A little background on Peak Basement Systems is that we have been doing structural repair and basement waterproofing for about a decade; we have a great reputation around here with homeowners, engineers and realtors, proud to say we never had a single Better Business Bureau complaint and we have won the highest customer service awards.

Let's talk a little about active soils and what their affects are on houses in the area. Here in Colorado we have a lot of active soil and what that basically means is that the soil is active and moves a lot. Again here in Colorado we a have different types of active soils for instance over on the western side there is a lot of active soil, other parts we have a lot of clay soil such as bentonite which is lose clay soil that can actually lift a house up since its so expansive and heaves up lifting the house. Lastly there's the landside soil where we have house high up on land but over time the land creeps downhill if it's not engineered correctly.

Talking about landslides over by the Jefferson County fair grounds there are homes that are starting to slide down the hill and several years ago there were several homes that crept away and had to be vacated. Now the interesting thing is that those homeowners basically have no protection because it's not covered under insurance whatsoever and the best option they are left with is to apply for a repair home loan. Now there are steps that can be taken to alleviate these problems at the start of the new construction. The first step would be to check building codes because they are constantly changing and being improved, with newer constructions too they are digging down a lot deeper for the foundation and then of course we have soil and structural engineers that will design the foundation. Overall it's a lot cheaper to prepare a head of time than it is to correct the problem after it's become a problem.

Aaron from Peak Basement Systems is now joining us and will first give us some background information on himself. Well I'm with Peak Basement Systems where we provide free in home inspections on structural repair and basement and crawl space waterproofing; we serve homeowners, real estate agents, home buyers, home inspectors and the best thing is our estimates are free of charge! Peak will come out observe what's going on with your home, give you all your options if there is a problem and make you feel comfortable with the situation.

Let's talk a little about crawl spaces because quite frankly they are dingy and most homeowners never go down there, when in fact that area is a fundamental structural entity that we need to be attuned to. Now dirt floor crawl spaces can cause all types of problems ranging from mold and rot to air quality issues. I mention air quality issues because when you have a dirt floor there's always going to be moisture and then that moisture is going to come up into to the house affecting the air quality. Then a lot of the homes that were built in the 40's-60's have the furnace in the crawl space so now you have this damp, musty air going into the furnace, then that air gets distributed throughout the home.

Now some people believe that they need to vent their crawl space with the understanding that the air will run thru and remove the musty odor. Now in reality and speaking from experience I have gone into crawl spaces with venting all around and there's still water in there. So the correct way to fix this would be to have the crawl space sealed with a vapor barrier and seal up the vents. Some people think that by just laying a piece of plastic on the floor then cover the vents is good enough but then you still have moisture, it needs to be fully encapsulated. Now adding insulation is always a good idea as well, we offer some really great insulation products that are micro microbial since its going underground and we don't want it to grow anything.

A great way to insulate is to get into the rim joists and around the edge where the vents are with foam insulation such as cellulose because this will make the space air tight and the more air tight it is the more energy efficient the home will be. Our encapsulation product that we use is called clean space which is really heavy duty it's about 4x's the thickness of most liners, its micro microbial and we give a fully transferable warranty with a lifetime guarantee that it will never rip or tear.

Today we're joined by Aaron Moore of Peak Basement Systems who is a waterproofing and structural specialist. Let's start off by talking about what the 2 main issues are that should be addressed before starting a basement finishing project.

The first thing you should address is waterproofing the basement. What some people don't think about is that water intrusion is a big deal around here especially after the spring thaws and during the winter snows. So you don't want to finish your basement then have water intrusion it will ruin your finished space and if it's flooded due to ground water this is usually not covered by homeowners insurance.

Then the other issue would be foundation repair which can be very costly also if you think about it when you finish the basement you put up paneling then forget about any damage you have and foundation damage gets worse over time. Again this isn't covered by insurance which could be devastating to the homeowner since it is so costly. However just to make people aware that you can refinance in a 203K loan which allows for repairs and structural damage, also it's not hard to qualify if you have a job and it's an FHA type loan. Peak Basement Systems also has a bank that we work with that does a 12 month, no payments and no interest financing to help people afford the work.

Telltale signs that you have a foundation problem would be first to look for cracks, when a walls getting pushed in there will be a diagonal/horizontal crack that's at least an 1/8 of an inch wide. The easiest way I tell people that they can probably tell if it's because of movement would be to see if they can stick a nickel flat into that crack then it isn't normal another would be if there are cracks in the drywall. Also Peak Basement Systems will come out and give you a Free Estimate!

Clues that should trigger that they have had a water problem would be in unfinished areas you can look to see if you have any water staining along the perimeter, ground water that comes up from the floor will leave behind a white deposit, warped or wavy floors are also a sign that there has been a water problem. What people need to realize too is that when you or your family go to sell the home it won't pass an inspection with water damage chalky warranty.

Our product works similar to a French drain but with more technology and it's installed on the inside of the home rather than on the outside. On a side note I'd like to add that we are the only company that offers a lifetime warranty so if for any reason ground seepage reappears in the basement it's covered also the warranty is transferrable so it stays with the house.

Aaron Moore, a System Design Specialist with Peak Basement Systems is a guest on the show explaining the causes and effects of soil shifting and the consequences for your home's foundations. In particular, Aaron addresses the consequences of extreme soil shifting, a situation that has been cropping up more and more around Colorado. In fact, 2011 has seen the most active soils in the last 40 years!

At Peak Basement Systems they have received a number of calls and questions from homeowners who are running into problems never encountered before. The active soils, through extremes of temperature and moisture, are continuously expanding and contracting which in turn causes shifting and sinking, so that a house sitting on this soil will also experience unwanted movement.

Aaron goes on to explain how Peak Basement Systems will remedy the situation, solidifying a foundation with the use of Helical Piers. As an experienced contractor serving Western Colorado, Peak Basement Systems is available to homeowners for a free inspection and estimate - for basement and crawl space waterproofing to residental foundation repairs.

Paul Sutton, owners of Peak Basement Systems was recently heard in this informative commercial on 1460 AM KZNT, explaining how the dry weather can affect foundation settling.

Did you know that the Pikes Peak region has some of the most active soils in the nation? Hello, Southern Colorado! Paul Sutton here, owner of peak basement systems. Right now, many property owners are experiencing foundation settling due to the dry weather. If you have cracks in your foundation, sticking or gapping windows and doors, drywall cracks that open and close, or hear popping and creaking, then now is the time to have one of our foundation repair experts come to your home to provide a thorough no obligation foundation inspection.

Paul Sutton, owners of Peak Basement Systems was recently heard in this commercial outlining the benefits of crawl space insulation on 1460 AM KZNT.

Do your floors feel icy cold on those frosty winter mornings? Worried about pipes freezing when the temperature plunges? Concerned about the high cost of your heating bills this winter? Hello, Southern Colorado! Paul Sutton here, owner and general manager of peak basement systems. If you have a crawlspace, we have your solution, and can make a dramatic difference for your comfort and energy savings this winter. Now is the best time to schedule your free evaluation! Mention this ad, and we’ll send you a free copy of Crawlspace Science, a book on how to increase your indoor air quality and energy efficiency - without replacing your furnace! Peak has been the region’s most trusted problem solver for crawlspace and foundation problems of all sorts. Call us today!