Waterproofing and interior insulation for basements takes new twist in technology. Free report reveals how to stop all call backs for basements for the life of the structure by installing these 3 low cost but very effective construction products together. Hint: it is so simple, you will say, why didn t I think of it?. By Kim R. Terry
Waterproofing and interior insulation for basements takes new twist in technology. In this free report an industry insider shows how Exclusions in waterproofing warranties are no longer an issue for builders or home owners New system mitigates call backs to the builder for wall basement issues true walk away factor. To eliminates condition for molds or mildews on walls To get the feel of upstairs living in the basement Shrinkage cracks no longer impacts a dry basement To protect the top portion of concrete above grade cheaply Grade lines have less impact on the waterproofing system than previously To achieve insulation inside the basement without finishing off with dry wall and still meet code. Real estate agents will appreciate this system when home Builder, waterproofing contractors and home owners will have more peace of mind. The mechanics of how this system works How many times do home owner call their builder for minor imperfections in the basement like cracks in the concrete, a leak, or dampness? How many times are realtors dealing with basement issues that impact the sale of a home?
Recently, I received a call from a home owner selling a home in the mid west that was less than ten years old, they had moved away already and turned it over to a realtor to sell. The prospective buyer saw what they thought was water stains on the floor /wall joint area assumed this to be a water issue; they put a hold on the purchase until it was evaluated by waterproofing manufacture, and this is when I got the call to look at it. Clearly there were no cracks and no leaks in the foundation and yet it has stopped the sale in its tracks, and all because the buyer sees what they thought is a water stain that could be a water issue. They also brought up that the walls were not perfectly straight and some light cracking where the concrete block adjoined, so now the realtor needs to get an engineer s evaluation to prove that the walls are structurally sound. All this extra work, time and expense would not be necessary if the builder would have added a little more attention to the basement walls of which this report lays out in detail. By the way, after review of the supposed water leaks, it was bogus, no cracking and no leakage was present. I think you will agree this is more common than we like, and yet the solution to this has been right under our nose. But before we get to the solution can we take moment to understand why we are having these issues? Old saying goes, doing the same thing and expecting different results equals insanity. Sometimes I think there is a little insanity in our industry! What are the current methods used on your homes when it comes to waterproofing and interior insulation? Spray the basement to grade with or without a protection board or a sheet type membrane. If the home owner wants to finish the basement you do that or just leave the walls bare and put blanket insulation on the top 4 6 feet inside for insulation protection. That is pretty much the norm around the country and meets code. Why change it, right?
Our current methods could be improved What are some of the flaws with our current methods and products? Exposed Concrete above grade is NOT covered. Applying any waterproofing product to grade causes the top part of the foundation to be exposed to cracks and water entering into it. Warranties issued by waterproofing contractors and manufactures do not support cracks that are above grade, and after the first year the home owner must suck up that cost of a crack repair for the tune of $400 $600. Facts: 95% of all leaks happen at the grade line or above and not covered by manufacture warranty or contractor. Industry warranties are void at a 1/16 crack Over time grades change through settling of soil creating depression around the home causes water to run towards the home. What about concrete or block? The concrete industry promises that concrete will get hard and crack. Home owners don t understand why a new home basement walls crack, and when they see imperfections such as honey comb area, bug holes, cracking, or discoloration they are calling you to fix it and you call your subcontractor to fix it. All at a cost! Block isn t any better, and is still used around the country with various degrees success yet this product is far more porous than poured concrete walls allowing moisture into the structure. Making repairs for leakage requires digging up the foundation, removing landscaping all of which is very costly and usually this burden is on the home owner. Insulation in the form of blanket 4 5 on the wall or batt insulation in a stud wall with dry wall over it
Mildew and Molds are common when blanket fiberglass and concrete meet because fiberglass offers a food source, one of the three conditions necessary for mold to form; the other two are moisture and warmer temperatures. Blanket fiberglass covers 40 50% of the wall cause what is called a heat sink effect; this is why basements can feel drafty and cool unlike upstairs feel. Finished basement/batt insulation/dry wall: If a concrete wall is leaking the water ends up on the floor behind the dry wall un noticed, it has more time to create mold and mildews. The insulation and wood studs provide the food source not far from the concrete wall that is leaking or condensing moisture. The University of Minnesota study conclusively says that this method of insulation is most inefficient method of insulating basements. Video of this study can be found at www.houseguard.com/technical The video referenced above offers a solution we have known for years is to take the waterproofing and insulation to the top of the wall on the outside of the foundation. This certainly does provide a solution but at a cost higher than most builders want to pay to address the exterior from the grade to the sill plate. A solutions that is affordable! In the section we are going look at how a new application in technology will impact these issues. Exclusions in waterproofing warranties are no longer an issue for builders or home owners New system mitigates call backs to the builder for wall basement issues true walk away factors. To eliminates condition for molds or mildews on walls
To get the feel of upstairs living in the basement Cracking concrete up to 1/16 is no longer a concern This new system answers one of the biggest ongoing issues for builders top of exterior wall. Why doesn t grade affect the waterproofing system anymore To achieve insulation inside the basement without finishing off with dry walland still meet code. What is this system and how does it eliminates call backs, offering a true Walk Away Factor. Model showing components of Wall Ninja System Components of the Wall NINJA system: 1. Exterior Waterproofing membrane from footer to grade, TruDry waterproofing membrane 2. Dow square edge board R 5 or R 10
sits on the footer and reaches to top of foundation wall fastened by glue and caulked top of board along foundation 3. NINJA channel, sits on the footer under the Dow board extends the length of footer 4. Concrete floor is poured on top of NINJA channel, against Dow board How does this system offer a true walk away value? The concrete wall is no longer visible to 99% of the minor defects that cause home owners or buyers to complain. Wall NINJA System Insulates 100% of the Concrete Wall. Concrete experts report that the R value of an eight inch (8 ) concrete wall is 1.3, the same as one pane of glass. Heat and cold pass through the concrete medium rather easily. Heat loss occurs in a basement area in what is known as a heat sink. Building scientist say 40% of the heat loss or heat sink occurs within the top two to three feet of the foundation wall. Building codes in many northern states require some kind of insulation on the inside or outside of the foundation wall to reduce this heat loss. The status quo for basement insulation is (1) to insulate the basement on the exterior from footer to grade or (2) to place an insulation blanket inside of the basement wall from top of wall to approximately five (5 ) down. However, there are deficiencies with these two types of insulation: 1. Exterior insulation that stops at grade leaves concrete exposed above grade allowing 40% of heat loss to occur on the top couple feet of the concrete wall. 2. Blanket insulation offers some heat sink reduction, but only to create a condition that promotes moldy or mildew odors resulting from organic materials coming in contact with a moist concrete surface. Wall Ninja system is a better approach to insulating basements by incorporating the Dow Styrofoam product. Each foam panel is placed inside the foundation from footer to top of the wall, covering 100% of the wall. The foam panels range in R Value from R 2.5 to R 15, depending on the chosen thickness. The entire wall is warmed leaving no thermal gaps in the wall for the heat sink to take effect. In addition to 100% wall coverage, each seam in the foam is
taped from top to bottom effectively stopping any warm air from touching the cold concrete surface behind the board preventing condensation from occurring. The cold air behind the board is insulated from the warmer air in the basement so there is NO. No heat sink No cold drafts No condensation No potential mold or mildew odors to form No loss of heat out of most critical top part of wall No water on the floor everything is vented below it No visible defects in the concrete Wall Ninja system provides drier, draft free living. Completed Wall Ninja System on inside of home
Wall NINJA System addresses safely basement Leaks! Ninety five percent of basement waterproofing systems are terminated at grade line and are vital to bridging cracks and creating a water resistant barrier against leakage in basement walls below grade. Five decades of experience tells us that waterproofing systems are pretty effective below grade if applied correctly. The source of the problem begins above grade because shrinkage cracking begins at the top of the concrete wall. Water finds an entrance into the structure near the top of the wall because of cracks and incorrect slope of grade. The water runs down the inside of the crack into the basement floor. This is can also occur if the if the waterproofing system is taken to the brick ledge and cracking occurs behind the brick allowing water to migrate into basement areas. Manufacturers take a position with warranties that they are not responsible to repair leaks if the leak is coming in above the waterproofing line, so the homeowner is faced with making the repair on their own dime, and that doesn t fair well with them on a new home. Homeowners will always go back to the builder to make it right. Wall Ninja system warranties 100% of the concrete wall. How does Wall Ninja system manage water better than the current system does? We all know that Stopping water is a real challenge so Wall Ninja system offers instead to manage it rather than try to stop it. How we do this is by supplying a channel or passageway behind the board for water or moisture, that finds its way into the structure. The water is vented or directed to the base of the footer where the Ninja channel directs water under the floor and into the collective water system and out. It requires a gravel bed under the floor for water to travel through or an interior pipe to collect water directing it to the sump pit and pump. Homeowners will have a trouble free, dry basement for many, many years. In fact we guarantee it for 30 years!
Wall Ninja channel is applied to top of footer and Dow board sits on it, next the concrete floor is poured on top of it. This channel vents water from the wall under the floor to the sump. Wall NINJA System is a Pre Finished Basement System. Dow Styrofoam has been ICC evaluated as a fire rated product that can be installed without use of dry wall. Replacing interior blanket insulation with Wall Ninja system offers savings and a far superior insulation wall system for years. Homeowner costs are lowered by pre finishing the basement without the cost of framing and batt insulation. You can view the ICC documents for the Dow product at www.houseguard.com/wallninga
No other system offers a warmer, dryer and true walk away basement protection as Wall Ninja System does, we guarantee it for 30 years! Homeowners want the most bangs for their buck, and you can deliver it by creating a basement that looks and feels like upstairs living space. With the Wall Ninja system you can offer your customers a system that incorporates water and thermal protection together with a 30 year guarantee. The system eliminates the potential for molds and musty odors caused by fiber insulations. Happy homeowners are the best referrals! The Wall Ninja system eliminates basement call backs and increases customer satisfaction. By offering this advanced basement protection system, you set yourself apart from the competition. All of this means peace of mind for you and your new homeowners. This 30 year guarantee is backed by Terry Asphalt Materials Inc., a Colas company, world leader in asphalt technology. For packet, pricing or questions call 800.560.5701 or contact Kim Terry at kterry@terryasphalt.com. HouseGuard Division Phone: 1 800 560 5701 http://www.houseguard.com/