This sure has been an active summer with all the severe thunderstorm activity taking place. In Chicago, we feel like we’re dealing with the brunt of Mother Nature’s fury. With an abundance of severe weather, power outages and flooded basements  on the rise, we felt it was important to discuss the possible scenarios that may occur as a result of a flooded basement.

Our newest article posting to the Emecole website, What to Know if Your Basement Floods, discusses the various drainage and structural repairs that may be necessary as a result of  flood.

By implementing the necessary basement waterproofing practices, you hopefully will never have to worry about the aftermath of a flood.

Emecole President Lou Cole’s latest article on battery backup sump pump systems is now posted on EzineArticles.com. In this article, Lou discusses the difference between AC power and DC power and the necessary considerations by homeowners when choosing a system. While ensuring that the basement remains dry is important to whole home health, understanding how the performance of your battery backup system is important to further maximize the life of the sump pumps.

View Article: AC Versus DC Powered Battery Backup Systems

Despite a slowing economy and housing downturn, the basement remodeling market actually grew in 2007-2008, according to SBIReports.com. Some say it is because of the slow housing market. If they can’t sell, they remodel.

Basement remodeling is projected to increase over the next five years with more families making their basements entertaining rooms, media rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms and family rooms. That is why it is imperative to pre-finish a basement to guard against moisture and mold problems, radon gas, and water damage.

A good pre-finishing system is like insurance for your basement remodel. Before you even think of hanging sheet rock, stop all active water leaks and seal cracks in the walls, floors and around the cove (where the floor meets the walls). Seal the cracks around the sump pit as well to stop moisture and radon gas from moving into the house.

Treat the basement walls with a deep penetrating concrete sealer to reduce the vapor molecules from moving through the concrete walls.

Consider installing a back-up sump pump system. Please visit the Emecole.com sump pump section for more information.

Also Emecole recommends installing a waterproof insulating blanket to block the rest of any moisture and add insulation. Traditional fiberglass insulation is a food source for mold. The insulating blanket reflects the heat back into the basement making the home more energy efficient.

Now, it is time to finish the basement. It is best to use mold-resistant materials—mold-resistant sheetrock and flooring—to reduce food sources for mold in case moisture enters the basement.

When the water level gets to a certain point, a float switch or equivalent is what triggers the sump pump to turn on and start pumping and when to subsequently stop pumping.

In a mechanical failure, the float switch is the culprit. But not all float switches are created equal.

Here are the four main kinds of switches:

• Tethered Float Switch: This kind of float switch comes on a piece of wire with the float on the end. As the water level rises, the little ball floats to the top and triggers a limit switch on the pump. The common problem with this type of float is that it gets caught on things in the pit (such as the cords)
• Pressure sensitive diaphragm switches are not really “floats” at all but work with the same concept. These types of pumps are completely under water and the rubber diaphragm senses when the water pressure increases and turns on the pump. With this design, the rubber diaphragm can harden and gets brittle over time, which causes the switch to not activate the pump when needed.
• Electronic switches don’t have an actual float either. This switch has electronic sensors triggered by rising water. Although this is an exciting idea it is still not proven.
• Vertical action float switches run on a rust-proof rod and the float rides on this vertical rod. When the float gets to the top, it activates the limit switch. This float switch is clamped to the discharge line (the PVC pipe that runs the water out of the house). This is a simple idea that has proven, for us, to be the most reliable option. This type of switch (which is remote from the pump) allows the pump to run longer and discharge more gallons/cycle, allowing the switch to run less often and thus last longer when compared with switches attached directly to the pump body.

Remember, it isn’t if the pump will fail, it is when (ie. because of switch failure, or that the pump motor fails to function, or the outside power shuts down) No matter what kind of pump you choose, it is important to have a reliable backup pump system to kick on when your pump malfunctions and allows the basement to flood.

A Wednesday article by the American Patriot includes some good ideas that each homeowner should consider when thinking about basement flooding. The recommendations were issued by FEMA to North Dakota residents this week, in preparation for potential problems caused by melting show and heavy spring rains. One of the most important, yet, overlooked aspect is flood insurance.

It’s the first thing to do because there is a 30-day waiting period before a policy can take effect. If the waters are rising, it may be too late to file a flood insurance claim.

Examine and clean your sump pump, if you have one. Test your sump pump by pouring water into the pit. Make sure the discharge hose carries the water several feet away from the house to a well-drained area. Also make sure that the pipe is on sloped ground so it drains to prevent it from freezing.

If you are living in new home, you might consider replacing the primary sump pump, unless you know for sure that pump installed is a reliable brand. Most builders install lesser efficiency sump pumps in order to reduce costs. Furthermore, you should consider backup sump pumps in the event the primary pump fails or for when power fails.

Full Article: North Dakota: Spring Rainfall, Snow Melt Can Cause Flooding