Basement Construction

By Roger Frost

A basement is an area below the first floor with a minimum height of 6 feet 8 inches. Basements may be unfinished or finished, and used to store personal belongings, house mechanical systems such as the HVAC system, electrical panel, and main plumbing controls. Many basements provide added living space, including bedrooms, bath, recreation rooms.

Basements are typically the area of a structure most at risk for water damage because they are located below grade and surrounded by soil. Soil releases water it has absorbed during rain or when snow melts, and the water can end up in the basement through leaks or cracks.

The roof on your home can collect over 600 gallons per 1000 square feet after 1 inch of rain has fallen. Install and maintain gutters and downspouts so that they route all rainwater and snow melt far enough away from the foundation of the building to ensure that pooling does not occur near the walls of the structure. At least 10 feet from the building is best, and at the point where water leaves the downspout, it should be able to flow freely away from the foundation instead of back toward it, and should not be collecting in pools.

One of the most important parts of your homes defense system is the weeping tile and sump pump combination. Weeping tile pipe is placed against and level to the bottom of the foundation footing. Once the weeping tile pipe is completely installed, coarse gravel is placed on top and level with the top of the footing. Any water build up is captured by the weeping tile and carried to the sump pit where it is pumped away from your home.

Newer homes basements are typically protected using a black dimpled product which is attached to perimeter of basement walls. Most home owners think this is a water proofing barrier designed to keep water away from their foundation. The wrap is actually designed to allow water to quickly drain down void, created by the dimples, and enter weeping tile. This prevents any hydraulic water build up against concrete prevent water intrusion.

Sump pumps are usually electric and battery backups are common in homes which have high water tables. The two most common types of sump pump are the standup type and submersible sump pump. A sump pump is a pump placed in the basement of a home used to pump water from the basement to the outside or drain into the home's drainage system. Sump pumps usually work in conjunction with a sump pit, which is a hole dug in the basement of a house which collects water during a rainstorm. The pump then pumps the water out of that sump pit.. A sump pump is usually necessary either in cases where the home's basement is below the water table level, and or when the home is located in a place where flooding is common.

About the Author:

Learn more about Foundation Defects in Barrie ON. Information on the Home Inspection Process in Barrie ON by the Barrie Home Inspector.

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How To Build Your Basement

By Brent Rowe

Remember, when you're adding a bedroom to your home or basement, you have to keep certain requirements in mind: Minimum width of opening: 20 in., Minimum height of opening: 24 in., Minimum net clear opening: 5.7 sq. ft. (5.0 sq. ft. for ground floor). Maximum sill height above floor: 44 in.

Basement egress windows have special requirements. Since you're below ground, you have to make sure that the window can still fully open without obstruction. Make sure the basement window well has enough area to move around in and if the well is especially deep, make sure you have a ladder attached to it for an easy getaway. Also, if the well is under a deck, make sure there is enough space between the deck and the window. In other words, give yourself enough room to escape. These specialty windows don't do anybody any good if there are other exterior obstacles that may end up trapping you.

In British English the word "basement" is used for underground floors of, for example, department stores but is used for a space below the ground floor of a house only when it is habitable, with windows and (usually) its own access. The word cellar is used to apply to any such large underground room. Subcellar is a cellar that lies further underneath.

If the walkout is not covered and is open to rainfall or water penetration, then a drain provision is needed at the bottom of the walkout stairway. Sometimes, there is a drainage grate or track in front of the tread of the door. Rainfall and snow can fill up an open walkout that has drainage problems. Overflowing gutters may also deposit a lot of water into an open walkout.

Many walkouts do not have covers. Some have one or two manufactured hinged doors. While performing the exterior inspection, check the cover or doors. If it's locked, you'll have to delay your inspection until you can get into the basement to unlock it. Check for damage, rust, rot, hinge condition, the surface condition of the cover or door, and how well it operates. Once open, a manufactured door over a bulkhead walkout should stay and remain open by itself. Check to see if this safety feature is present. If it is not, you may report it as a concern.

This first unfinished design, found principally in spaces larger than the traditional cellar, is common in residences throughout America and Canada. One usually finds within it a water heater, various pipes running along the ceiling and downwards to the floor, and sometimes a workbench, a freezer or refrigerator, or a washer/dryer set. Boxes of various materials, and objects unneeded in the rest of the house, are also often stored there; in this regard, the unfinished basement takes the place both of the cellar and of the attic. Home workshops are often located in the basement, since sawdust, metal chips, and other mess or noise are less of a nuisance there. The basement can contain all of these objects and still be considered to be "unfinished," as they are either mostly or entirely functional in purpose.

Finished basements are always suspect for water and moisture problems which can sometimes be hidden from view. The Barrie Home Inspector uses moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras to detect otherwise hidden moisture issues.

About the Author:

Learn more about The Barrie Home Inspector. Stop by the Barrie Real Estate Inspectors site where you can find out all about Barrie Real Estate Agents and what they can do for you.

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Which Are The Main Sources Of A Moist Basement

By Vernon M. Baldanis

In case your cellar is generally wet, and you would like to turn it into a dry, welcoming room to utilize for several functions, first you must remove the origin of the dampness. This can be complicated, it might not be simple and easy to notice, if perhaps you don't know where you should look. So, here are several ideas.

Breaches in the support of the house. Especially if the house is really old, or even in a new household, breaches may take place at the foundation level. Clearly, moisture could eventually infiltrate through those breaches. Even worse, the breaks can stretch if the water inside them freezes, and may even lead to other complications.

Leaky roofing. In the event that your gutter are inadequately fitted, water will spill over the sides, creating small puddles in the vicinity of the house. That water can imbed into your basement and it is a pretty good chance which is your wet basement trouble.

Leaking pipe joints. Specially if the flooring of your cellar is waterproof, water leaking from particular piping might accumulate on the ground. You could end up with a massive amount water in the basement because of this. The very best remedy in this case is to mend or change that pipe.

Condensation. This can be quite a popular situation that leads to a moist basement, with a musty smell. When heated air comes in contact with the cold wall structure and flooring of the basement, moisture build-up or condensation happens. Fortunately, a problem similar to this is rather simple to take care of. Get yourself a dehumidifier. Also, you may install a ventilation system, or keep the present ventilation of the cellar at its highest possible.

Mice, rats, moles etc. Different small mammals or insects may dig holes within the support, or the house walls. Or, they could build their burrows in the vicinity of your house, creating a net of channels which could favor the water in finding its route into your cellar. In this case, pest elimination may be one of several options which you must fit on your check-list.

Draining. Clearly, a drainage set-up is supposed to take away water from a certain enclosure. Nevertheless in the event that your cellar is actually gifted with a down, or horizontal drain, water may also come in through there. So, you may want to have your drainage system examined before proceeding with the hydro-isolation of the basement.

Water streams and rivers. In the event that there's a body of water in close proximity to your home, when it flows over the structure of the soil may alter and moisture can be redirected towards your household. Altering the course of a river, directing it away from the home, might not be an awful choice in this case. Also, underground water streams might find one way towards your cellar. Due to this, you will almost certainly have to drill down a number of channels in the vicinity of the household to reroute the water.

About the Author:

A good alternative to keep water from infiltrating into your basement is waterproofing. Find out more, here: basement waterproofing.

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Six Tips on How to Build a Basement Bar in Your Home

Many of you may have a little basement in your home. Some use it as their laundry area. Some use it as their mini gym. Others use it as an extension room for house guests. But what if none of these ideas draw your attention? Yet you cannot get over the fact that your basement is not being used to its maximum potential.

Then you realized that whenever you have huge celebrations at home, your living room is just not enough. Then you start thinking why not convert your vacuous basement into a bar? Bingo! So here are a few tips for you on how to build a basement bar in your home.

1. Visualize - Visualize your idea of a basement bar in your mind. This should be a good starting point on how to build a basement bar. Before anything else, you got to imagine how it is going to look like. Draw it on a sheet of paper. Go down to your basement and figure out which corner you want to put the bar.

Estimating the Cost of Building a Basement

2. The Plan - Make a basement bar checklist. After you got a basement drawing in your sketch pad, you should be able to imagine the materials and tools to use in setting it up. Other than wood, you should be able to see things like electrical wiring, lighting fixtures, framing, plumbing, and all other things you can see through in your sketch.

3. Inspiration - Check out your friends' basement bars. Supposing you still do not have a clear view of what needs to consider in this project. You may want to visit your friends who have basement bars. And do not ever forget to ask them pointers in how to build a basement bar. That is probably one of the most reliable help you could get. For sure, your friends would be more than willing to share their experience.

How to Build Muscle in Your Basement

4. Basement Bar Photos - Check out home design magazines. This medium is another source of ideas in how to build a basement bar. The thing is that your plans of realizing this project only happens when you have your concept clear. These types of magazines help you imagine what you hope to achieve with your basement bar because they show pictures. This is a big advantage especially if your grades in art class were very low.

5. The Right Materials - Materials to use. Yes of course you got to know this. In the planning stage, materials and labor cost are usually what determines a project's cost. At this point, it is not enough to just know the basics how to build a basement bar. Extra knowledge is a very important factor as well.

Steps to Make When Building a Basement Wine Cellar

6. Supplies and equipment. Common sense and experience will tell you that when you see a bar, there is always liquor and most often music. Although this can be thought of in details when your bar is almost finished, it may help to include this in your preparations. Maybe know a little bit about what brand of wine, brandy, or whatever liquor you know that can suit your taste.

Perhaps your preference has a lot to do with the mood you set in your bar. Then of course knowing a little bit about music equipment can lead you to understand what type of speakers you need to install. Acoustic insulation is also a consideration if you want music piped in to your basement bar.

Now that you have the design plan listed out for your little project, it is time to work on it. The good thing about this is that you can do it yourself. If you have no background in carpentry or interior designing, this is a good time to learn. Then maybe, in the future, you might want to share your experience. You might want to return the favor by giving your personal tips on how to build a basement bar.

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Think About Adding a Basement Playroom When Building a New House

Whether you have an existing basement or planning to build a new basement in your property the question of a basement sump to protect the space is an important one. The basement sump can be retrofitted to your existing basement and easily planned into new build. Professional advice on sump pump placement is recommended. Below is a few questions and answers to get you on the right track:

Q. What size of chamber is need for my sump pumps?

A. Depends on the size and layout of your basement. The usual rule of thumb is one basement sump for 40-50 linear metres of the space but what is absolutely critical is the ability to get the water that is getting in to the basement into the chamber!

A good way of doing this is to use a internal channel which sits at where the wall meets the floor and use the channel to direct water into the chamber. In terms of size the bigger the chamber the better so I would not go less than a box of 600mm x 600mm of concrete. There are many packaged pumping stations suitable for removing the water with varying sizes of pumps. Call the manufacturer to get advice but first they will want to know how far you have to pump the water. This is known as "head" of water.

Q. Can I put other other services such as a washing machine or sink into my water sump?

A. Yes but you will need to check with the basement pumps manufacturer to select the appropriate pump for the job. The problems with combining different water sources in the basement sump can be the residue that washing machines etc can introduce to the sump chamber. This can impede the float switch from operating and cause cause problems for your basement pumps.

Look at the pump itself, Does it have what are called tear drop floats? This kind of float switch works well in combined basement sump systems and vertical float switches used for pure water are usually not suitable. An important point to raise here is added maintenance required for combined systems, make sure you are aware of the implications of adding sinks and showers etc to your basement sump.

The last thing you need a combined system causing basement flooding. Some people have been known to combine sewerage into chambers without consulting professional beforehand. This makes things a million times worse should the system block and overflow. (for the obvious reasons.!) I would definitely advise having a different sump pit for this.

Q. Can I get away with not having a Basement Sump?

A. Its the million dollar question. The amount of times I have received a panic call when water which was not present before suddenly is coming into a basement never ceases to amaze me. I parallel putting a sump pump into the basement systems scheme as the same as putting a pump into the bottom of a boat. Sure, you expect the boat to still perform but if it does leak if only a bit the pump will remove water faster than it is coming in.

The same with a basement sump. In an ideal world you would hope your basement to be always dry. Why would you then take the risk of not putting in a sump when you can. It is small investment to initially and could save you big style in the long run. I have specified packaged pumping stations for this purpose for many years yet people take the idea and try to reduce costs by putting in a small sump pump.

I have even seen header tanks substituted for a proper basement sump which are even smaller than the height of the pump. The result an pump sticking out of your floor like a periscope on a submarine. You will be pleasantly surprised at the vast range now available when you are in the market to buy sump pump products. Different size lids which can accept all manner of floor finishes allow for discreet and professional placement of units.

Q. Ok I am convinced I need to buy. Sump Price How much do I need to spend?

A. Like everything in life you get what you pay for. You will find a vast array of basement sump products available on the internet or at your local builders merchant. Many cheaper submersible water pumps are available to the end client but they may not have the sufficient "head" to pump up and out of your basement.

Some of these pumps are made from plastic and they do not conduct heat that well, if they are going to be used a lot this can cause overheating and failure. I would be advice looking at a robust stainless steel housing as a minimum with a either cast iron or moulded plastic base as a standard. So price-wise you will be looking for a pump around £200 minimum.

Q. What happens if I get a power cut. Is there protection available? A. Your basement sump systems totally relies on mains power to operate effectively. When are you most likely to get a power cut? The answer is in a severe storm situation and this is when your sump pump unit is most likely to be tested.

So, I would always recommend using two pumps in your sump chamber and a battery back up system should the power fail. Talk to your supplier here as the quality of battery back up options vary tremendously. Make sure the duty rate you are getting of mains is replicated with the quality of your battery back up system.

hopefully you have now a list of questions to assist in your basement sump choice.
For specification of the right system you cannot go past the expertise of a quality sump pump supplier. I would even go as far as to get a qualified sump pump installer to perform the installation as they can then offer you an ongoing maintenance contract which is critical to make sure your pump works when it is needed.

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