The size of a sump pump is not the determining factor when choosing or replacing a pump. There are many models out there, some are simple and compact and others offer many features and come in a larger size. Sump pumps are designed to keep water off the basement floor and away from the foundation. These pumps can be installed for various reasons, such as poor construction, age deterioration, and land erosion. Regional slope of the land and waterfall frequency determines how many gallons per minute or gallons per hour you’ll need to pump in order to remove the water quickly. A standard 1/3 horse power pump or a 110 volt pump will work for almost any home. Size is determined by the pump’s capacity to push water into a pipe and away from the foundation. If your pumps capacity is 3,000 gallons per hour, it should work.

Concrete, like most other construction materials, will expand and contract with moisture and temperature changes. These changes are referred to as volume changes. Volume changes produce cracks in hardened concrete, unless you can properly control them. These cracks will lead to structural damage over time, that’s not only expensive to repair, but can permanently damage your home. Making provisions for these changes are the only way to control the extent of the damage, and this can be done with concrete control joints, installed at predetermined locations. Concrete control joints eliminate random surface cracks and their ability to form. This is done by gathering, distributing, and dissipating stress forces resulting from variations in climate and environment. Mar-flex’s Control Joint System is designed to ensure optimum protection, with a watertight outside control-joint, which is created when filled with Mar-flex Waterstop Elastomeric Sealant and protected by Mar-flex Fiberglass Fabric Reinforcement. Our control joint system provides an economical, easy to use system for eliminating these cracks, which are unavoidable, uncontrollable, unsightly, and will eventually leak water, if you don’t install control joints to combat the problem.

When moisture builds up in your basement, it causes costly water damage and structural degrading, both expensive repairs. In order to avoid this, there are few simple steps you can follow. First, assure that water flows away from your home, not toward it. This is caused by landscaping that is sloped towards your basement, instead of away from it. Also, every home needs an efficient system which collects rain water and melted snow. This is why downspouts and gutters are important, if you already have them installed, ensure they are always free of clutter and debris. Another easy step is to apply water resistant paint to your basement walls. Moisture and condensation collect on walls, causing water damage. This can be prevented by applying waterproofing paint to all basement walls. Dehumidifiers are another critical tool. Dehumidifiers are extremely valuable tools when you need to get rid of excess moisture in your structure. Laying down rocks or gravel around the outside of your basement will help with moisture, because gravel is effective at reducing moisture accumulation and is cheap. Make sure to also insulate any pipes running through your basement, especially water pipes. Another common culprit of basement moisture are basement windows. To stop this from happening, install basement window wells and fill the bottom of them with gravel and pebbles. If you have a large basement, and you dry clothes in it, you shouldn’t. Drying clothes by hanging causes an area’s humidity and moisture levels to rise, so dry clothing on clotheslines outside or in a dryer. Appliances also cause moisture problems, so make sure your washer and dryer are properly connected, and that your dryer vents to the outside of your home. Finally, install exhaust fans in your basement bathroom will help with humidity, removing excess moisture, and even improves ventilation.

Window wells are important for any finished basement, and essential if you plan to make your basement a habitable space. Window wells allow more natural light and fresh air into your basement than regular basement windows, and they even add beauty to your structure. Mar-flex’s Egress Window Wells even allow a means for an expedient and safe exit in case of emergencies. Mar-flex manufactures window wells that are of the utmost quality and are the product of years of research and design. Mar-flex even offers each window well in a polyethylene material, so they won’t rust or dent like regular window wells.

Using waterproof paint in your basement is not only good for keeping moisture out, its good for eliminating the possibility of mildew. Basement waterproofing paint keeps moisture from getting in through the walls, so this makes it nearly impossible for mildew to grow in the area. Even if your basement is still dark, the absence of moisture will prevent mildew from growing.

Mar-flex offers the membranes, drainage boards, and drainage pipes to complete any job with a focus on quality, durability, and longevity. Mar-flex also offers everything you need to spray-on our membranes, from space-saving pumps to spray nozzles, hoses, and accessories. Check out Mar-flex’s line of the finest spray equipment in the industry.

Damp basement flooring in conjunction with organic flooring, such as wood, is a breeding ground for mold. This mold causes a musty smell, and releases harmful airborne contaminants. So instead of using wood in your basement, use inorganic carpet tiles, vinyl, or false flooring. Since organic material is food for mold, choose carpet tiles made up of inorganic materials. Options exist that can be individually removed for cleaning purposes, and at the same time serve as a vapor barrier and insulation. Vinyl flooring is another option. With vinyl, the same flooring you may use in your kitchen is not what you’ll use in your basement. Special vinyl tiles are made which provide insulation and a vapor barrier, and these should be used. If your basement is deep enough, lay 1.5″ to 2″ polystyrene foam directly onto the basement floor. Polystyrene doesn’t rot, and it insulates against the cold. You can apply plywood on top of the polystyrene, then screw directly into concrete using fasteners. Finish this job with your choice of floor coverings.

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products offers complete basement waterproofing systems, as well as many different solutions to repair and maintain the space. One of the most important parts of any foundation/basement are proper vents and venting. Most feel that the foundation walls, once back-filled, aren’t anything to worry about until they develop issues. Vortex vent systems, by Mar-flex, are the most durable, versatile, and quality foundation vent solutions in the marketplace. Vortex vents are the only adjustable vents in the marketplace, able to fit any job, without the hassle of storing many different sized vents. Choose Mar-flex for the best quality vents in the industry.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to each type of waterproofing, so you must consider all factors before considering which type to apply to your structure. Regardless of which type you decide to apply to your structure, you must repair any cracks or holes in the foundation walls. The repair of basement cracks is time consuming and complicated, so if you need help, contact a foundation repair company.

When you apply exterior basement waterproofing, you must use skin shielding. This skin is placed over the exterior basement wall after waterproofing paint has been applied. The skin acts as a barrier between cool soil and excess water. Skins are rubberized and possess a honeycomb design. Both interior and exterior waterproofing solutions use waterproofing paint. The paint is applied like any other paint, and is typically latex and doesn’t allow water to adhere to it, or degrade it over time. Exterior paint is more durable due to constant bombardment of moisture and rain. Any basement in a wet environment needs to have water drainage capabilities. There are many ways to implement drainage, even simple things like drainage pipes and downspouts help. Another way is dig a trench at the base of the exterior wall and placing a drain pipe inside the trench and have it connect to the exterior plumbing line. This keeps water away from the concrete foundation and out of the basement. On the exterior, the water sock is a common choice among builders. Water socks are round pieces of absorbent materials wrapped in mesh. Land around your home is then excavated to the base of the foundation. A trench is dug in and filled with inches of sand. Water socks are then placed and set in the sand, then covered with gravel. Then the socks soak up water and slowly let it drain into the property, instead of the rain saturating the grounds.

Every home settles over time, causing overload, which leads to the formation of cracks in foundation and concrete walls. When you find these cracks, its important to repair them while they are still a minor problem. This is because eventually these problems will expand, and demand an extremely expensive structural repair. Crack injection is the most widely used method for repairing these cracks. This is because crack injection is cost-effective, reliable, and permanent.

Mar-flex is an industry leader in concrete repair products, all made from epoxy which is superior to other crack injection products. This is because epoxy adheres to concrete, allowing for further expansion and contraction, all the while stopping water from eroding concrete any further, and forming and maintaining a seal.

Check out Mar-flex’s crack injection solutions today!