When setting up a waterproofing drain system, the first goal is to keep water away from the foundation. The second goal is to redirect it if it reaches the foundation. And a third, last-ditch goal, is to safely and efficiently redirect water that escapes inside.

Our efforts to create an effective drain system will focus on what happens outside of the foundation to prevent water from getting in.

Keeping water away from the foundation

The first goal is to keep water away from the foundation at all. this can be accomplished by the formation of the lot around the facility. Using sloping and shaping the soil around the foundation can help keep problems from ever forming. The foundation for this work comes from a thorough site survey that examines where water travels in the area – where it starts and where it ends up.

Sloping and soil preparation can help prevent problems from even starting.

Keeping water off the foundation

Of course, that can all happen in an ideal world. Most of us don’t have an ideal situation, where we can choose how to use a large plot of land, or where to place a new building on pristine available lots.

Instead, we are forced to use the property we have available to us, and the water situation we inherited. In this case we need to become experts in keeping water off the foundation.

This happens by carefully treating the area around the foundation of the building. The first step is preparing effective drainage solutions that redirect water to the wastewater system and away from your foundation.  The second step is placing spray-on or installed waterproofing sheets.

These products help keep the concrete beneath them dry, while efficiently directing water where you want it to go. These products, installed using seamless application techniques, will help make sure that every inch of your foundation is protected against the intrusion of water.

Experts trust Mar-Flex installers and our high quality products to keep their foundations dry, and to help water get where it needs to go. This means understanding the whole process, not just applying one solution to one spot and believing everything will be better.

Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash

In an era of rising prices, inflation has hit the housing market perhaps hardest of all. It is now more important than ever to make sure that your biggest investment is also your most protected investment.

Recently the National Association of Realtors said that a new house only spent 17 days on the market before being sold in March. Many people are sharing anecdotal stories of their houses being sold even before they’re placed on the market, and sometimes for tens of thousands of dollars more than the asking price.

It remains to be seen what will happen with a new monetary policy in place. The Federal Reserve is quickly raising rates in order to slow down the sales of homes and other related purchases, which have overheated the economy and contributed to record inflation.

But what will the impact be over time? No one knows for sure.

The fact is that even with home prices soaring and rates going up, the sales pending of new homes still increased in May.

What to do if you are buying, building, or selling

So it is definitely a seller’s market. There’s very little incentive for you to make any changes to your house in order to help it sell. Chances are it will sell for what you’re asking very quickly.

If you are buying or building though, you will want to consider whether your investment is protected against water and flooding.

Have you taken the appropriate precautions to make sure that your new home or business is protected and warrantied to stand up against the intrusion of water?

Did the company you hired, or does the company you are going to hire, use quality and proven materials that not only redirect and resist water, but add to the value of your home over time?

Did these products increase your LEED rating, helping make your total project less dependent on fossil fuels and other sorts of emissions, and will it resist the need for costly repairs and replacements down the road?

By using quality materials and quality installation from expert veteran installers, you can be sure that your investment is protected for years to come.

The costs are too high to use anything less than the best materials.

Photo by Johannes Plenio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photography-of-spiral-stair-1114883/

When it comes to waterproofing your home, business, or other property, it doesn’t pay to take chances. There are a lot of companies out there competing for your waterproofing dollars, and it can be easy to see the most expensive commercials for a national company and be taken in by their sales pitch.

But when you check under the hood you might learn that these larger companies often expand rapidly, and that means that they hire new, inexperienced people to do the work.

They back up their work with a warranty that they can underwrite with their size and their profit stream – but not necessarily with the work that they do.

And no insurance claim can replace your wedding photos, or make you well if mold has sickened you or your family.

Hire a local company with over 35 years of waterproofing experience

Experience is the best teacher. What you learn from a class or a book can be useful and accurate information, but only when you have applied that information can it truly be yours.

Using the approved materials, working in different environments, and yes, even having made mistakes in the past, helps you be the best at what you do. It is the everyday application of what was learned in class or in books that makes someone an expert, and a trusted guide.

Mar-Flex is that trusted and experienced installer that you need for your next waterproofing project.

The soil and weather are different in every part of the country, and even unique to different parts of the state. These environmental concerns create their own possibilities for mistakes that can set your project back weeks. Hiring a trusted team who is familiar with the Ohio clay and the many sudden changes in the weather – including tremendous temperature swings and extended periods of rain – will help ensure that your job is done once, done on time, and done to  meet or exceed your expectations.

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

In an era of global awareness of the impact of cman-made climate change, LEED certification for buildings remains an important marker. With buildings rated Silver, Gold, and Platinum earning accolades and space in newspapers and architecture magazines, it is easy to forget that a large number of new buildings could easily achieve LEED status.

And that LEED status – “Certified” – is still pretty darn impressive. It means that the builders took a close look at their processes and supplies, methods and means, and made wise decisions about the impact their work was having on the environment.

“Certified” is not exactly last place

But what does “Certified” mean?

According to the LEED official website, any building achieving any of the LEED status levels earned this award …

“…by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process by GBCI and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80+ points).”

And while Platinum’s lofty scores and “better than gold” status speaks to an extremely meticulous attention to detail, simply being certified is still pretty good.

LEED certification takes into account the fact that every building project is a little different. So, for instance, a new single-family home is not evaluated on the same standards as a new office building, and neither is compared against the interior redesign of an existing building.

Each LEED certification level can be downloaded as a spreadsheet from the LEED site. These exhaustive and detailed checklists help builders and planners understand every part of the LEED certification standard. Nothing is left to chance and interpretation.

Many builders are pleasantly surprised when they check these documents to discover that some existing practices and products put them on the road to certification. With careful attention to detail, and sometimes a bit more money or forethought about how to accomplish a specific goal, even a noncompliant project can make the step up to “Certified.”

With LEED certification becoming a household name, it makes sense to build every project with platinum in mind, while understanding that achieving certification is a pretty positive step for the community and the environment.

Any LEED certification is better than no LEED certification

Photo by DS stories: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-round-number-pendant-on-a-pile-of-coins-7267577/

Building a new home is an exciting time. Whether you are young and starting out a new life in a new location, or retiring and finally building your dream home, you want to make sure your investment is protected from water. It is, after all, one of the biggest and most important investments of your life.

The averages are a good place to start with making an estimate for your building. In the United States, waterproofing of existing structures typically costs between $3 and $10 per square foot. These depend on a wide range of factors including the amount of water getting in, the location of the home; and more.

However, these ranges are for houses that have already been completed.

If you are waterproofing new construction, you have the chance to save thousands of dollars by doing it right the first time.

Use cost-effective Mar-Flex products

To avoid time-consuming and expensive repairs when your house is already built, you should plan ahead. Planning your site well is an important step. Using professional grade Mar-Flex products helps make sure that you have a lifetime free from water intrusion.

First, choose a location that is generally free from standing water. Building in a swamp is possible, but it is an expensive proposition. Choosing a dryer spot gives you a head start.

Second, use landscaping and water management to your advantage. Nowhere around your foundation should be the lowest point in the landscape. Slope water away from your foundation.

Third, use various Mar-Flex products to waterproof your foundation for that water that will eventually, inevitably, get through.

One possible solution for a lifetime of protection is the Mar-Flex 5000 membrane. Seamlessly attached to your building’s foundation, it provides an extra layer of protection against water in the worst of conditions – and peace of mind in the best conditions.

It’s like a raincoat for your building’s basement.

Why take a risk during the building phase that will later cost you up to $10 a square foot to fix? Who needs the hassle of construction and water abatement … and digging around your foundation a second time?

The answer is, don’t take that risk. Build your home – and protect your biggest investment – with quality Mar-Flex waterproofing products.

Photo by Pixabay

When you are looking for a company to work with, whether repairing your home or building it, you look at many factors. Which of those factors are the most important in deciding which company to choose?

Let’s examine some of the information you might be able to find about a company. Then let’s see which is most reliable in determining whether you want to work with them in an important project and a major financial investment.

Found them in the yellow pages / internet

It might go without saying, but it is very easy to place an ad in the yellow pages or online today. In fact, many yellow pages actively seek out companies to list in order to boost their profits. And as WIX ads constantly remind us, anyone with internet access can create a professional looking website in a matter of minutes.

But can they do the job that you need done? A yellow page listing or website simply does not answer that question.

A friend’s recommendation

The most common source of a reference is word of mouth. When a friend recommends the services of someone, it carries weight. But you also need to ask yourself some questions. Did your friend have the exact same kind of work done? Is the reference just a friend of theirs who is in the business?

A reference is a decent source of information, but generally only speaks to one event or project and not their ability to do the work you need done, or to do it well.

BBB Rating

A more reputable place to seek information about a company you want to hire is the Better Business Bureau. In most communities, the BBB provides information about every business. Importantly, they also provide information about struggles that customers have had, and whether the company resolved those problems to the customer’s satisfaction.

If a company does this well, they stay in business a long time.

Longevity

One of the most important signs of a successful company is longevity. That is, how long has the company been in business doing the work you need done?

The longer a company has been in business, the clearer their qualifications are. It’s more likely that they have done work like yours, and that they have experienced employees who can solve problems and prevent issues before they impact the final project.

If you find a company that has been in business for 20 years or more, you can be sure it has the experience to do the job well, and a desire to make sure you are another satisfied customer.

Photo by Wendy Wei.

A common question that builders get involves waterproofing for buildings at the top of hills. It usually sounds a lot like this: “I’m building on top of a hill, I don’t have to worry about water, right?”

It’s a good question. We all are taught at an early age the scientific fact that water runs downhill. Water pools at the lowest point it can reach. Rivers run down, and gather in ponds, lakes, and oceans.

So, theoretically, the house at the top of the hill should need very little waterproofing.

Here’s why that’s not absolutely correct.

Water management factor: soil

First, it matters a great deal what type of substrate the structure is built on. Your builder will do a site survey that will include this information.

The soil type and soil drainage class will have a large impact on your structure’s waterproofing needs. Builders are looking for, and might bring in solutions to create, a well balanced, well drained supportive soil. This will help keep your structure dry. But it does not mean that you will not need to do waterproofing.

Water management factor: slope

Another important factor is slope. Even at the top of a hill, the slightest slope can create water pressure on the walls of your construction. In a downpour, this pressure can be pretty obvious to see and understand. However, even light rainfall spread over a wide area then collects at the first obstacle it encounters.

Your builder will work to slope the surface away from your foundation, but under the ground are unseen slopes and forces that will deliver water to the base of your project. Waterproofing is still essential.

Water management factor: pressure

We have understood water pressure for years. We have mastered it by lifting water high above our communities in water towers to create pressure in our faucets and for our showers and lawns.

These same principles apply underground. In some places, water can build up underground and seek routes to vent that pressure, and those escapes can occur a long way away from the original source. In fact, these escapes can sometimes happen uphill from the location.

We call these spots springs when they occur in nature. But when they occur at a building site, they are an expensive problem.

For these reasons (and more) it is important to waterproof carefully even if you are building at the top of a hill.

Photo by Megan Ruth