The Crackman gets identical basement water calls in Reading and Leominster Mass on the same day

Joseph Coupal - Monday, August 17, 2020

Rich had two different calls that were basically identical--one from Reading Massachusetts and one from Leominster Massachusetts--where the callers complained about water collecting in the corners of the basement. In this episode, Rich explains how water can collect in basement corners on hot, humid days.

Narrator: It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I’m Darren Kincaid here with the Crack Man himself, Rich Comeras. Rich has 30 years’ experience in the construction industry and over 25 years as the president and founder of A1 Foundation Crack Repair. This 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: The Crackman gets identical basement water calls in Reading and Leominster, MA on the same day.

Narrator: So Rich, I understand you had two different calls the other day that were basically identical, one from Reading, MA and the other one from Leominster, MA, where the callers complained about water collecting in the corners of their basement. What can you tell us about it?

Rich: Yeah it was interesting calls, two calls, we run into this every year when it starts to get humid out. People call and they say in the corner of my basement or in the garage. These people happen to say in the corner of their basement, they were getting dampness. One in Reading, one in Leominster, MA, and I asked them a few questions. I asked them how long you’ve been in the house? And one had been in the house quite a few years, the other one just four years. And I asked them, does this happen mostly during the summertime? And they go, yes it does, and I can’t figure it out because it’s not raining, it’s been dry for over a couple of weeks. And we find out that it’s in the corner, and what happens in the corner is you have a floor, you have one wall, and then you have the other wall that meets up against it at a 90 degree angle. So you have three pieces of concrete. Now each one of these pieces of concrete is below grade and it’s colder than the air, and that’s the coldest pockets in the corners of a foundation. So you can get condensation because the surface is colder than the air. It’s like if I gave you a glass of water and with ice in it, and you put it on the counter, you would get condensation. So that’s what most cases we’re getting. And if you want to check that out just to be sure that there’s no water coming in, one, you look for cracks in the foundation wall on the inside or the outside. If you want to double check that, you want to take a garden hose and put it on the ground outside near that corner and run water, run it for 45 minutes, turn it off for 15, and do it two or three times. There’s maybe a tie rod, a little dimple that’s leaking, it could be where the floor and the wall meet that’s leaking, and if these things don’t happen, and it happens only during the summertime, then you have condensation. Then the question is, how can I stop this condensation? Well, the way that you can do that, you’re not going to stop it, but you’re going to be able to take the moisture out of the air itself by putting a dehumidifier in. The problem with dehumidifying is everybody forgets to empty the basement. Well we have some dehumidifiers that we provide to customers that will take the moist out of the air, and it has a pump that will pump the water from the basin out so you never have to think about it. That was our two calls, very similar, and those are the solutions.

Narrator: Great, and it’s probably not a good idea to have a lot of moisture in the basement, especially in dark areas, you can get mold, mildew and things like that. Right? Rich: It certainly is. And one other point that I want to make is, it seems like a nice day so people want to open up their windows in the basement. Refrain from doing that, because all you’re doing is letting the moist air into the basement. Close the windows and put a dehumidifier.

Narrator: Alright. Well a good advice from The Crackman, as always. And we appreciate you explaining how water can collect in the basement corners on hot, humid days, especially in the summertime.

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.

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A-1 Foundation Crack Repair, Inc. is a fully registered home improvement contractor. Contact us today to talk to a knowledgeable, master waterproofing professional.

E-mail: info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com
Toll Free: 866-929-3171

Call Us Today at 866-929-3171

A-1 Foundation Crack Repair, Inc. is a fully registered home improvement contractor. Contact us today to talk to a knowledgeable, master waterproofing professional.