The Crackman, Rich Comeras, as a public service, shares common questions that homeowners have regarding a wide range of homeowner insurance coverages. Today he is joined by his friend, Peter Marshall, from Marshall Insurance where they discuss: HOW MUCH OF A DEDUCTIBLE SHOULD I HAVE ON MY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE?

Rich: Hi, this is Rich from A1 Foundation Crack Repair, I’m here with Peter Marshall from Marshall Insurance. And we’re going over a question that often comes up, or should come up, is how do I determine how much of a deductible I should have on my homeowner’s insurance?

Peter: It’s a great question and I get asked it often. Back when I started in the industry, in the mid-90s, some people had a $250 property deductible on their homeowner’s. We really don’t see that anymore; over time it increases. The standard for years has been $500, but more and more, I’d say over the last 10 years or so, I’m having customers opt for $1,000, and that’s -- we’re almost getting to a point where that’s more the standard deductible. And the reason is, and what I talk my customers through is, you need to look at the savings to go from a $500 to a $1,000 deductible. And I tell them, we need to look at the breakeven point. If the savings on the premium to go with a higher deductible occurs within 2-3 years, you’re probably going to want to go with the higher deductible, because odds are, you won’t have a claim in the first 2-3 years. And if you don’t, after that you’re ahead of the game. Now, the premium savings, money in your pocket has exceeded that $500 increase that you might have to pay if you have a claim. So that guaranteed savings on the premium versus something you might have to pay if you have a loss. It’s worth it in most cases, to go with a $1,000, not always, and it’s something to look at closely. Great question.

Rich: Thank you, Peter. And if you have any insurance issues, feel free to call Peter Marshall from Marshall Insurance.

If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for watching and keep that basement dry.

The Crackman discusses how critical services like water proofing and crack repair continues on during the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

Narrator: It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I’m Darren Kincaid here with the Crackman himself, Rich Comeras. Rich has 30 years of experience in the construction industry and over 25 years’ experience as the President and founder of A1 Foundation and Crack Repair Inc. His podcasts provides expert basement waterproofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation’s valuable insight will help avert a disastrous flood within the basement, health problems associated with water infiltration, and protect your biggest investment….your home. The topic of today’s podcast: COVID-19 and Foundation Crack Repair?

Narrator: So Rich, the entire country has been impacted by this COVID-19 virus. Schools and restaurants are being shut down, and people are cowering in fear within their homes waiting for the nightmare to end. How are you balancing important services like water proofing and foundation crack repair while ensuring that concerns of your customers are being addressed?

Rich: We’re very concerned about our customers along with our employees.
What we’ve done is equip each truck. We have disinfectant wipes that they use before they go into your house. We always use latex gloves. We wipe doorknobs or anything else that they may directly touch. We keep safe distances between our customers as instructed by the government. We’re going into customer spaces usually through a bulkhead or through a passage door that goes directly into the basement. So, we’re really not involved in direct contact with them.

Our proposals and other things are emailed and signed electronically. So when our guys get back to the truck, they’re wiping everything down within the truck being fully aware of the threat of the spread of this thing. If anyone shows signs of a sniffle, cold, or sore throat, they are not going out on the road. So, all of us Americans, we will get through this and we hope everyone out there is healthy and helping us get through this. I really appreciate the business that you folks have given us and we will continue to be here to serve you with your foundation and crack repair needs.

Narrator: Great, that’s awesome. Obviously if you have a leaky basement or if you have some issues with water getting into the basement, that is not something that you want to postpone, right? You want to make sure those issues are dealt with immediately and you can do so safely by working with a professional like yourself as your taking all precautions possible as it relates to this virus.

Rich: That’s correct.

Narrator: Awesome. Well, thanks Rich for explaining how your dealing with the COVID-19 virus pandemic and thanks for all that you do to correct basement problems and for taking care of all the people around you.

If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for watching and keep that basement dry.

We have covered a wide variety of interesting case studies on this podcast.  This episode covers one that was pretty out there. Take a quick listen.

Narrator: Narrator:  It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. We’re here with the Crackdaddy “Adam”. This podcasts provides expert basement water proofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation’s valuable insight will help avert a disastrous flood within the basement, health problems associated with water infiltration within the basement, and protect your biggest investment….your home. The topic of today’s podcast: A Crackman Case Study: The Mysterious Garage Floor Foundation Water Leak. We have Crackdaddy here with us today. Happy new year, Adam.

Adam: Happy new year to you as well.

Narrator:  So, Adam, we are recording episode number 221 today, and we have covered a wide variety of interesting case studies. I understand you have one today that is pretty out there huh?     

Adam: Yeah, this one was kind of a unique situation. We’re at a house and the way this house is set up is you have the main foundation pour, and then you had an attached garage.They’re almost like two boxes of foundations poured next to each other. The garage floor is at the first floor level. So underneath the garage floor where they pour the foundation to support the garage is all just crushed stone and gravel, sand, and clay. Everything else set down to the footing. And on the opposite side of the wall where the garage meets, it goes into the basement. So the basement wall down in the foundation shares a common wall with the foundation wall for the garage, but on the other side of that wall is nothing but basically stones, rocks, and dirt. Narrator: Alright so if I am understanding you correctly, Adam, that shouldn’t really leak, right? I mean there’s no correlation between the two.

Adam: Yeah, in most cases when you have a shared wall like that, you have basically another foundation to prevent any water coming off rooflines. And those cracks, while they should still be repaired to keep the integrity of that wall together, most times they’re not leaking. In this case, it was a leaking crack, which was a kind of a rarer type of crack that leaks on these common walls with another foundation poured around it. And what happened in this house is that I walked around the property, it was pretty clear what was going on. They were on a pretty steep hill, and most of the water that comes towards the garage level is coming downhill, down the driveway, into where the garage area is. It wasn’t leaking into the garage and then into the foundation, what was happening is that the water was easily collecting in this raceway of the road and the driveway, and funneling into the property, which really raised the water table significantly, more so than it would on a normal rainstorm. So, as the water table rose, the gravel bed that’s underneath the concrete floor of the garage became super saturated. Under normal conditions, that’s not a big deal because there’s nothing there for it to leak into. But because the foundation was poured directly adjacent to that, it was coming into the basement of the house. So, we had water coming in from the outside on a crack which you couldn’t see because it was underground, and there was a garage on top of it.

Narrator: Well, so obviously you were able to fix the cracks and the leaks and things like that, but it sounds like there’s a long-term issue that had to be corrected. What do they do to fix the long-term issue of that grade in the water table and everything else?

Adam: Yeah, we were able to repair the crack through our injection process, which we do for most other leaking foundation cracks. Unfortunately, can’t regrade the property, it was too severe. But what we recommended to them is to look at putting in a trench drain at the front of the garage opening, so that way they could collect the rainwater coming from the driveway and they could safely put it into a dry well in the property away from the foundation to keep it a little bit dryer underneath that foundation area. Narrator: Wow, very interesting. Alright, well thanks for sharing this fascinating case study,

Adam.  If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for listening and keep that basement dry.

In this episode, Crackman Rich Comeras discusses how homeowners are perplexed that after 20 years of faithful service, their home’s foundation suddenly reveals cracks. One can imagine the first sign of cracks is cause for concern...people worrying that their house is about to crumble down. Rich explains how foundation wall cracks can suddenly appear after 20 years and what can be done about them.

Narrator: It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I’m Darren Kincaid here with the Crackman himself, Rich Comeras. Rich has 30 years of experience in the construction industry and over 25 years’ experience as the President and founder of A1 Foundation and Crack Repair Inc. His podcasts provides expert basement waterproofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation’s valuable insight will help avert a disastrous flood within the basement, health problems associated with water infiltration, and protect your biggest investment….your home. The topic of today’s podcast: Why am I suddenly starting to get Foundation Wall Cracks after 20 years?

So Rich, you are telling me about some regular calls you’re getting where people are complaining that their foundation walls, walls that have been pristine for years are suddenly showing signs of cracks. I can imagine that the first sign of cracks is cause for concern, you know, people worrying that their house is about to crumble down. What’s happening here?

Rich: Well it’s funny that we’ve been getting them now, this time of year. And I believe the reason we’re getting them is because we’ve had a lot of some snowstorms, we’ve had some warm weather, some melt, we’ve had some cold weather and freezing. And all this water when it melts, goes into the soil, and then it freezes, and it expands. Now concrete’s very strong being pushed down, but when it’s being pushed in towards the foundation, the soil pushing in on it, it’s not that strong. So, it’s the freeze-thaw cycle with the addition of rain and freeze is causing this.

It also can be caused because as simple as a heavy piece of equipment is going down the road and the grounds are frozen and you get vibrations in the area, which would increase the vibration, and people are getting cracks. Now we’re getting calls not just from Massachusetts, but from Rhode Island, New Hampshire, as well as Connecticut with this issue. And it’s based upon, and tracking it to the weather that’s happening. Now when they call, people call they are concerned, again, that their house is going to fall down. In most of these situations, it’s just what we call a settlement crack and they’re probably less than a quarter of an inch wide and they do go from top to the bottom of the foundation. Houses aren’t going to fall down, let me reassure you that. But they need to be repaired because it can allow cold air coming in, water coming in, insects and rodents to come in, along with the moisture that causes mold/ All of this can affect your health. So, we have offered this service for over 25 years now that does a repair on these cracks on the inside, no need to dig, and it comes with a written transferable warranty. So, if anybody has any questions, feel free to call or send a picture to us.

Narrator: Well thanks, Rich for explaining how foundation wall cracks can suddenly appear after 20 years and what can be done about them. If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for watching and keep that basement dry.

The Crackman, Rich Comeras, as a public service, shares common questions that homeowners have regarding a wide range of homeowner insurance coverages. Today he is joined by his friend, Peter Marshall, from Marshall Insurance where they discuss: IF A TREE ON MY PROPERTY DAMAGES MY HOUSE, AM I COVERED BY INSURANCE?

Rich: Hi, this is Rich from A1 Foundation Crack Repair, known as The Crackman. I’m here with Peter Marshall from Marshall Insurance, and a question that does come up is if a tree that is on my property falls on my house, am I covered?

Peter: Yes. Yes, your homeowner’s policy is going to cover the cost associated with removing the tree and make any repairs to the house, that were a result of the tree hitting the house. And something else to keep in mind, if a tree falls on your property and doesn’t hit a covered structure, like a shed, or the house, you can still have coverage to pay for the removal of the tree. It’s not included in the standard homeowner’s policy, but it can be added very inexpensively, and it’s typically included in a package of additional coverage that most homeowner’s insurance companies offer. So for a relatively small amount of money, you get a whole package of additional bell and whistle coverages, I like to call them. So if the cost to remove the tree that didn’t hit the house is $300, $500, you’re not going to have to pay that out of pocket. 

Rich: That’s good to know. And I know from experience anytime you have a tree guy come out, that’s going to cost you $1,500-$2,000. Peter: Yup.

Rich: So Peter, very good information. And thanks for listening. I’m Rich from A1 Foundation Crack Repair and with Peter Marshall of Marshall Insurance. So if you have any questions for insurance or foundation issues, feel free to give us a call. Thank you.         

If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for watching and keep that basement dry.

The Crackman, Rich Comeras, as a public service, shares common questions that homeowners have regarding a wide range of homeowner insurance coverages. Today he is joined by his friend, Peter Marshall, from Marshall Insurance where they discuss: IF WATER COMES INTO YOUR BASEMENT, WILL INSURANCE COVER IT?

Rich: Hi, thanks for joining us. I’m Rich from A1 Foundation Crack Repair, I’m here with Peter Marshall from Marshall Insurance Company, answering questions about insurance and foundations that can save you a lot of money. Peter, the first question I’d like to ask you is if water does come into your basement, is your insurance covering -- going to cover the damage in repair?

Peter: If water comes in -- if it’s surface water, that excess surface water that doesn’t drain properly and comes into the house through the foundation, the homeowner’s policy is not going to cover that. You would need flood insurance to cover that. And with flood insurance, not every time they’re surface water is it considered a flood. So, the definition of flood in a flood insurance policy is that it needs to either inundate more than two acres of land, or two or more contiguous lots to meet the definition of a flood. So, flood insurance would be the way to go but it’s not always going to be covered, it must meet those few requirements in a flood policy. But the homeowner’s is never going to cover surface water.

Rich: And I understand flood insurance can get kind of pricey. Peter you gave us some great information on water infiltration, and is it covered by insurance. Thank you very much. vPeter: Thank you.

If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for watching and keep that basement dry.

In this episode, we have Crack Daddy, Adam, with us to talk about a particularly pesky basement water problem a lot of people contact him about. Adam explains how freezing water around your home's sill plate can cause basement water problems.

Narrator:  It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. We’re here with the Crackdaddy, Adam Tracy. This podcasts provides expert basement water proofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation’s valuable insight will help avert a disastrous flood within the basement, health problems associated with water infiltration within the basement, and protect your biggest investment….your home. The topic of today’s podcast: Snow Banks and Sill Plates...Do I need to Worry about Basement Water?

Narrator: Do I Need to Worry About Basement Water? Today we have Crack Daddy Adam with us to talk about a particularly pesky basement water problem a lot of people contact him about. Why don’t you tell us about them, Adam. 

Adam: Yeah since we are in the winter months and snow appears right here in the northeast, sometimes we have a very short section of concrete that’s above the ground level. A lot of times in the wintertime people will start pushing snow against their house to clear their paths, and all of a sudden find out during the warmer days in the winter that they’re starting to get water in the basement. Whether it’s a finished basement or unfinished basement, I try to figure out where it’s coming from.

When we get this call, often it’s diagnosing where the water is actually trying to come in from. Now we know that if it’s coming in from a crack or a tie rod or a pipe penetration, that’s something that’s easily repaired under the things we normally do. What a lot of times we’ll see the water coming up and over the top of the concrete from the basement. So, when you’re in your basement, you’re looking at the top of the concrete. You’ll see water coming down from the top of the concrete or the wood.

Now the wood that attaches to the concrete is called your sill plate. That basically is the bottom structure of the lumber for the house so everything that is built on top of that gets anchored into the sill plate which gets anchored into the concrete foundation. Now on the outside of the house, that’s supposed to be properly flashed, and the flashing is supposed to be able to direct the water away from the house and not meet that sill. Because you have wood in contact with concrete there’s an actual little gap there, and so any water that’s able to get underneath and into that gap will eventually come through that sill plate and into the foundation.

So, we direct people that see the sill plate starting to be compromised, water coming up and over the edge there, they’ll ask us “What do you do”? The direction from us is to consult with a handyman or a carpenter or a siding company to evaluate the flashing on the outside first, because that’s your first line of defense. The other thing they would want to do is to obviously, not pile snow off right up against the foundation walls in the house itself. And the third thing is, for a longer-term application, is to see what you can do about grading so that you give yourself enough space between the wall and the siding.

Narrator: Well thanks Adam. Those are excellent tips and appreciate you explaining how freezing water around your home’s sill plate can cause basement water problems.  If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation crack repair and basement waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email Rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com.. Thanks for listening and keep that basement dry.

The Crackman, Rich Comeras, as a public service, shares common questions that homeowners have regarding a wide range of homeowner insurance coverages. Today he is joined by his friend, Peter Marshall, from Marshall Insurance where they discuss: IS A HOME’S FOUNDATION DAMAGED BY LIGHTNING COVERED BY INSURANCE?

Rich: Hi, this is Rich from A1 Foundation Crack Repair with my friend, Peter Marshall from Marshall Insurance. And I’ve been in the business for over 25 years, I’ve probably seen about 8 or 10 of these situations where a house was struck by lightning, and the lightning bolt came down through the house, to the foundation, and cracked it. Now Peter, if that happens, is a person covered under a regular homeowner’s insurance?

Peter: Typically, regarding homeowner’s insurance, when you hear lightning, yes. Whatever the loss is, whatever the damage is, it’s going to be covered, and that is true for the foundation as well. The foundation is limited as far as what it is covered against. For example, settling, shrinking, things like that, bulging, cracks that develop over time from settling, that’s not going to be covered. Property insurance is really designed for sudden and accidental types of losses. So, anything that occurs over time, which, foundations especially are subject to being underground most of the time, is not going to be covered. But something sudden and accidental, like lightning is going to be covered.

Rich: I do see also occasionally, a car going out of control and hitting a foundation and causing damage. So that’s covered, isn’t it?

Peter: It is, yes. And if the person driving the car is not the homeowner, it would be that person’s auto insurance, their liability on their auto that would pay for it. If the homeowner drives into their own house, yeah it would still be covered, subject to their property deductible.

Rich: Peter, very interesting to know and I hope nobody runs into this problem. But if you do, there’s a foundation company that I know that can take care of it, A1 Foundation Crack Repair. Thank you very much.

If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation repair and waterproofing topics, please visit

A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for watching and keep that basement dry.