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Interior Systems
Congratulations on buying the best basement waterproofing system
on the planet. The subfloor system that has been installed in your
basement is guaranteed for the lifetime of the structure, transferable
upon sale as long as a notification letter is sent within 30 days of the
transfer of property. Our special patented sub-floor system, the Water
Trek Aqua Route®, is an exclusive patented design from Basement
Technologies. There is a possibility that we may have installed a
baseboard system due to a special footing configuration called a
monolithic floor. In special situations we will install the baseboard
system above the ground and this system is guaranteed for the
lifetime structure as well. The Water Trek Aqua Route® system is
installed underneath the floor and catches water as it comes in over
the footing and before it reaches the surface of the floor. It then
drains into a lower area called the Water Grabber® or to your already
installed sump pump. If you have a system without a sump pump, we
will guarantee the system exclusive of the discharge area, which
means if there is a backup due to non-discharge, this malfunction
obviously cannot be Basement Technologies responsibility. The
baseboard system guarantees the floor wall joint only. The Water Trek
Aqua Route® system, if a full perimeter is installed, guarantees the
entire floor from leaking. In special cases you may need to install
another product on the wall to catch the water to drain it down
underneath the surface. The Water Grabber sump is the best available
on the market, using a Barnes 1/2 or 1/3 horsepower primary pump.
The liner is approximately 23” deep with perforations on the side of it.
Each system has its’ own warranty, so please note which one you have.
Exterior Systems
Any system installed on the exterior is not warranted. These are
installed on a trial basis and due to the weather conditions and the
possibility of soil infiltration, there are no warranties on exterior
systems in any case.
The Warranty
Full perimeter systems cover the area on the inside of the basement
floor. If there is water that pours in from a window and does not get
caught from the special cove base product above the floor, there will
be additional work necessary and additional cost. In finished
basements, if the wall was not removed, we warranty on the inside of
the wall only. Water can sometimes infiltrate behind the wall and then
drop down to the sub-floor. This can only happen if an under
excavation process was done. Our sales representative has fully
educated you on the realities of water proofing in a finished basement
using a sub-floor system. If you have a leaking wall crack, it is
necessary to let our Design Engineer know prior to installation. If it
starts leaking after the system is installed, there may be an additional
cost to fix this area. Any leaks on the interior of the floor, if a full
perimeter is installed, are covered under the warranty. We cannot be
held responsible to remove carpet, walls, etc. in order to make any
needed repairs. Our warranty covers repairing the system only.
What is Covered
BaseBoard – Leaks where water is leaking out of the system onto the floor.
Water Trek Aqua Route® – Leaks from the floor at the perimeter, or from floor
cracks in the center of the floor if the full perimeter is installed. We cannot be
responsible for contents or moving carpet or walls to issue repairs.
Pumps – Pumps are covered by manufacturer’s warranty only. Basement
Technologies installs the best pump possible and tests all pumps after
installation.
Condensation and Humidity
Condensation and humidity can occur during the hotter seasons of the
year and in a heated basement. In the Summer and Spring it is common
to receive phone calls that the concrete appears wet. This wetness is
due to the humidity in the air that turns to dampness on the cool
concrete. Warm air settles onto the cool concrete producing dampness
called condensation. This condensation has no bearing on the sub-floor
system. The system is not leaking, it is natural for the area above the
drainage system to appear damp in warm air due to the cool air or cool
water that is present underneath the floor. The combination of the cool
air or water under the floor and the warm air above; dampness can
appear on the concrete as condensation. A sure test for condensation is
to install a piece of tin foil duct tape onto the concrete. If the tin foil
appears wet on both sides, after a 24 hr. period, then it is condensation.
Similar to a glass of water with ice on a hot day. Wetness occurs on the
side of the glass - the glass is not leaking - it is condensation.
A dehumidifier goes a long way in a basement. A basement is a
subterranean environment much like a cave. It can get damp very
quickly. Running a dehumidifier should be an important part of a
basement waterproofing solution. We offer a product called the Bon
Aire™ and the Air Mop® which can control the humidity and
condensation in your basement. Please see your representative or call
our office for pricing on these excellent products. We will be glad to talk
to you about condensation and humidity on the phone, however,
sending a truck out on a service call for condensation and humidity
will incur a service charge billed to you even if you are a Deluxe
Maintenance Program customer. Our professional technicians watertest
each system prior to leaving to ensure that the waterproofing
system is working and will function without problems. We strongly
advise yearly service on the pump, which is a manufacturer’s warranted
product and not warranted by us unless a yearly service is performed on
the pump. Service calls on condensation, humidity and non-warranted
problems result in a service charge.
The Pumps
We advise yearly maintenance on the mechanical device (pump) that we
have installed in your basement. The system itself is warranted for the
lifetime of the structure, transferable upon sale as long as written
notification is sent within 30 days of transfer, however the pump is a
mechanical device, much like a car engine, it needs maintenance. We
offer this maintenance for a fee and it should be done annually. If the
pump is maintained and serviced annually by our company, you will
receive a lifetime pump replacement. So in the event that your pump
dies, we will replace it at no cost. Please note there is always a service
charge for pump maintenance or swapping out. Service calls about
non-warranted problems result in a service charge.
Deluxe Maintenance Programs
We offer a one, three and five year Deluxe Maintenance Program.
Please call our office for pricing. When you own these programs you
are guaranteed to have a pump replacement for that time span.
Pumps are covered under a separate manufacturer’s warranty. We also
supply a 24-hour phone number to a live technician to aid with pump
trouble at odd hours. We call you to schedule your yearly service.
Larger Sump Pumps
Usually a 1/3 horsepower Barnes pump is strong enough for any job,
however, if the volume of water that is coming under your basement is
more than normal, and we need to beef up the sump pump to 1/2 or
3/4 horsepower, there will be an additional charge for this. We cannot
initially see how much water is expected and can only guess at the
volume. If you have a pre-installed sump pump that you wish us to tie
into our system, we cannot warranty that pump in any form. We
always advise that you consider buying our Water Grabber®, sump well
and pump, to ensure a solid, functional mechanical device.
Water Grabber® Discharge Lines
We always install A Freeze StopTM with our Water Grabber®. This is
a patented product which allows the water to escape if the 4” line
underneath the yard is frozen. Your sump pump will be discharged
through the Freeze StopTM to a 4” line out to a Bubbler PotTM on
your lawn.
We obviously cannot be responsible for the layout of your land or the
volume of water that comes out, therefore, the initial position chosen
by you and your design engineer is the homeowner’s responsibility to
be sure that the water drains away from the home. Our Design
Engineer will discuss with you the importance of having the water
drain away from the home. If there is additional footage needed on
the exterior of the house, there will be an additional charge to
complete this work.
The Alternator™ is an option we offer which can divert water to
another chosen discharge point. Please call our office for current
pricing and options.
Partial Systems
Partial systems are systems that do not encompass the entire
perimeter of the basement. We can only warranty the area(s) that have
been treated. It is always best to have the full perimeter of the
basement done, but sometimes a trial of an area first is considered and
then done. If a partial system is installed and it leaks outside the area
installed, there will be a charge to extend a partial system even if it is
close to the original partial system.
Water Coming Over the System
Water coming out of the wall and over the drainage system onto the
floor is highly unusual, and is usually not covered under the warranty.
If there are problems with water coming off the wall and over our cove
base, some further work may have to be done. It is important to discuss
with your dealer all the problems or issues before the work starts so it
can be addressed during the job. There may be additional expenses to
correct the problem.
Window Wells
Window wells that fill up and cause water to leak through the window
can be a problem. Clogged gutters could be overflowing into the
window well. If a Water Trek Aqua Route® system is installed, it will
catch the water running down the wall from the window in most cases.
Water from window well flooding can be controlled, but only guaranteed
if our Water Well® system is installed into our Water Trek Aqua Route®
system. Most window wells do not present a problem and are therefore
not fitted with dedicated drains when a water control system is installed,
unless it is an observed problem that needs to be addressed.
Alarms & Troubleshooting
The Water Grabber® comes with an alarm. Our new alarm in the Water
Grabber® is a Basement Technologies alarm that is activated by a float
which indicates that the water level has risen past the primary pumps.
Power failures to pumps are devastating episodes; it appears the
system has failed. This is not true. The system is working, dropping
water into the Water Grabber®, however, the Water Grabber® is unable to
pump out the water. We find that this is usually due to either a power
outage or the switch at the top of the basement stairs triggers the
outlet that the sump pump is plugged into. It is important that the
electrical outlet for your pump not be tied to a switch of any sort. It is
also important that GFI plugs not be installed for our Water Grabber®
sump pumps and Barnes 1/3 horsepower primary pumps. Failure can
also result if the float on the pump is hung up on the side of the liner
or a stone has jumped the impeller and lodged itself in the bottom of
the pump.
Steps To Take In the Event of Pump Failure:
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Electrical check - Plug a radio (or similar device) into the pumps
outlet to see if there is power to the outlet. If there is no power, turn
any light switches around the pump on and off to see if pump turns
on. Check circuit breakers or outlet.
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Float switch - Bypass the float by disconnecting the piggyback plug
and plug the “back” plug directly into the outlet. See if the pump
kicks on. If the pump starts, move to Step 3. If the pump does not
start, skip Step 3 and move to Step 4.
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Float hung up - Remove bolts from lid and slide top up and away.
Shine light into the sump to see water level and see whether float is
stuck on side liner wall. Move pump sideways away from wall to
dislodge the float.
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Stone in impeller - Raise pump by pulling up on 1-1/2” pipe and
quickly releasing - setting pump onto the bottom of sump liner.
This will free any stones caught in the pump’s impeller.
Battery Back-Ups
We offer a variety of battery back-ups. Please call our office for the current
pricing on our options. Battery back-ups are an excellent way to avoid any
mechanical or power failures. If your pump does not have power, it will
fail, and you will flood. Battery back-ups are strongly recommended.
Finishing Basements
Basement Technologies offers a special package to finish your walls and
floors. Our products are exclusively designed for a basement environment
and ensure that your area will stay dry and beautiful. Please call to see our
current pricing for products. Finish WhiteTM wall panels and Hot FloorTM
flooring systems are excellent items to install when finishing your
basement. Please be sure that if you have your carpenter or remodeler
come in after our system is installed, they must call our office to be
advised on what not to do. Any puncturing into the concrete will
jeopardize the warranty of your system. Tackless strips cannot be nailed
into or around the system. Please be careful not to jeopardize your system
warranty by having people come in and finish your basement without
talking to us. Generally, no perforations or walls should be installed with
nails on top of our system. We have many excellent products that are
available for your use. If you have questions about any products or items,
please do not hesitate to call our office. Below is a listing of our excellent
products and useful additions to your basement waterproofing system.
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