How to avoid moisture in your basement
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Presented as part of the REEP Green Solutions Sustainable Living Speaker Series by Philip Drader, our Home Energy Coach, Basement floods are no fun. Neither is removing moldy insulation and drywall. From your gutters to your footings, we cover everything so you can plan your basement renovation for a flood-free future,
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How to avoid moisture in your basement
- 1. Avoid moisture in your basement
- 2. Who we are. How we help. โข An environmental charity and social enterprise โข Serving Waterloo Region since 1999 โข Focusing on energy and water sustainability Funding: Local partners, contracts, grants, client fees and donations Our mission: REEP Green Solutions
- 4. Avoid moisture in your basement
- 6. Sources of moisture in the basement Credit: State Farm
- 7. First address interior sources Reactionary approach requires dealing with: โข pipes (frozen, pinhole, burst) โข toilet flanges (wax or foam) โข children or bad habits โข sprinkler system
- 8. Interior sources Proactive approach to avoid: โข pipes (frozen, burst) โข sewer backup โข leaking standard hot water tank
- 9. Next address exterior water sources Problem: โข landscape directs water towards your house Solution: โข slope soil to move ground water away away from house
- 10. Exterior water sources Problem: โข eavestrough is plugged, disconnected or bent Solutions: โข leaf guards on eavestroughs โข or thorough cleaning annually
- 11. Exterior water sources Problem: โข downspout empties close to house Solutions: โข add longer downspout โข connect to rain barrel(s) โข direct to rain garden
- 12. Exterior water sources โ exterior solution GOAL: Keep water out of house Solution: Exterior drainage system below-grade with dimple membrane
- 13. Exterior water source โ Basic Interior solution GOAL: Keep water away from insulation Solution: Use dimple membrane on the inside of foundation Best used with floor system
- 14. Exterior water source โ Interior solution GOAL: Direct water away from living spaces Solution: Dimple membrane tied to new weeping tile inside of foundation wall Connected to sump pump
- 15. Exterior water sources โ Active draining Better safe than sorry? Consider a double sump pump with battery backup
- 16. Questions? What 3 things would you like more details on?
- 17. Overview 1. Keep outside water away from your home 2. Minimize chances of water accidents inside your home 3. Check safeguards semi-regularly
- 18. Future Home Energy Coach presentations & open houses February 6 Tips on finishing your basement March 5 How to make good window choices Presentation: 1:30 p.m. Open House 2โ3:30 p.m. REEP House for Sustainable Living 20 Mill St., Kitchener Register in advance: reepgreen.ca
- 19. Put our coach to work for you To book an orientation or a home energy evaluation Learn more Use sign up sheet at the front! Call 519-744-9799 > Press 1 Email customerservice@reepgreen.ca reepgreen.ca/HomeEnergyCoach
- 20. Thank you to our core funders Thank you to our partners
Editor's Notes
- REEP is a registered charity and social enterprise, serving Waterloo Region since 1999. Weโve been deep into a process of Strategic thinking about the impact we want to have in the community. From that process, we have a new mission, in draft form here: Working together to make sustainability the norm. The mission really sums up our relationship with you and with the City of Kitchener/Cambridge, and why we have the Cityโs logo right on the front cover: we really are working together with you, through your support, and seeing the changes in our community that Dave and I will outline in this report. Thank you for supporting all the work youโre about to hear about.
- -Main point โ many renovations can be improved by expanding the scope of work and planning them cleverly Question for audience โ what renovations are you currently planning? Question for the audience: Think about when you sweep or shovel snow away from steps. Just take a little moment to remember what you did last year. Alright, now how many of you clear the top step first and work your way to the bottom. Uh huh, and how many clear the bottom step first and make your way to the top? Why?
- : know where the whole house shut-off valve is, and teach that to everyone in your house, donโt reuse a wax toilet flange, be wary when insulating a wall if waterpipes are close to the warm side, replace old pipes before they leak too badly if possible
- (Philipโs notes: To avoid frozen pipes, place insulation between them and the wall wherever they are accessible. To avoid burst pipes โ generally from rubber clothes washer hoses, use stainless steel braided hoses (best) along with a washer pan, install a water-hammer arrestor beside clotheswasher (okay solution), install shutoff solenoid that detects when water shouldnโt be flowing ($150?), be VERY cautious if you use an auto-shutoff hose (could have issues, $20). To avoid sewer backups, install backflow preventer (caution to not break drain lines when breaking concrete) Hot water tank leak โ is there a drain nearby? If not, install pan with leak-detector inside Sources: Leak detectors: Floodmaster (1-888-776-6544) Amazon ($10 to $370) Watercop (whole house system with multiple detectors) Drain pan โ amazon ($30) Auto shut off valves- timer โ Home hardware ($90) Watts (1-905-332-4090) Floodsafe products for dishwashers, clotheswashers, ice machine/water dispenser in fridge (~$18-$23 per hose) & toilets. Might not work as anticipated.
- (Philipโs notes: Clean gutters out, slide downspout back on after hitting it off with lawnmower, setup ladder on a nice day and look defeated at your bent gutter, wiggle it a bit, then head back down, knowing that you did all that you reasonably could have. Keep boxes away from walls, and off the basement floor Like a skunk in the house, if you just deal with the immediate unpleasantness, itโll just come back later.
- Everyone should know where shut-off valve is in home Replace pipes that are in poor condition Braided water hoses and catchment pans Install backflow preventer in main sewer line Check eavesthroughs and downspouts at least 2x a year Soil should slope away from your home Install longer downspouts if required Install dimple membrane โ tied to weeping tile if possible Weeping tile should connect to sump pump โ test 2x a year Double sump pump with battery backup is available