mold

Is Mold Growth Affecting the Air You Breathe?

Posted by Stephen Bertolacci on

Mold Growth Can Cause Problems in Your Home

You may not of heard of the Stack Effect, but I’d be willing to bet you’ve more than likely experienced it in your home. Stack effect occurs when the air begins to warm inside of your home, and negative pressure causes the air in the lower parts of the home to rise into the upper floors of your home. This can eventually cause mold to grow in your home with all the moisture in the air.

Today, our homes are more energy efficient, creating a tighter seal between the inside of your home and the elements outside. This tighter seal means greater negative pressure, which means more basement or crawl space air rising into your living room. As you can imagine, a neglected wet and moldy basement makes all the difference in this situation!

Mold can form faster than you think

It only takes 24-48 hours for toxic mold to begin to infest a wet basement, so you can image what a few years can do. Don’t wait any longer! Prevent those mold spores from entering other parts of your home by identifying and repairing the source of water intrusion. Need help locating the source of the water? Contact us for a free inspection and evaluation, and we’d be happy to come out!

backup sump pump

5 Ways You Can Benefit From a Battery Operated Backup Sump Pump

Posted by Stephen Bertolacci on

A Backup Sump Pump Can Be Beneficial to Have in Your Home

Have you ever looked down into your basement from the top of your stairs after a heavy rainstorm, only to notice that trademark reflection of a thin layer of water covering the floor? Have you felt the ping of guilt knowing that you had thought about installing a battery backup sump pump the last time this happened, but failed to do anything about it?

Owning a basement in New Jersey isn’t walk in the park. High water tables and frequent strong storms are just part of life here; and it can really take a toll on our homes. We take the good with the bad; but that doesn’t mean we can’t do something to help reduce the latter.

There are many reasons to keep your basement dry and healthy; it can increase your home’s value, keep pests out, help provide a better air quality throughout the entire home; and best of all, eliminate the need for rubber boots and a Wet Vac the morning after!

One great way to avoid a disaster and keep your home healthy is to invest in a battery operated backup sump pump system. Battery backups can really be a lifesaver in rain-heavy storms, and we recommend every home have one.

Here are just 5 benefits of protecting your home with a battery backup:

1. Protection in the case of a power outage.

Strong storms can knock out power to your home, rendering your primary sump pump useless. Unless you’ve got a battery backup sump pump, your basement or crawl space is totally vulnerable to flooding.

2. Protection in the case of a primary pump failure.

It’s no secret that sump pumps don’t last forever. Too often we wait until the pump fails to do something about it. Protect against burned out pumps with a backup system!

3. Lend a helping hand to a struggling primary pump.

Most people assume backups only engage when the primary sump pump fails. While that’s true, they will also kick on to help a primary pump that can’t keep up with the flow of water. This is a great asset during torrential downpours.

4. Protect your valuables.

The long term cost of replacing carpeting, tile, drywall, and valuables in your basement or crawl space can really add up. You can save your self lots of money down the road by spending a little money now with a battery backup sump pump.

5. Do it for the health of you, your home, and your family.

A perpetually damp basement is very unhealthy. So is a recently flooded basement. Toxic mold can grow in as little as 24-48 hours, and that air travels upward, affecting the rest of the home.

Contact us for a FREE Estimate on a battery backup sump pump!

basement waterproofing system

Do You Have a Working Basement Waterproofing System For the Spring?

Posted by Stephen Bertolacci on

Have a Basement Waterproofing System Installed

This has sure proven to be one cold, wet February. Between blizzards, snow melting, and rain showers, our sump pumps have been doing overtime. Unfortunately, in some cases, so have our Wet-Vacs and mops. It’s important that as a homeowner you’re doing everything you can to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your basement waterproofing system. That’s why we recommend that you take the next few weeks and focus on your basement or crawl space. Be sure to pay special attention to the most critical part of any home waterproofing system, the sump pump.

But I paid all this money for a top-of-the-line basement waterproofing system, can’t I just let it do its thing and forget about it?

Well, even the most advanced basement waterproofing systems need a little care every once in a while. Testing your system ahead of time can also help you prevent things like burnt out pumps, power outages, electrical failures, and drainage clogs. Since we’re assuming a flooded basement during a rainstorm isn’t the ideal way to find out there’s something wrong with your sump pump, we’re recommending testing it ahead of time.

Testing your system with water is a quick and easy process. If your system has small access ports, place a hose and pump water through your system, preferable at the furthest point from your sump pump. This will accurately simulate a rain storm, while simultaneously helping flush out any debris or residue that may be accumulating in your drain tile.

If your system was not supplemented with access ports, you may pour water directly into the sump basin using 5 gallon buckets. This will certainly be able to tell you if your pumps are operating properly.

To test your battery backup system, simply follow the same water testing procedures with the primary sump pump unplugged. If you don’t have a battery backup system, we recommend you consider one. A battery backup is the best way to ensure you’re protected in the event of a primary pump failure or power outage, period.

Remember, stay ahead of the storms. Water test your system, check those pumps, and test your battery backups! Spending a little time checking everything out now will surely save you loads of time and money dealing with a flood later.

house jacking

Select Basement Now Performs House Jacking!

Posted by Stephen Bertolacci on

House Jacking

We’ve recently made a new addition to our already extensive line of top quality professional services, house jacking. By adding this capability, we are providing yet another service we can offer our valued customers. By offering as many top quality services as we can, we believe we can better serve our customers.

When should you consider house jacking?

So what is house jacking and when should you use it? Well, sometimes depending on the condition of the soil around your home, your foundation can begin to sink into the ground. You’ll notice this sort of thing when dry wall or plaster walls begin to crack upstairs, windows and sliding doors become difficult to open and close, or you literally notice the floors in your home sinking in or becoming unlevel. The major shifting in your home’s foundation is a very serious structural issue, and can introduce water and moisture, harmful mold, and unwelcome critters into your home.

Since there’s really no way to change the composition of the soil around your home, most homeowners have to resort to jacking the house. House jacking is a difficult procedure that requires a professional touch, so it’s best not to attempt this on your own. Contact us for more information!

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basement flood

Prevent a Basement Flood This Winter!

Posted by Stephen Bertolacci on

How to Prevent a Basement Flood

It’s the holiday season and we’ve all got a million and one things on our to-do lists, I know. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, who needs to deal with a basement flood, and therefore a basement waterproofing headache? I know I don’t.

That’s all the more reason to take preventative action to make sure you don’t experience any unforeseen headaches or surprises. You see, if your home has experienced water issues in the past, the fact that it’s winter doesn’t mean that your basement or crawl space is much less susceptible to seepage. Only the top layers of soil freeze; water at the basement floor level is still allowed to flow within the warmer soil. This means that your sump pump is still working hard while you’re out shopping.

Check your sump pump!

To greatly reduce the possibility of you coming home to a basement flood, you’re going to want to check on your sump pump. We recommend that you check your pump(s) at least once or twice a month to ensure proper operation.

First thing’s first, test the pumps. To do this, simply fill a 5 gallon bucket with water and pour it directly into the sump basin. Repeat until you see the sump pump discharge the water. If your pump goes off before or shortly after the pump is fully submerged in water, you should be in good shape. If you continue to fill the basin with water without the pump going off, you may want to have it check out by a professional.

Another thing you may want to consider is a battery-operated backup pump. This can really be a lifesaver in the even of a power outage or primary pump failure.

So do your basement a favor this holiday season, and go check on your sump pumps!

Have another tip or question? Leave a comment below or contact us!
mold remediation

Don’t Mess Around with Basement Mold

Posted by Stephen Bertolacci on

The Importance of Basement Mold Detection and Removal

Whether or not you’ve got a finished basement, a soon-to-be-finished basement, or just a musty old storage space you don’t really live in, it is important that you pay attention to potential basement mold growth.

Believe it or not, mold is a living organism, and it can be very harmful to the health of you and your family. Mold doesn’t need much to start developing a colony; only 60% relative humidity and as little as 24 hours. Scary, huh? Fortunately, the risk of health-related issues due to toxic black mold can be greatly reduced by taking immediate action, or avoided altogether by taking preventative action.

If you hadn’t had a chance to take preventative action, and mold has already taken up residence in your home, here’s a quick tip for killing it:

  • (Wearing a dust mask) Spray a 10/1 water to bleach mixture on the affected areas. Take a firm sponge and scrub the entire area for 2-3 minutes, spraying more solution if necessary. Repeat this process 3 times over the next 2 weeks, and you will have effectively killed your mold colonies. Alternatively, you may use hydrogen peroxide in your solution.

Got another tip? Let us know in the comments below!

It is important to recognize, however, that spot treatment may not be the long-term solution to your basement mold epidemic. If moisture is still infiltrating your home, mold will just find somewhere else to grow. In this case, you may want to consider having a basement waterproofing professional inspect your home for water penetration, foundation cracking, and other potential sources of excess moisture. Contact us for more information.

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Coming Soon!

Posted by Stephen Bertolacci on

You’ve arrived at the future home of Jerome’s Basement Blog! We’ll be posting helpful articles, information, and do-it-yourself tips here on a regular basis, so check back shortly!