Winter Weather

While basement waterproofing is our primarily concern at Emecole, we also encourage overall efficiency and more importantly, safety when concerning not only the basement, but the entire home. Having said that, with winter on its way, furnaces throughout the country are beginning to get full use. With an increased in the usage of furnaces, comes an increase in the start of fires.

Whether using floor furnaces, space heaters or even candles, safety is an important component to remember. A lot more destructive fires are prone to forming – more than you may realize, as reported by KOTV-Channel 6 in Tulsa, OK.

• Floor Fire Damages Home…
• Winter Weather Brings Increased Fire Danger…

Please remember to be careful, and stay safe!

Holiday Experiment Means Basement Waterproofing Contractors May Have a Very Happy New Year

This blog entry is written by Emecole President Lou Cole…

While many basement waterproofing contractors look forward to relaxing at home during the holiday season, I’ll be rolling up my sleeves and tearing apart my basement.  No, I’m not Scrooge; I like to celebrate, too.  But by making my home a sealing system experiment, I hope to deliver a lucrative gift to contractors nationwide:  a wall panel covering system that promises to expand the scope of their services and income in the New Year.

I’ve stated many times that basement contractors must offer more than concrete crack injection services if they want to succeed. By adding a new specialty to the menu, contractors are more likely to be hired repeatedly by the same client.  These value add-ons are extremely important when building a business because it relieves the contractor of always having to seek new clientele.  After all, selling a second service to a friend is a lot easier than winning the confidence of a stranger, right?

Here’s how it might work.  You would make a list of every homeowner who has been happy with your work over the last several years.  Then you call each one to have a friendly chat.  Ask how things are going.  Remind them of the importance of indoor air quality – 50 percent of the air we breathe upstairs originates downstairs in the basement.  And then before signing off, say, “Oh by the way, if I told you there was a way to transform raw basement space into a family room – for a fraction of  what it would cost to renovate – would you be interested?”  Why would they not at least listen?   They already trust you.

The wall covering system that I’ll be experimenting with in my 20-year-old home over the holidays – practice what you preach – will one day allow basement crack injection experts like you to expand revenue while doing a good deed.  You already know the importance of crack injection.  Without it, small cracks in concrete walls allow water to seep in.  Homeowners must protect against the health hazards of moisture presence and subsequent mold spore/allergen development – or suffer serious consequences.

My basement waterproofing system will simultaneously insulate and finish basement walls.  In my home, I have about 1,000 square feet to work with.  The area includes a modest gym, family space where we can entertain and a recreational corner for our pool table.  The goal is to provide wall panels that integrate with waterproofing techniques and technologies contractors like you are already familiar with.  In doing so, I’ll develop a complete waterproofing system that can be sold as a package or offered as a follow-up to homeowners who have already benefitted from your skills.

It should go without saying that converting a basement makes that space more appealing to children and adults.  Homeowners will be doubly please to know that quickly upgrading the raw concrete environment with insulated wall panels does not preclude doing a more expensive renovation at a later date – perhaps when the economy has improved and/or they are convinced that their basement is dry as hay.  Tell your clients that it makes no sense spending thousands of dollars on furniture, home theater components and carpeting unless the basement is properly sealed and flood-proof.

But the key to my success is not only making life better for homeowners and families.  I want this system to be easy to install.  The last thing you and other basement waterproofing contractors want is a hassle.  Complications slow down your ability to provide quality services and make a profit.

So kick back and enjoy the holiday.  You’ve earned it.   But while you’re relaxing, start dreaming of a lucrative New Year and what that will mean for you and yours.

Happy holidays.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

A news release by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency on the importance of testing for radon gas in the home. The release also reminds readers that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Calling Basement Waterproofing Contractors

At a time when people are thinking about the unemployment percentage, there is one constant that remains the same – there has always been a demand for basement waterproofing professionals. This problem is always evident after a specific area is hit by a big storm, and there are not enough waterproofers to keep up with the demand.

Emecole President Lou Cole writes in-depth on this subject in one of his recent EzineArticles.com posts, When it Rains it Pours – Money For Job Seekers Who Learn Basement Waterproofing Skills .

Homeowner Flood Insurance

Last week’s heavy rain and floods in the southeastern part of the United States should be a reminder to all homeowners how devastating floods are. Imagine a flooded basement with ruined items, to only then find out that you’re homeowner’s insurance policy or perhaps, an existing flood insurance policy is ineffective. A recent article from the Detroit News reminds homeowners to know exactly what their homeowners insurance covers.

Indoor Pollution Deadlier than Outdoor Pollution and Traffic Accidents

A recent stat by the World Health Organization is quite alarming when concerning the harmful effects of poor indoor air quality within a home. According to the Organization, indoor air pollution kills 1.5 million people annually, compared to 800,000 people killed annually by outdoor pollution or 1.2 million people killed each year by traffic accidents.

Eye irritation, blocked nose, headaches, sore throat, chronic bronchitis and various skin irritations are all problems caused by bacteria, viruses, funguses, mildews and other biological containments. Another deadly component is radon gas infiltration. These various instances are problems that can emanate from a home’s basement or crawl space, subsequently making up 50% of the air throughout the home.

Prevention is a necessity. Proper ventilation throughout the home is a great start, as well as being selective when choosing cleaning materials for the home. We at Emecole also recognize the added note that the home’s poor air also circulates from the basement and crawl space. Controlling the indoor air quality from the basement and crawl space will impact the entire home, while eliminating the annoyance of musty smells, excessive moisture and mildew. Basement waterproofing contractors have the potential to offer added long-term services to their customers by offering indoor air quality solutions.

National Indoor Toxic Mold Awareness Month

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the National Indoor Toxic Mold Awareness Month. This awareness campaign was signed by the governors of Florida, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Nevada and Michigan and runs through October 5th.

Much of the message promoted by this awareness is similar to that of Emecole’s – controlling moisture within the home is critical towards preventing mold growth. Water seepage through cracked foundation walls and floors is another source of added moisture, as are uninsulated crawl spaces. General waterproofing and insulating/sealing foundation walls are one of the ways a homeowner can be proactive towards implementing indoor air quality control.

Indoor air quality isn’t only about ridding the basement or crawl space of musty smells or water seepage. The air circulating through the lower level of the home eventually will make its way up the stairs. Such poor air quality as a result of mold or radon gas infiltration can trigger allergies, asthma and other health problems. Louis Cole, the president of Emecole, has written an informational article about the continued necessity of building awareness towards indoor air quality control.

While the average consumer may not be aware of the importance of indoor air quality, it doesn’t mean we won’t stop spreading it’s importance. And more importantly, basement waterproofing contractors should strongly consider implementing indoor air quality control services to their existing businesses. Many indoor air quality services are directly related to waterproofing, giving the waterproofing contractors the product line necessary to better serve their customers.

Servicing Crawl Spaces a Viable Option for Waterproofers

If you ask the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Housing Surveyors, there are over 128 million homes in America. How many of those homes do you think have a crawl space? And how many of those are in your service area?

If you happen to live in the right part of the United States, there may be a lot of crawl spaces in your service area that you could be repairing, sealing and insulating.

Some waterproofers, especially in the southeastern states, are already catching on to the possibilities. Especially in this economy, professionals need to diversify their businesses in order to survive. With research backing the benefits, Emecole has developed some new products to seal and insulate crawl spaces to help you tap into this sector of the market.

For more information, please read our Tips to Insulate the Crawl Space resource article, or visit the Emecole.com crawl space section for more information about the EmeSeal System.

Diagnosing Concrete Cracks

Diagnosing concrete foundation cracks can be tricky. You have to look at the shape, size, pattern and frequency of the crack as well as the correlation between cracks in the floors, location of the crack and other site factors to truly determine the problem.

Sound like hard work already? Well, Emecole started in the crack business more than 20 years ago and has a line up of products to help deal with just about any crack.

Let’s start with Horizontal Cracks. Generally horizontal cracks are either the result of inadequate reinforcement or the result of pouring new concrete on old concrete, which results in a cold joint crack. The latter is easily taken care with the epoxy and adding carbon fiber staples would be a plus. A horizontal crack which is not a cold joint is most likely a structural problem and needs carbon fiber straps along with the epoxy. You have to reinforce the whole wall for proper repair. The staples are used to keep a crack from opening where the stress is just affecting the area around the crack and not the whole wall. This is usually found on a diagonal crack.

Vertical cracks usually aren’t the result of a structural problem. It is usually the result of expansion and contraction due to thermal changes. But if a vertical crack is larger at the bottom than the top it is caused from settlement under the building. These cracks may be less serious than horizontal when found in a masonry block wall but they cracks could be quite serious when found in a brick wall, especially if bond courses are broken and there is risk of collapse.

In nonstructural cracks, it is best to use a polyurethane crack injector. Polyurethane flexes with the crack while it creates a waterproof seal to stop any possible leaks.

Prefinishing Basements by Waterproofing Contractors

Marketing can be the trickiest part of any business. How much to spend on advertising? Where to place ads? How to get your name out there? But marketing a niche is even harder. You need to word your advertising and marketing material so your services match the needs of your customers, to inform your potential market just what can be done and why, because the finishing of a basement is often the real reason for their waterproofing call to you.

Because we are in the business, we understand all that the term “waterproofing” encompasses. But do your customers?  Do they know the effect of basement humidity on the overall quality of the air throughout the home? Are you using terms like stopping leaks, drying out basements or fixing cracks to describe what you do and not linking it to air quality issues? Do they know that finishing a basement should not begin until the air quality and waterproofing aspects have been performed by you?   

Those reactive customers you are marketing to, using those “solution terms,” have a problem they call you to fix. But who wants to wait for the emergency call when you could get to those customers before they have a problem (especially when the problem has a better solution for the planned finishing of their basement). 

We know that one of the most common remodeling projects—next to the master suite and the kitchen—is the basement remodel. So, why couldn’t you market your waterproofing services as “pre-finishing” services to get their basement ready to remodel?  That way you attract the proactive customers who want to have a safe, dry basement and thus improve the air quality of the entire home for a healthier living environment (not just in the new TV room, game room or kids’ bedrooms).  The best time to improve air quality of the home is before the basement is finished.

 Have you considered diversifying your marketing tactics to open up a new clientele without changing your services?  We can work with you on developing Marketing literature.  We would appreciate your comments.