Mar-flex Waterproofing & Building Products offers the best spray-on membranes in the entire industry. Along with our great membranes, we offer the means to apply them simply and properly. We have a comprehensive selection of spray-on equipment, accessories, and anything else you need to complete the job. Spray equipment is economically priced, durable, and tested for efficiency. From our reliable pumps to all the little accessories you need, choose Mar-flex for your next build!

Battery backup sump pumps can be your only line of defense against water damage in situations where your main pump breaks down, or you are caught in a violent weather event such as a hurricane, without electricity. Its just as powerful as your main pump, but will turn on automatically under the right circumstances. It isn’t recommended to use battery backup pumps for extended periods of time, as the battery will need replacing eventually. Here a few steps to properly operate your backup pump.

Know How Your Sump Pump is Powered. Battery backup pumps are the contingency plan in the event the main pump breaks down or can’t handle increasing amounts of water. Most devices automatically turn on in these circumstances, but older models may not have this technology. Check your owner’s manual to see if your backup pump is automatic, and if not, learn how to activate it. Most battery pumps can also be powered by AC while used as a supporting pump when the main unit is being overcome with water, and it shouldn’t discharge its battery while on AC power.

Be safe around electricity. Never walk on wet floors without turning the power off first. If you can’t get to your shutoff, because its in your wet basement, call an electrician immediately. Never let your pump become exposed to snow or rain, for increased electrical safety. When you remove the plug from the socket, tug on the plug, and never on the cord. Pulling on electrical cords can result in sparks. Also, avoid using extension cords. Secondly, don’t use any attachments that aren’t recommended by the manufacturer, because this may cause fire or shock. If your sump pump has a computer control box, don’t operate it in the event it becomes damaged. Also, never handle your unit if your hands are wet, as you run the risk of electrocution. Be sure all plugs and batteries are disconnected and the power is completely off before cleaning and performing maintenance of your pump.

Choose a battery. Before letting your backup pump go on its own, ensure it has a fully charged battery. A car or marine battery isn’t ideal as both of these batteries require occasional use to work when you need them to. Many pumps have batteries that are guaranteed to lose no charge due to lack of use.

Turn it on, then let it go. New models of the backup pumps will automatically turn on when they are needed. Make sure if your unit doesn’t have this feature, that you turn your unit on when it is needed. Many of the backup models that don’t automatically turn on feature a smoke alarm style feature that rings a loud warning when its time to turn the pump on.

Following these steps will ensure that your battery backup pump installation is not only easy, but safe.

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products is the leading innovator in the waterproofing industry, with such manufacturing achievements as designing the world’s first 100% recycled drainage board – Geo-Mat! You can find all of our specification on our website, provided by our friends at ARCAT, or you can download the Mar-flex Android Phone app, SpecMaster. If you have questions about our products you can contact us by visiting our website and utilizing our chat tool, email us at [email protected], or call us at (800) 498-1411. When you are looking for quality products for you next job, trust Mar-flex’s reputation for quality manufacturing and excellent customer service!

Basement dehumidifiers are an invaluable tool in the fight against moisture penetration and mold propagation. Dehumidifiers work to reduce the amount of moisture in the air, at the lowest level of your home. This is sometimes necessary and for a number of reasons. Among these, using a dehumidifier in your basement will improve the quality of air, reduce moisture, lower your energy bill, fight against insects, and its convenient. There are many types of basement dehumidifiers, made in different sizes and serving different functions depending on how you need them to work.

Installing a basement dehumidifier isn’t difficult, many are made to be portable, so you just have to plug it in and turn it on. If moisture is allowed to build up in your home, over time it will damage drywall, structural wood, carpets, and paint. Moisture reduction is the second most popular reason to buy a dehumidifier. This reduction diminishes the need to run the air conditioning as much during the summer months. This leads directly to increased energy savings. Lastly, overall reductions in moisture improves air quality in any structure.

Basement dehumidifiers are differentiated in terms of size and function. The basic size difference is between portable units and whole home models. Whereas the portable units are meant to remove moisture from individual rooms, whole home models do just as their name implies, reduce moisture over an entire living space. Whole house models are quite a bit larger and are made from durable materials like stainless steel, while portable units are made of plastic and feature a removable bucket that collects moisture out of the air.

If you have moisture issues, insect infestation, other water-related troubles, or you just want to save on energy costs, install a dehumidifier today!

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products offers quality products that you can find on new builds nationwide. Contractors love Mar-flex, because of the in-depth cross-trained support team, unparalleled product quality, and easy to use website and all the product information they need. See why our products are popular country-wide by visiting our Distributors portal to find out where Mar-flex products are offered near you. If you need any further assistance you can contact our professional and courteous service department through several means. The newest method of contacting us is to use the new website chat tool, simply visit our website and you’ll be invited to talk to our product experts. Also, you can contact Mar-flex by email at [email protected] or by calling us (800) 498-1411.

Whenever you find a leak in your basement wall, its a serious issue that will lead to major problems if not repaired. Not only will the dampness damage any possessions of yours, but the standing or leaking water is also a health hazard. Taking the time to fix the leak early on means the job will be easier and less expensive.

The first step to take is to locate the leak. The source of a leak is not necessarily the same place you may have found water. Trace the water back until you find a point where it emerges from the wall. Be thorough, because there is often more than one entry point. Once you find the problem area, use a hammer and chisel to carefully open up any cracks or voids and inspect them for extensive damage and holes. Remember that the cracks visible on your wall are not the complete extent of the damage, so if you try to just patch over it, water will find another place to go, leaving you more problems in the future.

Once you have inspected the crack, use a small brush to get rid of any loose debris in the crack. Use a can of compressed air to clean everything up.

For this next step, put on protective equipment. Mix hydraulic cement into a bucket as per instructions on the packet. Apply the newly mixed cement into the crack, making sure you press it in as far as possible. You can also use small pieces of stone or even hardened cement to help fill the gap. For best results you need to use the hydraulic cement within 10-15 minutes of mixing it so you need to work quickly and thoroughly. Using a mortar trowel with this step will allow you to obtain a clean and flat finish to the wall. Finally, leave the cement to cure.

Now that the crack in your wall is dealt with, you need to apply a waterproof sealant to protect against future damage. These sealant should be applied to a wet or damp wall, and will need to dry completely before applying a second coat.

After following all of our steps, your basement is repaired and waterproofed, and so you will want to make sure it stays in the best condition possible. Check around the outside of your home for gutter problems or drainage run-offs that accumulate against the side of the house. If you have a concrete slab or driveway next to your home, make sure its sloped away from the house. In fact, its recommended to have a 1 inch slope for every 10 feet of concrete slab.

Window wells are an extremely important part of any habitable basement space. Window wells function beyond simple basement windows, they allow more natural light and fresh air into the basement, and add beauty to the outside of the structure. Mar-flex’s Egress Window Wells even allow for a quick and safe exit in the event of an emergency. Egress windows are required for any below-grade habitable space so choose the best window wells in the industry, Mar-flex Egress Window Wells.

Over the lifetime of any structure settling will occur, producing cracks in the foundation wall and basement floor. These cracks are further affected by hydrostatic pressure and moisture penetration. Over time, they will contribute to the degradation of the structure, causing serious damage and major issues. If you find several crack in your basement floor, you should use a concrete floor filler. This is a product that can be purchased at hardware/home improvement stores. This floor filler fills in the gaps in concrete easily, because it is similar to concrete. Concrete filler will not crack out again and it will adhere to the surface of the existing concrete. You can apply it with a trowel, or for tiny cracks, apply with a caulk gun. Mar-flex offers epoxy injection kits for foundation wall cracks and basement floor issues. Check out our selection today!

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products offers the latest in waterproofing technology, as well as the reliable and affordable products the company has come to be known for. Mar-flex has unveiled the new Mar-flex University Initiative. With this latest initiative, Mar-flex has partnered with well-known continuing education companies AEC Daily and Hanley Wood. Mar-flex offers coursework that will help architects and building designers attain the required yearly certifications they require, as well as informing all professionals about the latest technology and techniques. We already have several courses available and we’re working to build several more, and in the meantime you can contact us directly, whether through our website’s new customer service chat tool, email us at [email protected], or call us (800) 498-1411. We’re on hand to answer any questions you might have, and provide you with the information you need.

Interior basement waterproofing is as critical to water penetration prevention as exterior waterproofing. You will have water damage issues when there is either a build up of water leaking down into your basement, or there is a blockage in a pipe somewhere that is stopping water from going anywhere and therefore accumulating in this area. If you waterproof your basement, you should be aware that this process needs to be done regularly to maintain the basement’s protection from moisture.

The first method of waterproofing your basement interior is to install a french drain. Problems that happen outside the house have a direct result on your basement as leaks from pipes and poor drainage mean that this can get flooded. There is nothing worse than a drainage system that you knew about, but never thought to get fixed, leading to basement water damage. Installing a french drain to keep your basement dry is actually a simple process. You will just have to dig a trench in your garden and your home, then fill the trench with gravel and level it out. Then connect the trench to a drain installed in your basement. In order to reduce costs this can be done on your own.

You can also paint waterproof paint onto your basement walls for added protection. Initially, you should fill in any gaps or cracks in the wall. Once you have smoothed over any cracks, you can apply the paint along with waterproof primer and allow it to dry. This process is simple to do yourself, just remember to wear safety equipment such as a respirator, and try to increase ventilation in your basement as much as possible.

Often, your basement will flood if you have problems with the drainage system, or pipes that have become blocked. You should assure that pipes are cleared of any blockages first off and then once this is done you have to maintain it to ensure your pipes don’t get blocked again. Check out the landscape of your garden in addition, making sure there are no areas where water builds up, like landscaping that slopes toward, not away from the home. By improving your drainage system, you’ll have a much better chance of stopping problems in your home.