5 Steps to a Dry Basement or Crawl Space : A Guide for Homeowner & Professional: Also Included, Slab Foundations, All about Gutters, Mold and Bacteria

by Gay, Ronald K.

• ISBN13: 9780976365204
• ISBN10: 0976365200
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-31
• Publisher: Welkin House

Summary

It's raining, water starts seeping into your home's basement; what can a homeowner do? Fortunately, a new comprehensive book from WELKIN HOUSE can help fix that wet basement problem without expensive waterproofing methods. The author, Ronald Gay, is a veteran in the field of residential construction and consulting for over twenty years, specializing in wet-basement consulting for over ten. In this ground-breaking guide for homeowner and professional, new lessons are taught that make all the difference in solving this stressful, home-maintenance nightmare. This is an easy-to-understand, hands-on approach. Finally, every homeowner with a wet-basement or crawl space has a true ally.

Author Biography

This is Ronald Gay's second book, the first was House & Home Almanac for Real Estate Professionals. He grew up in a construction family seeing water and sewer lines installed and pumping stations and waste treatment plants constructed. He is a third-generation carpenter, licensed builder for twenty years and a past home inspector of over two thousand homes. He has consulted homeowners and real estate professionals on specific problems relating to roofing, basements and crawls, historic construction, and environmental matters. He is a lifetime resident of Southeast Michigan, an area that may qualify as the wet-basement capital of the world.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	xi
Preface	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Introduction	xix
PART I BASIC FACTS
My Experience with Wet Basements	3	(3)
House Foundations	6	(3)
The Nature of Concrete	9	(2)
Protecting Foundations	11	(3)
Drains & Drain Lines	14	(3)
Soils	17	(3)
Water Tables	20	(2)
Flooding	22	(2)
Sources of Unwanted Water	24	(2)
Underground Tunnels	26	(3)
PART II THE 5 STEPS
Step 1: Describe Existing Problem	29	(4)
Step 2: Inspecting Your Home	33	(19)
Step 3: Correct Roof Run-off	52	(6)
Step 4: Correct Landscaping	58	(6)
Step 5: Correct Sumps, Drains, Cracks	64	(3)
Case Studies	67	(10)
PART III SOUND ADVICE
Permanent Exterior Plumbing	77	(2)
Bad Fixes	79	(4)
Aftermarket Waterproofing Systems	83	(4)
A House Without Gutters	87	(2)
Slab Foundations	89	(2)
Septic Systems	91	(2)
Drainage Ditches	93	(1)
Other Issues	94	(1)
House Shopping	95	(4)
PART IV ALL ABOUT GUTTERS
Purpose	99	(1)
Gutter Types	100	(2)
Installing Gutters	102	(3)
Downspouts & Splash Blocks	105	(8)
Alternative Methods & Products	113	(2)
Maintaining Gutter Systems	115	(4)
QUICK TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
APPENDIXES
A. Soil Types Expanded	119	(2)
B. Construction Standards & Codes	121	(5)
C. Flood Management	126	(2)
D. Side Effects of Seepage	128	(2)
E. Side Effects of Aftermarket Waterproofing	130	(1)
F. Mold & Bacteria	131	(3)
G. Drain-cleaning Tips	134	(1)
H. Resources	135
Glossary
Bibliography
Index