Basement Waterproofing and Crawl Space Repair in CO

Peak Basement Systems Receives Two Sales Awards at Annual Convention

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:16:40 -0400

Colorado Springs, CO - As a member of two very prestigious and ambitious networks, Peak Basement Systems has become a proud recipient of two significant awards at the networks' convention held August 18 through 20 between the headquarters in Seymour, Conn. and the ceremonies held in Hartford, Conn.

Peak is a member of Basement Systems and Foundation Supportworks networks. As such, Peak has proudly become the recipient of two FSI awards. They have been named 13th in overall sales and 10th in pier sales in the FSI network, which is made up of 70 highly certified and trained dealers.

Convention is a highly anticipated event across all the networks. Dealers from the UK to West Virginia and Colorado participated in this year's convention, which allowed for an immense amount of insight from around the world.

At this year's convention, dealers from many networks were recognized for their sales achievements, integrity, and business etiquette. The dealers came from networks including: Basement Systems, Foundation Supportworks, Crawl Space Clean Space, Dr. Energy Saver, National Radon Defense, and Total Basement Finishing.

Peak Basement Systems is a basement waterproofing expert, and specializes in foundation repair in Colorado as well as crawlspace repair. They offer free estimates for all their services, and promise to provide you with the help you need. They service the surrounding areas of Colorado Springs, Castle Rock, Western Colorado Springs, B Street Area, Woodland Park, Cripple Creek and Fountain, CO. Be sure to contact them today for more information, or your free estimate at: 1-800-793-8224.

What is Foundation Piering and How Does it Work?

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:24:04 -0400

Today, more and more homes are being built on unstable soils, such as the ones that you learned about in previous chapters. Between expansive and hydro-compactable soils and subsidence, foundations are pushed and pulled, creating movement. Each year, thousands of homeowners are faced with evaluating and repairing foundation problems. Thankfully, this means that there are reliable, engineered solutions available.

What exactly is available and is it the right solution for your structural problems?

Since the root of structural problems is the soil, the first two solutions deal with taking the foundation's weight off of unstable soils and placing it on bedrock or other stable soil-these solutions are called push piers and helical piers.

Push Piers are basically long steel shafts that are hydraulically driven into the ground through the unstable surface soils until they reach bed-rock or other load bearing strata. Technicians can tell that the piers have reached bedrock by measuring the hydraulic pressure required to drive the piers into the ground until they meet an engineer specified depth. The home's weight is then transferred off of the unstable soil and onto the piers through pier brackets attached to the footing of the house.

Helical Piers are similarly driven into the ground using hydraulics, but they are turned into the ground like a giant screw. In fact, they are giant screws that literally hold up a house through resistance power. The home's weight is then transferred onto the piers using the same durable steel brackets.

Indications that You Need a Piering System:

You have an area of your foundation wall that is experiencing vertical movement, such as sinking.

Your chimney is not flush with your home.

Your soil conditions can be classified as expansive, subsiding, hydro-compactable, or active.

How Piers are installed in 6 Basic Steps:

Step 1: Outside, sod and landscaping around the home is removed and set aside.

Step 2: Soil is removed until the footing of the concrete foundation is revealed.

Step 3: Foundation pier anchoring brackets of heavy, industrial-strength steel are attached to the home's footings.

Step 4: Rugged steel piers are hydraulically driven down to solid bedrock or equal-load bearing strata.

Step 5: The weight of the home, anchored to the steel brackets, is carefully transferred from unstable soil to rock-solid piers.

Step 6: After an engineer's approval, the soil around the home is replaced and landscaping can be returned to its original location.

There are several other options that have been employed during different eras to resolve foundation problems. The oldest method is to jack up the house and replace the foundation and the newest method is to utilize piering systems either on the entire perimeter of the home, or just one portion. Here's a breakdown of the other methods that people have used to resolve foundation issues from oldest to most recent:

Replace the Foundation:

Destroys yard and takes several weeks to complete

No warranty against the same problem reoccurring (expect same result

Footings are still in the Active Zone

VERY EXPENSIVE-$50,000 PLUS

Concrete Underpinning/Spread Footings:

Can take weeks/months

Added weight of the concrete can make problem worse

Structure cannot be lifted

Footings are still in the Active Zone

Concrete Piers:

Concrete cylinders can break during installation and CANNOT be retrieved due to depths

Cylinders create too much skin friction to get through the Active Zone

May require additional shims in the future

Even if shimming is included in the warranty, the damage from re-settlement and re-excavation is not covered

Square Shaft Helical Piers:

Originally designed to provide resistance to guy wires on electrical towers during high winds.

Not designed to hold up weight through soils

Square shafts experience bending and folding when a foundation's weight resting on it.

Concrete Piers with Cable Reinforcement:

Engineered for specific soil conditions that are not present in Colorado.

Cylinders create too much skin friction to get through the Active Zone

Cabling in center of pier stretches over time, allowing for moment after piers in place.

Additional cabling on exterior of cylinders can increase skin friction of cylinder.

Finally, piering systems:

Push Piers WILL:

Allow the deepest penetration of any steel pier type.

Allow for the possibility of low impact interior installations (typically, with far less collateral damage than the exterior approach)

Provide a lifetime warranty, transferable for the first 25 years that vertical movement in the piered areas will not occur

Perform its job in most soil conditions for a designed life in excess of 100 years

Push Piers MAY:

Allow for the likelihood of lifting a structure to a flatter, more level condition

Allow for the possibility of closing or shrinking existing cracks in brick, stucco, sheetrock, or other interior or exterior finishes

Allow for the re-alignment of sticking doors or windows, and the straightening of leaning chimneys

Push Piers WILL NOT:

Guaranty that perfectly flat or level final conditions will be achieved

Provide lateral (horizontal) restraint to a bowing foundation wall

Improve the water tightness or lower the moisture level in a basement

Helical Piers WILL:

Perform its job in most soil conditions for a designed life in excess of 100 years

Allow for installation on relatively older, weaker, or lighter foundation types

Allow for installation as a pre-construction (or new construction) bearing system in poor soils

Allow for a horizontal installation as a "tie-back" system to provide resistance against land creep in hillside areas

With a few rare exceptions, require exterior excavation, with destruction to surrounding landscaping or paving

Provide a lifetime warranty, transferable for the first 25 years, that vertical movement in the piered areas will not occur

Helical Piers MAY:

Allow for the likelihood of lifting a structure to a flatter, more level condition

Allow for the possibility of closing or shrinking existing cracks in brick, stucco, sheetrock, or other interior or exterior finishes

Allow for the re-alignment of sticking doors or windows, and the straightening of leaning chimneys

Helical Piers WILL NOT:

Guaranty that perfectly flat or level final conditions will be achieved

Provide lateral (horizontal) restraint to a bowing foundation wall (unless specifically installed in "tie-back" mode)

Improve the water tightness or lower the moisture level in a basement

How Important is Positive Drainage For My House? Part 3 of 3

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:22:30 -0400

Minimizing the destructive effects of shifting soils have proven to be a real challenge for property owners who are concerned about preventing structural damage to their foundations, as well as preventing mold and water intrusion in their homes. The importance of creating and maintaining a positive downhill slope condition away from their foundation is paramount, and happily, is one of the most relatively inexpensive and easily achieved preventative measures available. Our focus in this article will be on the practical how's and why's of good positive drainage.

The last 20-30 years have taught some painful lessons to the professional engineer and building communities as they have incurred vast financial penalties. Old conventions about adequate foundation design have proven to be unreliable. As it turns out, you can't simply build foundations the same way in Dallas as you do in Dubuque or in Pittsburgh as you do in Portland, and expect a predictable outcome. As a result, more stringent codes now dictate that a methodical process be employed to first test and identify the properties and characteristics of the soil on a given building site. The results of such an analysis are published in what is commonly known as a "soils letter" or "soils report". A soils report is a critical packet of information that serves both to advise the foundation design process going forward, as well as to inform present and future owners of that property about their responsibilities to maintain conditions that will minimize the risk of structural damage over the long term.

The most basic of all these responsibilities is the maintenance of positive sloped drainage. This is usually defined in most soils reports as a condition where at least 6"-10" of drop occurs in the first 10' of run out from the foundation. Another way of expressing the same thing is to express the angle of the slope by means of a percentage; 6%-10% positive slope for mulched or rock bed areas, and 2%-3% positive slope for hard paved areas, such as sidewalks, driveways, or parking lots. (A lesser slope is usually acceptable for paved areas because hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt naturally conduct water away from the foundation much more efficiently than a porous surface like a mulch bed) With a few basic tools and a bit of patience, these slope percentages may be determined by the average property owner wishing to prevent needless structural and/or water damage to the foundation of his/her property. The process of doing so is as follows:

First, choose a point along the foundation wall and place one end of a 10' long straightedge (such as a 2 x 4) at the same point while extending it out perpendicularly from the foundation.
Next, place a carpenter's level on top of the 2 x 4 while you gradually raise the far end of the 2 x 4 until the bubble indicates a level condition has been achieved.
Finally, simply measure down from the elevated end of the 2 x 4 to the ground directly beneath is and make note of that dimension. For this example, let's suppose that our vertical measurement is 10".

Now, you have all the raw data you need to calculate your slope percentage. The math is simple: divide the vertical dimension, known as the "rise" by the horizontal dimension, which is known as the "run". Don't forget to convert your units of measure as needed so that they are consistent. In our example, we would have 10" (our rise) divided by 120" (our run), equaling.083, which we could round to 8%. As a rule of thumb, an 8% positive slope downward would be considered to be a safe and effective amount of slope to quickly move water away from the foundation before it can penetrate to deeper layers of soil and cause problems. Sometimes, calculating slope or determining what a safe and effective grade may be difficult, so it is possible to have a geotechnical engineering firm or other foundation related company come out and do the calculations.

With a slope calculation, it's easy to find problem spots on your property and change the grade to protect your home. You should check the slope of your property, especially when your home is a new construction, after spring melt. Settling and changes in the grade are often caused by changes in moisture and run off. Preventative maintenance like this can save from a flooded basement, a muddy crawlspace, or even cracked and settling foundations.

Foundation Concerns From the Clay Bowl Effect

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:26:35 -0400

How the Clay Bowl Effect Starts

Moisture is an essential element to soil-it's a lubricant that traps air and allows soil particles to slide together. Too much moisture and the ground becomes muddy and unable to bear weight. Too little moisture and the soil breaks into its individual particles and blows away.

Dry soil also decreases the depth of plant roots because the plants spread out shallow roots in an attempt to absorb as much moisture as possible. This means that our yards are more delicate, our trees start to wither and provide less shade, the soil around our homes starts to blow around, and many of our plants produce less. All of these factors cause our yards and homes to feel hotter and our allergies to act up more frequently. We also start noticing burned patches in our grass and brittle leaves on our plants. In an effort to counteract these issues, we water more. For some reason, this doesn't seem to help.

That's because most of us are also battling a layer of hardened clay underneath the grass, which is literally siphoning the water to the nearest permeable soil. Unfortunately, the end result can be that the water intended for your grass is being forced into the ground beneath your foundation-this is called the "clay bowl effect". It works like this: homes are built by digging out, or excavating, a hole where the foundation will go. Naturally, this hole has to be wider than our foundation because people and machines also need room to work. Once the foundation is poured and dried, backfilling is done. In other words, the hole is filled until it is level with the virgin soil surrounding the construction site. This backfill is compacted, but it is literally impossible to compact it enough to match the density of the undisturbed soil in the lot.

Now, your home is built on top of the foundation and landscaping is completed. Over time, the entire lot compacts, but the backfill zone remains looser than the other soil. Water is more easily absorbed by loose soil, so your lawn could be burning, while the water is literally siphoning into your foundation. If you're battling dry patches, don't assume more water will solve the problem. Under your home could be wetter for your effort.

Here are the events that occur as water sits beneath your foundation:

1. Water causes expansive soils to swell and hydro-compactable soil to sink.

2. Back-filled soil is looser, so this soil moves more freely, increasing stress on foundation walls.

3. Pressure from exterior soil, as well as water pressure, weaken joints and widen existing cracks.

4. Water under the foundation traps radon, creates uneven soil moisture, and leads to many other problems

Some ways to tell if the Clay Bowl Effect is contributing to your Structural Problems:

--You have existing cracks in your foundation that weep water.

--Your basement has a higher relative humidity than the rest of your home.

--You have elevated radon levels and cracks in your foundation.

--You have struggled with mold problems in the past.

--You notice that your basement walls and/or floors appear dark in spots.

5 Drainage Issues that Lead to Basement Flooding in Colorado

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:21:19 -0400

1. Missing gutters to catch and carry away water from entering the basement or crawlspace.

Gutters are an important first line of defense to carry rain and melt waters from the peak of the roof past the perimeter of the home. Sheets of water falling directly from the roof to the foundation can cause the surrounding soil to subside toward the home. This means that the entire slope of the land is affected.

2. Missing downspouts leading to pooling near foundation walls.

Downspouts are essential to directing water far enough away from the home to keep the concrete foundation from wicking the water inside the basement or crawlspace. Any time that you notice pooling or puddling of rainwater near the foundation, it is important to return the soil to level condition and prevent water from resting in a pool. If the cause is a missing downspout, then the problem will continue until you replace that downspout. Each day that you wait will allow further moisture penetration into your basement and a greater risk for mold to develop on your subfloor.

3. Concrete walkways or patios that have settled and are sloping towards the foundation.

Patios and walkways become fast flowing streams in rainy conditions. These slabs should direct water away from your foundation walls through subtle grade alterations. Unfortunately, concrete is heavy and the soil underneath it can subside over time, especially where a slab meets concrete steps. This area has more weight pressing on the soil, so it subsides first. When you notice that your patios and sidewalks are directly water toward your home, it is a good idea to have the concrete re-leveled and/or replaced. This is generally done through mudjacking.

4. Landscaping that is planted within 3 feet of foundation walls.

Planting bushes and flowers around the foundation generally seems harmless, but it can actually contribute to the flooding in your basement. Plant roots are tenacious and will grow down toward cool, moist soil. This soil exists closest to your concrete foundation walls. As you water your landscaping, the roots draw that moisture towards your foundation and create paths for water intrusion.

5. Downspouts that are not extended far enough from your foundation walls.

Downspouts should extend 6' from your foundation to prevent back flow during Colorado's heavy afternoon rains. If the downspouts are less than 6', you will experience back flow that can flood your basement.

Colorado Soil Conditions 2 - Should I Be Concerned About Sandy Soil?

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:41:38 -0400

Some Soil Sinks

Throughout time, soil has been deposited at the foot of the Rocky Mountains by wind, water, and weather. This loose, low density soil made of sand and loess (wind-blown sediment) is especially apparent in areas where the wind blows consistently. These types of soil are hydro-compactable, meaning that as water enters the soil, they become more densely packed.

Soil Changes with Weather

Sandy soils like this will compact, sometimes as much as 20% when water is added. Normally, this doesn't appear to be a problem because the sun tends to dry out the top layers of soil again quickly. A good example of this is a moderate desert, which people don't notice settling because the precipitation and the heat are balanced in such a way that the soil remains loose. Problems can begin when water enters the soil on a regular basis, or in large amounts, then returns to dry for small amounts of time, and back again. This causes large shifts in the height and compaction of the soil, resulting in structural issues.

Worse When Wet?

Sand can exert tremendous amounts of pressure onto the underlying soil layers. This can cause significant changes in your foundation's stability. In fact, one of the first places that you will notice changes will be in patios, chimneys, and slabs. They will begin to sink, settle, and crack. In some cases, a chimney will pull away from a house because it is literally sinking into the soil and falling over.

The soil along the Front Range is usually composed of layers of hydro-compactable soil with expansive, clay soil underneath. This is means that a structure can suffer both from the effects of expansive and hydro-compactable soil. This can make it difficult to determine if your home is suffering from compaction issues and settling, or from heave. The following case studies illustrate hydro-compaction. Let's take a look:

Case Study 1: The Colorado Highway Department investigated the potential for hydro compaction along the alignment of I-70 from Rifle to Dubuque. To test this concern, water was captured in a little pond and a road fill was placed beside it to model the possible compaction issues that could result. The road base sunk 3 feet in the first month of testing. This case study was used to design pavement and other helpful technology to prevent failure of a portion of the highway.

Case Study 2: In Golden, CO, several old clay pits were being used for refuse dumping. The pits were filled with a loess soil in the 1960s when the site was zoned for residential building. As the seasons have added up, the compaction due to water intrusion has caused sidewalks, streets, and two story buildings have sustained substantial damage from settlement. The problem continues despite repeated repairs and some corrective work.

Case Study 3: A Carbondale, Colorado rancher's stock watering pond excavated in a pasture collapsed because of hydro-compaction. A bowl-shaped depression 60 feet across and 8 feet deep resulted when he attempted to pond water in his field. The soils were so permeable that the pond would not hold water, and the wet soils under the pond collapsed. Many roads and other improvements in the vicinity have been destroyed or damaged by soaking of collapsible, low density soils. (Further information on this case study is available on the Colorado Geologic Survey website).

These case studies provide us with valuable information on how compaction works, especially on hydro-compactable soils. These indicators can help you to catch potential soil issues before they become a serious problem, allowing for cheaper, faster remediation:

Your lawn absorbs water quickly, but does not appear green and lush

Your soil is loose and blows out of your hand when you puff on it

You notice "rain divots" in your exposed soil (raindrop shaped dimples)

Soil forms a slight crust once dry that you can crumble with your fingers

You can feel individual particles when rubbing soil between your hand

You have less than 30% clay content and less than 10% water content in your garden

Concentric or curving cracks in concrete surfaces

Soil displacement occurs when you step on the soil

Radon Exposure in the Home and Indoor Air Quality

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:18:30 -0400

The Clay Bowl Effect is the leading cause of water intrusion and poor indoor air quality in homes. Water becomes trapped below your foundation slab and stays at a certain level until more water is introduced and the basement becomes damp, or even floods. Even if you aren't experiencing flooding, you could still be experiencing problems due to the water under your slab.

Allergen-Filled Air

As warm air rises from the crawlspace, basement, or first floor it is is then drawn up ever higher as convective forces naturally carry it up into the attic and eventually out of your home. This means that new air needs to take its place. A nearly indiscernible, yet constant air flow from the lowest level of our homes to the highest is underway all of the time.

This process is called the "Stack Effect". Building experts and scientists of environmental science agree that up to 50% of the air on the first floor is basement air-at any given moment! Air within your home is cycling through constantly at a rate where every hour, you have completely new air in the living spaces of the home: air that traveled up from your basement!

If the air in your basement has a higher humidity content, as is normally the case, that air contains mold spores and other allergens because those micro-organisms thrive in higher humidity.

Poor Indoor Air Quality

The Clay Bowl Effect can also be lowering your air quality. The stagnant water under your foundation creates a musty basement where mold and other allergens can hide out. These mold and mildew particles are then mixed into the dusty, dry air from rest of the house through the duct system and the end result is an allergy cocktail that can leave our families feeling lousy.

Radon Concerns

Did you know that surveys of Colorado indicate that 1 in 5 homes have elevated radon levels? In fact, the EPA has found that if you are located in any county in the Front Range, you have the same risk of elevated radon levels. Radon has been judged to be the most serious environmental carcinogen to which the general public is exposed and which the EPA must address (www.epa.gov). Based on current exposure and risk estimates, radon exposure in single-family houses may be a factor in as many as 20,000 of the total lung cancer fatalities which occur each year.

Radon decay can attach to the surface of aerosols, dusts, and smoke particles which may be inhaled, and become deeply lodged or trapped in the lungs. Once lodged, they can radiate and penetrate the cells of mucus membranes, bronchi, and other pulmonary tissues.

Radon seeps into homes from the surrounding soil through cracks and other openings in the foundation, and just like carbon monoxide, is odorless and indiscernible by human our faculties until permanent damage to our bodies has been done.

Now that these and other adverse byproducts of the Clay Bowl Effect are better known and understood, what can homeowners do to protect themselves and their families from the health dangers caused by poor indoor air quality?

1. Have your indoor air tested for the presence and concentration of mold, dust mites, and radon by a qualified company.

2. If moderate or high levels of biological allergens or radioactive gases are discovered, engage a qualified basement repair service company to design and install appropriate systems to mitigate these risks. Your family can then breathe easier year around!

The Effects of Mine Subsidence on Residential Property Part 1 of 2

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:10:31 -0400

Colorado has become synonymous with the Gold Rush of the late 1800s. The Rockies were the perfect place for Mother Nature to create a Mother Lode. Hard rock mining, however, is only a small part of the actual mining that has occurred throughout the Front Range. Mining companies also discovered coal deposits in various areas around the Front Range. They commenced coal mining operations in the late 1800's and continued mining operations until the 1920s at which time mines were abandoned. The problem with the coal mining boom was that no one kept an accurate map of who was digging where. We ended up with abandoned mine shafts in some pretty unlikely areas--areas which eventually became attractive to real estate developers. There has been (and still is) extensive large-scale undermining present in our mineral rich backyard.

This has lead to a problem called subsidence. Subsidence is simply soil sinking to fill in the voids created by the mining activities of a bygone era. As decades-old mine support timbers and beams gradually rot away with the passing of time, gravity takes over and fills in those voids with soil from above. The results can sometimes be sudden and dramatic to surface dwellers, their homes, and other man-made structures caught in the subsidence zone.

Why was Coal so Abundant in Colorado?

Coal is the decomposed and compressed remains of primordial swamps. It's abundant here because millions of years ago, this part of the North American Continent was covered with oceans. As the oceans receded, fresh water swamps were formed that flourished with life. Trees and other plant and small animal life died; decomposing and becoming peat. Between Ice Age melting and glacial shifting, the peat became buried under tons of sand and water, which compressed under that pressure into coal. In fact, diamonds are formed from even more pressure being applied to coal, which is why Colorado diamonds were discovered in the first place.

Due to the natural unevenness of the terrain, ribbons and fields of coal formed, which vary in depth, width, and proximity to each other. Miners follow the ribbons of coal in an effort to find large fields of coal to excavate. Coal in our area of the country is much sought after because it contains less sulfur than in the East-this is due to the fact that our coal is formed from fresh water swamp life, rather than saltwater!

Why Does Coal Mining Lead to Subsidence?

Coal is primarily mined in two ways: either surface mined or underground. Surface mining is generally easy to detect, since the layers of earth are stripped away revealing the coal underneath.

Underground mining begins with vertical or diagonal shafts dug into the earth. From there, horizontal tunnels called "streets" are dug until a coal seam or ribbon is discovered. If possible, the ribbon is removed without disturbing the earth around it. This leaves empty space where the coal used to be. The empty spaces collapse as pressure from the surface, including the weight of a house, press down. This is subsidence. Ribbons of coal crisscross throughout the Front Range and as they were mined out, subsidence risks rose.

During the mining process, larger deposits of coal are found. These areas are marked and recesses called "rooms" are created off the original tunnel. These rooms become larger voids and are usually supported from collapse by timbers will rot away.

In some cases, vast amounts of coal are discovered in a single deposit. It is often the result of an ancient lake or other body of water becoming completely filled with peat and turning to coal. These are called "fields". In order to remove a field, vast excavations occur. This means that timber beam systems are constructed to keep the soil crust above from caving in. During the mining process, portions of the coal, or other earth, would be left in pillars to help reduce the risk of cave in. As the mine taps out the remaining coal in the area, these pillars are eventually removed as well and replaced with rubble, or timber. Naturally, the pillars do not last forever. When the soil crust above the field collapses, large areas of subsidence occur. This subsidence usually happens quickly with dramatic results.

The signs of a shifting or subsiding foundation are not difficult to spot if you know what to look for. The presence of any of these signs indicates that structural damage has probably already occurred in your home:

--Windows and doors are sticking, hard to open

--Multiple nail pops are appearing in ceilings and walls

--There are large gaps in window and door frames

--Window and/or door trim are developing spaces

--Floors are starting to settle and become uneven

--Bowed or leaning basement walls

--Cracks in your foundation walls

--Interior plaster walls are cracking

--Chimneys are tilting or leaning

--Foundations are sinking

--Cracks in your basement walls

If you are still concerned about subsidence, the MSIC is available to answer questions about your neighborhood's risk. The Mine Subsidence Information Center is funded by a federal grant that was established to help residents become educated in mine subsidence concerns and remediation. They respond, at no charge, to requests for general subsidence information from the public. It's important to remember, though, that MSIC is a reference source and that only a qualified, independent engineer can give you an official professional opinion on the type and risk of subsidence. This is especially important if you are entering into a real estate development, sale, or transfer.

Colorado Flash Floods, Wet Basements, and Clogged Sump Pumps

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:53:21 -0400

Colorado Springs, CO - Damages from recent bouts with flash flooding are still on the mend, but conditions are leaving some homeowners puzzled as to why their sump pump systems failed and their basements are flowing with water. Peak Basement Systems has the answer!

Flooded basement in
Colorado Springs

Homeowners and TV stations alike are up to their noses in water, and frustration. With Colorado's recent flash floods, nearly four inches of rain is recorded to have fallen in just one spell, leaving insufficient plumbing as the main culprit behind much of the indoor flooding.

KXRM/Channel 21 had to shut down their station and resume with an impromptu news cast last week on July 21, last Wednesday. The station returned to working order, and has concluded that a clogged pipe and leaky roof caused the station's flooding.

Coloradans who have invested in sump pump drainage systems are unfortunately finding their basements flooded with water. As with any product, there are the heavy duty reliable brands, and then there are the cheap mediocre brands. At Peak Basement Systems you will surely find only the best when it comes to Colorado basement waterproofing, especially its sump pump systems.

TripleSafe Sump Pump installed by Peak Basement Systems

Peak's sump pumps have an airtight lid along with an alarm that notifies homeowners if there is a problem. When there is a power outage, as is often the case during harsh storms, a battery backup pump system is there to help. The typical battery back up sump pump can remove as little as 3,500 gallons of water, which pails in comparison to Peak's UltraSump Battery Back Up sump pump that removes a remarkable and dependable 11,500 gallons on just one charge!

Choose the industry leading sump pumps at Peak Basement Systems and forget worrying about your basement flooding. If anything were to ever go wrong, your sump pump's alarm and backup will not let you down. Contact Peak Basement Systems today for more information about sump pumps in Colorado.

Peak Basement Systems specializes in basement waterproofing and is a Colorado structural repair contractor and crawlspace repair expert. Contact them today at 1-800-793-8224.

Underpinning For Foundations - An Explanation

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:03:59 -0400

Homebuyers frequently ask for advice or just want to have a question answered. I answered a question today that I thought would make an excellent article, so here it goes.

The homeowner contacted me because she is purchasing a new home. She received an engineer's report calling for "foundation underpinning" and wanted to know if I had ever heard of it. As fate would have it, I happen to work for a company that specializes in foundation repair, which includes underpinning!

Foundation underpinning is a class of foundation repair that includes push piers, helical piers, deep foundation piers, caissons, and other support systems. The specific system that I discussed with this homeowner is the push pier system.

When a home is settling or cracking, it is caused by soil movement beneath the foundation. In order to combat this problem, engineers developed systems that move the weight of the home off the unstable soil onto a stable bedrock support. This is accomplished by hydraulically pushing galvanized steel piers down through the ground until they reach bedrock. The weight of the home is then transferred on to the piers by using rugged steel brackets attached to the footing of the home. Each individual pier bracket and pier combination can be adjusted to make the entire home level.

The foundation pier system is guaranteed against movement and fully restores the home to livable, secure condition.

The homeowner wanted to know if this was essential. This is how I put it, "how much risk are you willing to take with your investment?" An engineer has determined that the home has significant enough concerns to warrant recommending a full foundation underpinning project. This means that the engineer has seen indications that the entire foundation is moving, not just a portion of it. The home inspector has determined that leveling compound was utilized at least twice on the basement floor. He also stated that there have been a series of drywall patches and stucco repairs both on the interior and exterior of the residence.

In other words, you have physical evidence that the home has moved in the past and been repaired. You also have an expert telling you the home has moved, is moving, and will continue to move. Do you want to assume the risk to your family and your investment by purchasing the property as is?

This is not the end of the story; however, there is a happy ending to this unpinning question. I told this lovely homeowner that you also can know the exact cost to never worry about this problem again. You may be able to either get money off the home, or cut a deal with the sellers to cover a portion of the costs. Or you may discover that the cost is within your budget to repair the home.

A Structural Specialist came out to do a free estimate on the home and he came back to her that day with the repair outline. The home needs approximately 15 piers to go around the entire perimeter of the home and lift it back into stable condition. The sellers and buyer met together and decided to drop the price of the home by the amount of the repair and the transaction is back on track.