Basement waterproofing and crawl space repair in UT

Things to Know about MOLD

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:21:15 -0500

What is Mold? Molds are forms of fungi that are found everywhere- both indoors and outdoors all year round. Another term for mold is mildew. Mold growth is encouraged by warm and humid conditions, although it can grow in and during cold weather also. There are literally thousands of species of mold and they can be found in any color including white, orange, green, brown and black.

How does mold get into a house or building? Most if not all of the mold found indoors comes from outdoor sources. It seems likely to grow and become a problem only where there is water damage, high humidity or dampness. All molds need moisture to grow. Common sources of indoor moisture that can cause mold problems include flooding, roof and plumbing leaks, damp basements or crawlsapces and anywhere moist air condenses on cold surfaces.

Can Mold be toxic? Some molds can produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. Small amounts of mold growth in workplaces or homes (such as mildew on a shower curtain) are not a major concern, but no mold should be permitted to grow and multiply indoors. When molds are present in large quantities, they may cause a bad odor and health problems for some people. Mold can damage building materials, finishes and home furnishing. Some mold have even been known to cause structural damage to homes such as wood framed homes.

Who is affected by exposure to mold? There can be a wide variation in who can be affected by mold exposure. People who may be affected more severely and quickly than others include infants and children, elderly people, pregnant women and individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies and asthma.

Who do I call to deal with any type of Mold growth in my Home? Utah Basement Systems is the Authorized dealer of Basement Systems Inc. and specializes in curing any mold problems you may be having by identifying the source of the mold growth and designing a customized solution to your problem. Do yourself a favor and do not put off dealing with mold issues in your home. Let us come to your home and find the source and stop it dead in its' tracks. We have over 25 patented products designed to help you solve any water damage or mold issues you may be having in your crawlspace or basements.

Any Questions? Park City Utah

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:19:08 -0500

I thought I would share an experience that I recently had.. I did an inspection on a Beautiful Condo in the Park City area that is a vacation home for a gentleman from California. As I did my inspection with this man he let me know that he only uses this property a few weeks a year. The reason that he bought in Utah is because his daughter and her family live in Nebraska and this is a nice place for them to get together in between their respective homes. This is probably a 5000-6000 square foot home that sits kind of at the bottom of the complex. It was one of the first to be completed and unfortunately all the other units seem to shed their rain water runoff toward his unit. It is about a $7000.00 WG+TS job. As it turns out this gentleman's daughter is also his partner in this property and she was very skeptical about the proposal he presented to her.......So she called me and started asking all kinds of questions. I calmly answered her questions and she seemed to relax a little....then she for some reason mentioned that she lived in Nebraska. This was the week after Convention and I remembered all the rewards that the Thrasher Group won at the Convention. I told her that our Company did a great deal of business in Nebraska and asked her if she had ever heard of "Thrasher". She paused, and said, do you guys have the same product as Thrasher? I said we did.....and she said, OK, well that answers my questions. Thanks Thrasher!

Leaky or Damp Crawlspace in Utah County

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:08:00 -0400

Everyone notices water damage in their basement because we see it or feel it, but do we notice our damp or leaky crawlspaces? If left unattended, these crawlspaces will accumulate mold, water damage and much more. Utah Basement Systems uses CleanSpace, a revolutionary product to help prevent future damage to your crawlspace. If you haven't been in your crawlspace for a while, go check it out NOW. You might be interested in what has been going on in your crawlspace. Here in Utah we had a customer tell us that he hadn't been in his crawlspace in iver ten years. He decided to go check it out one day and what he discovered was that his crawlspace was full of large pockets of mold and standing water. He called Utah Basement Systems and we went out to help him solve the issues. Our crew installed the Clean Space Product and he couldn't have been happier. It wasn't just that we fixed his problem, it was the peice of mind that we gave him knowing that mold and standing water wer no longer going to be a problem for him and his home. If you have been wanting to get your crawlspace cleaned up and fixed go to our website at Utah Basement Systems and get signed up for a free estimate.

Backup Sump Pumps: not just for power outages.

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:20:21 -0500

When we think of battery operated backup sump pumps, we think of storms that knock off power and kill the main pump. However, every year, a lot of basements flood without a power outage.

Sump pump failure, a glitch in the pump switch, a tripped circuit breaker or even someone accidentally unplugging the pump are things that happen more often than you think.
I just read a blog from someone who had his basement under water because he had unplugged the pump for a while to plug in a power tool, and when he was done with the tool he completely forgot to plug it back in.

A battery operated backup sump pump system such as the Basement System’s UltraSump is vital to keep your basement from flooding whenever the main pump is out of commission, for any reason.

This powerful, high capacity DC battery operated pump system is capable of pumping 11.000 gallons with the power stored in a fully charged battery, and comes with an alarm that will let you know when the main pump stops and the backup kicks in.

UltraSump is part of the innovative TripleSafe system, the only system in the industry guaranteed to reduce the chances of a basement flood to statistical insignificance.

Contact us for a free estimate and see how affordable it is to have your basement fully protected.

Bring light into your basement with SunHouse Window Wells

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:26:58 -0500

Revamp your basement, beautifying your window wells.

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:14:36 -0500

As stated in this article, published today in the Deseret News, "Basements are not just for storing canned peaches anymore".

Even in a slow housing market, the basement remodel industry continues to grow. Homeowners begin to see the advantages of having a dry finished basement, in terms of cost, function and valuable space it adds to the property.

The Deseret News article shows that you can add a lot to your basement project with new, modern window wells, therefore you should not neglect them in your remodel project.

Beauty meets function in many available options, that will help you improve your basement's safety, looks and energy efficiency.
Our ScapeWEL Egress Window Systems, for example, will provide the necessary safety escape in your basement, and the small terraces in the well, can be decorated with plants, creating a pleasant little sight as you can see in this picture.

Our SunHouse Window Wells reflect daylight right into your basement ceiling, considerably brighting up the whole environment.

If you are considering a basement remodel, now or in the future, consider make new windows and window wells part of the project early on.

Scary waterproofing sales tactics: how to avoid falling for them.

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:19:44 -0500

While researching about waterproofing contractors over the internet, customers are bound to find, mostly in home improvement forums, a number of complaints about questionable sales tactics used by some waterproofing contractors. Customers usually complain about the same practices, used over and over, by some companies.

There is the awful “mold scare” tactic, the gross misrepresentation of the amount and urgency of repairs, the bashing of competitors to keep homeowners from getting additional estimates. To force a quick closing there is the very popular but extremely dishonest technique of jacking up the price and, when the homeowner refuses the proposal, offer overly generous "discounts" (as high as 50% sometimes), “but only if you close the deal right now”.

Some stories are so horrific that it is no wonder Federal Trade Commission issued the "Cooling-off rule" to protect homeowners, especially elderly ones, from aggressive door-to-door sales tactics. A version of this rule was made into law in every U.S. state.

Those laws allow homeowners to change their minds when they purchase something from a salesperson outside the company's place of business. They give you around 3 days to cancel the deal, and get a full refund with cancellation fees.

However you can keep yourself from having to cancel a deal by not signing one and knowing what you are looking for when it comes to waterproofing,
This article will give you tips on 7 things you should expect from a good waterproofing contractor. A must read for any homeowner shopping for waterproofing contractors.

Or, you can just save yourself some time and aggravation by contacting us for a Free Estimate. Experience what our WOW service philosophy is all about, from the sales process to the completion of the job and throughout the years, as we service your systems and honor our warranty.