Don’t Let the “Power of Water” Destroy Your Home

WATER IS POWERFUL!!! I know because I see the affect water has EVERY DAY when I visit homes all over Central Indiana. Over time, if you neglect the warning signs, water WILL destroy your home’s foundation, be it the floor in your crawl space or your basement walls.

I’m Dell Phillips of A-1 Indiana Waterproofing. We’re Indiana’s “oldest & finest” structural foundation company. Family owned & in business since 1976, we are THEE EXPERTS in foundation repair & stabilization plus basement & crawl space waterproofing. We service homes in central Indiana – from Lafayette to Bloomington & from Terre Haute to Richmond. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). We have also won the Super Service Award from Angie’s List for the past 8 years, including 2010. We value our great reputation.

Your home is a system, and every part of that system plays a role that affects the rest of your home. If your crawl space or basement walls begin to experience structural problems, develop wood rot, grow mold, etc then these issues will extend to every part of your home. Keeping your crawl space & basement foundation in good shape will help you avoid unnecessary expensive repairs, create a healthier living space, and save money on your utility bills over time.

Signs of Foundation Problems

Inside the house – 1) cracks in drywall 2) doors and windows that stick 3) cracks in floor or tile 4) misaligned doors or windows 5) foul odors in the house 6) heightened allergies or asthma symptoms due to mold or mildew growth
Outside the house – 1) gaps around doors or windows 2) cracks in the foundation blocks 3) cracks in the brick walls 4) fascia board pulling away 5) chimneys are tilting or leaning

Here are a few things you can do to improve your home’s structural foundation health.

Improve Drainage Around Your Home:

Make sure water is directed away from the downspout at the foundation of your home. This will help prevent rainwater from seeping into your crawlspace or basement. Also check the soil around your foundation to make sure it slopes away. If necessary, add additional soil to avoid areas where water may pool.

Install Airtight Doors & Vent Covers:

Sealing your crawl space doors and vents stops humidity and moisture entering your crawl space from the outside air. Seal your vents so humidity doesn’t get underneath your crawl space & saturate your wood joists & flooring thus causing mold & rot issues. (see Mechanical Ventilation System below)

Remove Any Water Sources:

Eliminate any sources of water in your crawl space or basement by installing our Gator drainage system next to your footer plus a sump pump system. Holes need to be drilled into each block core so standing water is eliminated. Water inside the blocks is what causes your sill plate to rot or your block walls to deteriorate which will put you on the road to major structural problems. Our Gator drainage system eliminates water leakage into your crawl space or basement.

Install a Vapor Barrier:

To stop water moisture from passing through the crawl space dirt into the wood floors, a fiberglass reinforced vapor barrier should be installed. A durable liner traps the moisture in the ground thus allowing your joists and wood flooring to stay dry plus prevent mold, stale air and wood rot from forming. NOTE: DO NOT let anyone talk you into an Encapsulation system. It’s bad for the health of your house…..it’s only common sense not to encapsulate.

Install a Mechanical Ventilation System:

Installing an energy efficient, self-draining ventilation unit in your crawl space OR basement (we use the E-Z Breathe unit) will keep your space dry while also preventing humidity, mold & toxins to build up. This stale air, if left to remain will rise up into your house. New technology has advanced today’s units into maintenance free usage after installation. The benefits are truly worth your investment.

Repair The Structure: floor support system

If your floor is sagging or damaged by prolonged wood rot, the next step is to install a structural support system to help restore the integrity of your floors. Whether it’s a floor jack system or installing new concrete piers & columns with new wood beams, this will stabilize your floors and stop any future structural damage.

Repair The Structure: steel push piers

If you have windows or doors that won’t easily open, cracks inside on your exterior walls or have exterior cracks in your brick walls then your actual footing may be sinking or cracked thus causing these major problems. Installing steel push piers into the ground and underneath your footing will help stabilize these areas so any future settling won’t occur.

Repair The Structure: total wall replacement

Sometimes, your crawl space or basement walls are in such terrible condition that any type of stabilization will not help it. Thus we have to remove the old wall so we can install a new wall. This happens more times than you think.

So checking for, and repairing any of these early problems you might see, will save you aggravation and money in the long run. Structural problems only get worse over time, if you neglect them. You can compare the foundation of your house to the feet and legs on your body. If you have problems with walking or standing then it’s just like your house having foundation issues with your crawl space or basement….you need to take care of all problems to have a healthy and productive life….be it your body or your home’s foundation.

IF you have any of the above problems & want me to come out for a FREE evaluation….then just contact me.

ATTENTION RAINMAKERS: 10% RAINMAKER MEMBER DISCOUNT (up to $300 total) for any work signed up by March 31, 2011

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Dell Phillips is a qualified Inspector & marketing director for A-1 Indiana Waterproofing located in Avon, IN. They are Indiana’s “oldest & finest” structural foundation company. A-1 is family owned & in business since 1976 and THEE EXPERTS in foundation repair & stabilization plus basement & crawl space waterproofing. For more information, visit their website at www.a1dell.com or call (317)847-7849

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Dell’s Niche:

• Residential homes over the vast area of Central Indiana needing structural foundation repairs or waterproofing installed
• Churches in Central Indiana needing structural foundation repairs or waterproofing installed

Good Connections for Dell:

• ANY businesses who are working in homes on a daily basis; plumbers, electricians, HVAC, window replacement contractors, home nurses, carpet cleaners, mold remediators, etc
• Structural Engineers
• Home Remodelers or “Flippers”
• Real Estate Agents
• Home Inspectors
• Anyone interested in my 3% Referral Program … www.ReferDell.com
• I have a 3% Referral Program where YOU get 3% of a total contract. JUST by giving me a referral name where we ACTUALLY do the job, you will get 3% of the total job (with a cap of $600) — after we get paid. It’s $100 to $600 for your wallet. Go to www.ReferDell.com & sign up to become eligible & get more info. It’s easy, it’s simple >> U Win – I Win. I have shared over $1,400 in the past 3 months with other fellow Rainmakers & past clients from this program. IT WORKS!