Every year in the wet fall and spring, thousands of homeowners and commercial property owners across the country suffer flooded basements, loss of personal property, personal time, and indeed the cost of cleanup. The best kind of basement waterproofing you can do to prevent flooding in your home is to insure effective exterior drain cleaning.  Many new homeowners do not realize that basements are actually kept dry and in-tact from a drainage system surrounding the...

We recently answered a couple of caller’s questions about exactly what foundational waterproofing is. Waterproofing is not limited to preventing foundation leaks and leaky basement repair services. This drives us to focus this blog post on the fundamental definition and concept of waterproofing. Foundation waterproofing is a process which is designed to prevent water from penetrating a building. (Stay with us here, we promise to get beyond the obvious.)  Usually extensive waterproofing measures are added...

So what is waterproofing? Waterproofing is a process which is designed to prevent water from penetrating a building. Usually extensive waterproofing measures are added to a building at the time of construction, to provide moisture control from the start, and waterproofing may also be done after a building is built, to address problems as they emerge or as part of a building retrofit. Waterproofing is critical, for a number of reasons. Not only do we...

A-1 Foundation and Crack Repair emphasizes consumer education.  Our loyal blog readers understand this.  We welcome the small jobs that bring welcome relief rather than witnessing the emotional and financial pain associated with massive foundation failure.  Someone is going to save tens of thousands of dollars by reading and acting upon this blog post.  The foundation is the backbone of your home, and proper maintenance is the key to keep it in tact. However, many...

When it comes to your commercial property and the thousands (or millions) of dollars of plant, property and equipment, nothing is of more important than a fully viable foundation.  By definition, your foundation is the base of your business and without complete structural integrity, the plant begins to fall apart. Foundation repair is no easy task nor should it be. Something that keeps your plan well constructed shouldn’t be an easy thing to remove. Many...

Our 20 years in the home protection business reveals that nearly ALL homeowners never consider water to be a dire threat to their home and family's safety and stability.  I am not just talking to those of you who live inland.  I am also talking to those of you who live near the ocean, tidal basins, lakes, streams, and rivers.  Those who live near water certainly fear and respects the threat of a wall of...

Saturday's blog post combined with the nasty storm named "Earl"  resulted in a number of calls regarding the specific preventative measures one can take to prevent and/or limit flood damage.  We'll repeat again the importance to have your foundation inspected to give you the confidence that the #1 item of importance is structurally sound. But to add to Saturday's blog, here are some important considerations and steps to take as it relates to flooding: Understand...

Hurricane season is upon us and we certainly will get our share of heavy rain and tropical storms over the next month or so.  Do you remember the heavy rains in March and April of this year (2010)?  Unfortunately many of us experienced flooded basements.  At A-1 Foundation Crack Repair we are always busy with repairing basement cracks and leaks but a lot of people wait until their basement is flooded before they decide to...

Did you know that most basement water problems are not basement problems at all? They can be exterior drainage problems. So before you consider a sump-pump installation, take a good look at the drainage around your home. Make sure that gutters aren't clogged, and that downspout extensions move roof runoff at least 4 ft. beyond the foundation and that the soil within 3 ft. of the foundation slopes away from the house. If need be...

Diverting runoff is core to keeping water out of your home, however, but by no means is the final step in protecting your home.  Today we will educate you on two common water preventions methods...."damp-proofing" and "waterproofing". Many builders spray on a thin coating of asphalt, which meets the minimum building code regulations. Damp-proofing is what most builders apply to homes as a minimal cost initiative to meet building code regulations. It is a simple...