are all trademarks of Mar-flex Systems incorporated, which brings innovations that keep you and your family safe. Check out our catalog today, or browse our selection right on the website. Don’t forget, our customer service representatives are standing by to answer your call, email, or to help you using our brand new webchat interface. All you must do to chat with us is to accept the invite after entering our website.

Crawl space mold is a type of fungus that grows naturally on plants and appears in areas that are humid such as bathrooms, basements, and attics. Mold spores travel through the air and when the right conditions occur, they grow fast and turn into a problem. The presence of mold indicates greater humidity levels that should be taken care of as soon as possible. Once you have taken care of the underlying causes, you will stop the fungus from spreading.

Learning to Spot Mold

The first thing to do is to identify and inspect any mold in your crawl spaces. If moisture is excessive and ventilation is poor, mold has the right conditions to grow and flourish. If the air is stuffy or a bad smell permeates the area, mold breeding has likely already begun. Ventilate the area as long as possible, then try to find mold in corners and any moist areas. Check all corners and niches, using a flashlight in your crawlspace.

The Identification

If you find mold in moist areas of your home, its important to remember the color of the mold in order to treat it in the appropriate manner. Be careful not to spread mold and especially not to breathe it in. It can cause various allergic reactions and respiratory problems if it is allowed to propagate.

If you discover that mold has already begun spreading at full speed, professional help might be required. The experts, like DryPatrol, will determine what type of mold you have and will help you fix the problem, so you can avoid it in the future.

Avoiding Appearances of Crawl Space Mold

The best way to prevent the propagation of mold and mildew is to regularly air out your basement and home. This means opening doors and windows and letting fresh air circulate throughout the structure. If this isn’t possible, you should think of other ways to go about it. You could frequently treat your crawl space with anti-fungus chlorine products or even use a humidity controller or air dryer which keeps the air dry. A useful tip is to put a barometer in your crawl space in order to keep an eye on the level of humidity. If it starts to increase, take precautions immediately, because lack of action will lead to the spreading of mold. Air out the space or turn on the dryer to minimize humidity in the crawl space.

Necessary Precautions When Attempting Treatment

Keep in mind that most anti-mold fungicides are poisonous. You should keep yourself safe at all times when attempting to use an anti-mold solution. This means not breathing in fungus spores or touching them with bare hands. Glasses, gloves, and a respirator are all mandatory. Its a good idea to purchase a full-size hazard suit so you minimize the risk of spores absorbing through your skin.

Dealing with mold on your own is not only a hassle but its extremely dangerous. For this type of job, you’ll often need to contact a professional mold remediation service. Mar-flex recommends DryPatrol, the experts at water damage restoration and mold remediation.

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products is the reputable name in innovation and invention for the waterproofing industry. With products like the ShockWave drainage board, made of 100% post-consumer recycled content, and winner of World of Concrete’s Most Innovative Product – Mar-flex sets the standard for forward thinking building professionals and homeowners. Mar-flex products can be found on new residential, multi-family, and commercial structures nationwide! Join us by offering our products and become a part of the Mar-flex Distribution Network. To get an idea of how widespread our products are, and how popular, visit our distributors portal, and you’ll find there are very few regions Mar-flex products haven’t reached yet. Become a part of our Distribution Network, and find out about the amazing benefits of offering products you can feel good about, because Mar-flex is dedicated to the Sustainability Movement and our products reflect this.

Sump pumps are some of the most effective tools in the fight against moisture penetration. This pump will pull excess water off your basement floor and push it out and away from your structure. Unfortunately, while sump pumps are excellent tools, they are usually also eyesores. If you are looking for ways to hide your sump pump from every day view, check out our guide!

Moving the Pump

If your pump is in a central location or in a path of traffic, you might want to consider moving it to a more ideal area. This will require moving both the pump and the sump pump pit. This job will probably require a professional plumber, unless the DIY expert in your home has plumbing experience. This is because moving the pump is messy, and expensive. Even little mistakes could spell disaster for the whole project, so enlist the help of a qualified professional.

Enclosing the Pump

Many people prefer to enclose the pump. However, most areas have building codes that restrict what type of enclosure you can use. Typically, codes will require  that sump pump enclosures have a maintenance door or access point so units are readily accessible for repair and maintenance. You should consult local building codes and a professional plumber before making any alterations to your pump system.

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When it comes to choosing waterproofing products, the location and type of home you own can affect which interior and exterior solutions are best for you and your situation. There are pros and cons associated with each application, and we’ll discuss several ways you can do the task as well as help you decide whether you should be using interior or exterior basement waterproofing.

Regardless of what type of waterproofing solution you choose, you must repair cracks and holes in the basement walls. Patching these can be a challenge. For interior basement waterproofing you will need to brush away loose concrete to get a decent surface. You will need to use this concrete to fill holes and cracks and then smooth it out. When you waterproof the exterior, the cracks and holes aren’t so much of an issue.

An advantage to using exterior waterproofing is skin shielding. Skin shielding is only used with exterior waterproofing. It is a skin that is placed over the exterior basement wall after waterproofing paint has been applied. The skin acts as a moisture barrier between the cool soil and the excess water. This skin is even rubberized and is manufactured in a honeycomb design.

Interior and exterior basement waterproofing will always use waterproof paint. The paint is applied like any other kind of paint, and is usually latex based. This means it doesn’t allow water to adhere to it or degrade it over time. Exterior waterproofing paint is more durable than interior paint due to the constant bombardment by moisture and rain.

Facilitating good drainage is an extremely important step when waterproofing a basement space. In order to keep the interior of the basement dry you need to install the drainage outside the home. There are many ways this can be done with the simplest being pipes like downspouts. Another way is to create a trench at the base of the exterior wall and place a drain pipe inside it, connecting it to the exterior plumbing line. This will keep water away from the concrete foundation and out of your basement.

When choosing exterior basement waterproofing, a water sock is often the choice among building professionals. The water sock is a round piece of absorbent material wrapped in mesh. The land around your home is excavated to the base of the foundation. Then, a trench is dug and filled with an inch of sand. The water sock is then placed and set in the sand and covered with gravel. This is done around the perimeter of the property and then the earth is backfilled over the water sock and leveled. When it rains, the water soaks through the ground around your home and reaches the gravel. The water then filters through the gravel and into the water sock, where its stored. Over time, the water is slowly released back into the ground, preventing an abundance of moisture that could overwhelm your waterproofing.

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If you live in an area that occasionally floods you know how important it is to have a good working sump pump. This is critical because sump pumps keep moisture from accumulating in your basement, mainly by pumping excess moisture out and away from the area. Since the pump is so important, its important to know when its time to replace it. Some of these signs include a noisy unit, it stops working, or electrical problems.

Noisy Pumps

If your pump makes a load noise the entire time it runs, either the impeller is bent or the motor is beginning to go out. Turn your unit over and remove the screen, using a screwdriver, and inspect the impeller. If it is bent, the unit needs immediate replacement.

Completely Ceases Function

If your pump doesn’t turn on, check to make sure the unit is plugged in and getting power. Also, check the breaker in the main panel box, using an electrical tester. If everything checks out, attempt to manually operate the float and see if you can get the sump pump to turn on. If that doesn’t work check the float switch with an electrical tester to make sure it shows current. If the float switch checks out okay, your motor is most likely burnt out. This means the unit will need immediate replacement.

Electrical Issues

If your unit gets power, but still doesn’t work, it may have a broken connection or wire inside. Check voltage with an electrical tester if possible. Remember, electrical problems can be dangerous, especially around water. Don’t attempt to check your pump’s electrical components unless you have taken the appropriate safety precautions, and have experience with electricity.

These are times when it is better to just replace your pump, instead of trying to fix it and having a safety issue.

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Basement mold is a common issue for homes that have damp, dark basements. Mold is a fungus, which grows quickly in moist, humid areas. Once it establishes its presence in your basement, this problem is difficult to get rid of. It can even cause serious health issues like asthma, infections, cough, rashes, congestion, and allergies. The best way to prevent mold growth is to control humidity and moisture in your basement.

The first step in controlling mold is to monitor the humidity levels of your basement. High humidity levels provide the perfect growing environment for mold. You must ensure that humidity levels within your home, especially the basement, are at an acceptable level. You can use a hygrometer to measure humidity levels, and a percentage of 45 or more is high, and conducive to mold growth.

The next step is to use a dehumidifier. If you detect high moisture levels in the basement, invest in a good quality dehumidifier. This appliance is extremely effective in keeping humidity levels at acceptable levels.

Another good idea is to avoid growing plants indoors. Plants grown in the basement provide a good diet for mold and mildew. Only grow plants in sunny, airy locations in your home. Avoid the basement for any plant growing, because cultivation in this area will add to your mold problems.

Always try to reduce congestion in your basement. Keeping your basement free of clutter will go far in the fight against mold saturation. Too many objects and storage items block the free flow of air, and reduce ventilation. Items such as clothes and books stored in the basement provide food for mold and allow it to thrive. If you don’t have an option, store minimal quantities of such items, away from direct contact with the floor or walls.

You should always avoid storing wood in your basement. Wood is another ideal habitat for mold to grow in. Never store wood in any area that isn’t open and well ventilated.

Also, you should ensure that water is directed away from your home. The boundary around your home must be sloped in such a way that snow and rain are directed away from the house. If not, water and moisture will pool around the structure, and increase moisture and leakage problems. In such a situation, mold is almost inevitable.

If you find a leak in your basement, whether from heavy rain or leaking appliance, you should take care of it immediately. Wipe the water from the area and dry it thoroughly, then use a dehumidifier and heater to accelerate the drying process. Also, investigate the requirement of further insulation for your walls.

Cold water pipes in the basement show condensation on the exterior, so they should be insulated. Insulating such pipes reduces the humidity levels in your basement. Thus preventing mold and mildew from having another source of moisture that is needed to grow.

When you are trying to prevent mold, air out stale, humid air and allow the intake of fresh air with the use of an exhaust fan. Try to open doors and windows to the basement regularly.

Avoid drying wet clothes in the basement, preventing the propagation of moisture. Make sure appliances such as dryers, stoves, heaters, and air conditioners exhaust to the outside, or else the humidity can rise significantly. Avoid carpets and wood flooring in the basement.

If you follow these simple rules, you’ll greatly reduce the chance of mold propagation in your structure.