Remodling a Water Damaged Finished Basement in Albany

Monday, December 4th, 2017 by Maigan Baer

Challenge

The finished basement of a home in Albany, NY was flooded during heavy rainfall, causing extensive damage that needed repair. The drywall was covered in black mold and was not salvagable. Cabinetry had to be removed in order to reach some of the destroyed drywall. The space was humid and musty, making it unsafe and unpleasant to be in the area. In order to prevent this from happening again in the future, a proper drainage system needed to be installed before any remodeling. After doing some research online, the homeowner found Adirondack Basement Systems and contacted us for a FREE estimate.

Solution

Our Design Specialist Jon Roz met with the homeowner to do a thorough inspection of their basement and assess the water damage. After completing the inspection he sat down with the owner to discuss what issues he found and what solutions we had to offer. Jon highly recommended the homeowner have a complete drainage system installed including a sump pump, discharge line and perimeter drain. That way, they could be at peace in the future knowing they have a top of the line system in place during the next heavy rainfall. The homeowner decided to go with the TripleSafe Sump System because it has two seperate pumps and a back up battery powered third pump to ensure that it works if the power goes out during a heavy storm. WaterGuard XL is the perimeter drain Jon recommended specifically for their basement. Since it sits on top of the footing, it won't clog with mud like exterior drain tile can. Any water that seeps through the walls is directed into this drain through weep holes and directed to the sump pump where it leaves the basement through a discharge line that runs away from the home.

Jon found that mold growth and water damage was located only at the lower part of the drywall. He proposed a solution of removing the damaged parts of the drywall and replacing it with our EverLast wall restoration panels. These panels are fully compatible with our perimeter drainage systems and have vapor barriers on the back side to prevent any moisture from seeping through. They are made out of an inorganic material and very durable so they will not be damaged by mold growth or water. They feature an R-13 insulation rating and are warrantied through our company for 50 years!

For an extra layer of protection, Jon recommended installing a high-performance dehumidifier to protect the rest of the finished basement from humidity and musty odors. Our SaniDry XP removes up to 109 liters of water per day and has an air filter that removes particles as small as 2 microns. It's Energy Star rated and fully ductable, which makes it a perfect choice for finished basements. Outside of the basement, we installed IceGuard to prevent water from freezing in the discharge line and a LawnScape to direct water from the gutters away from the home.

These homeowners now have a system in place to protect their basement from flooding ever again. Schedule your own free estimate today with one of our certified basement waterproofing specialists!