A Wet Basement May NOT Actually Be Leaking in Windsor

The basement is the heart of many a home. Most of the air that we breathe comes from this part of the house. If the air is humid, dank and dirty then this might have a negative effect on the health of people living in the home. Water damage is a major problem in many homes because it gets into the basement and begins to cause a range of troubles. In order to prevent this from occurring it might be a good idea to install a vapor barrier.

What most people might not realize is the fact that vapor can sink into the walls of your basement and cause water damage on the inside. As the vapor begins to condense inside the house, the room becomes humid and this air spreads throughout the rest of the house. If you have concrete basement walls then you might be at a loss as to what else need to be done to keep the water our. A vapor barrier is the answer.

A vapor barrier is attached to the foundation of the basement and it keeps the moisture from sinking through the walls and into the basement itself. It's important to note that the vapour barrier must ALWAYS be installed on the warm side of the basement insulation and will not function properly unless the insulation is present. 

Less moisture equals less humidity and this means a whole range of advantages. Not only will water damage be less of a concern but you will also be able to prevent mold from forming in your home. Mold usually thrives in dark, moist places and a basement is a prime suspect for harboring it. With a vapor barrier you can keep the air in your basement dry and prevent moisture from causing a variety of troubles in your home. 

It's important to take note of the reasons for the high humidity in your basement. If the moisture is coming from another source then it might not help to simply keep the moisture from outside the home out. If the moisture is coming from inside the home then you will need to sort that problem out before you can gain some relief. 

There are a range of other advantages that come with installing a vapor barrier and this is perhaps why it is so popular. The item itself is usually quite durable, so it won't have to be replaced very often but it also has the ability to keep bugs and other creepy crawlies out of the basement. These creatures are perhaps one of the main reasons that many people do not want to venture down into their own basements, and this is one way to ensure that you are not one of them. 

Water damage can end up costing you more than money; it can end up costing you the health of your family, which is why it is such an important concern. The best way to combat it is to find measures that work and a vapor barrier is one of them. This is a simple solution that any good contractor will be able to implement in your home for you. Contact us at Lakeside and we will be happy to advise you on the best options for your home.

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This article was published by:

Keith McGorlick,

Author, Blogger,

Home Improvement Expert &

President of, Lakeside Interiors

Windsor & Barrie Ontario

705-881-4456 in Barrie or,

lakesidebarrie@gmail.com

226-946-9651 in Windsor or,

lakesidewindsor@gmail.com

My Windsor Basement Flooded! What do I do next?

The first thing you should do is call your insurance company! They will immediately assign an adjuster to your case, who will guide you through the steps required by your insurer.

A word here about coverage and how it’s determined. If you have a broken water line or water heater and it floods your basement, your insurer will usually cover the damage but not what caused it. In other words, They will pay for anything in the basement which is damaged by the water but not for repairing the broken pipe or water heater.

Contact a restoration contractor, your adjuster will likely supply you with a list of possible options with whom they normally have dealings. Remember, when you are selecting a contractor, it’s your home and you are in charge of who comes in to do work there. NOBODY has the right to tell you which contractor to use, you’re in charge. Use whichever qualified contractor you’re comfortable with.

Eventually everything damaged must be removed, but not until it’s been documented! That means a detailed inventory must be written (by your contractor) and supported with photographic evidence of damage. The thing to remember here is that if damage can’t be proven, the insurer doesn’t have to replace it. So don’t think you’re helping by throwing everything outside!

The insurance company will break your claim down into two sections:

The Emergency Response:
Your selected contractor will arrive at your home with the intent of assessing the damage which has been caused. They will determine their personnel and equipment requirements and then dispatch a crew with the required equipment.

Their intent during the emergency response is to mitigate the damage. Anything wet will be documented and removed, including carpet, flooring, doors, drywall, furniture, personal belongings etc. If possible, some items may be cleaned, dried and returned later.

During this time your contractor should spray a mouldicide / fungicide on the areas which are not being removed. This is for your protection. Since mould spores are everywhere, you just need to add water and time and you have mould growing. This could constitute a health hazard for anyone living in the home. Remember, water + time = mould.

A word to the avid do-it-yourselfers in the crowd – Bleach does NOT kill most mould, it makes it white! Don’t try to clean up by yourself with bleach, the chlorine gas released from the bleach could be more harmful than the mould, especially if inadvertently mixed with something else!

Once everything damaged has been removed, your contractor will set up drying equipment. This will usually consist of air movers (fans) and large de-humidifiers. Simply put, the objective here is to evaporate all the residual moisture into the air and then suck it out of the air with the de-humidifiers, then drain it into the sewer system of your home.

This process takes 2 – 3 days, it may look dry the next day but there is still enough moisture to nurture mould growth. Your contractor will have special meters to check for moisture content. If sufficient moisture is not removed, there will be mould later.

The Repair:
After your basement has been sufficiently dried it will be time for your contractor to put it all back together.

This will normally be the contractor from the emergency response, but not necessarily so. Since the insurance claim is split into two distinct contracts, you may have the option to switch contractors for the repair segment, your adjuster will be able to inform you if this is an option in your case.

In this phase of the operation, your contractor will make sure there is no mould beginning to grow in spite of their best efforts. Then they will begin replacing the drywall that was removed.

The new drywall will be installed, taped and coated with drywall compound (plaster). Next, it’s time for paint, the insurer will usually cover painting the entire wall area because of the difficulty matching the colour. This is the time, if you were considering changing the colour before the flood, to do so. As long as it’s not a drastic colour change requiring additional coats of paint, your contractor won’t mind changing if for you.

Once all this is completed, it will be time for your new flooring to be installed. The insurer will cover the cost of replacing it with the exact flooring that you had originally. The rule they go by is to make it exactly the way it was 1 minute before the flood.

This being said however, if you would like to pay for the difference in cost, there is not usually any problem if you would like to have your contractor upgrade your choice of flooring at this time. The insurer will pay what it would have cost to restore the floor to it’s original condition & your contractor will charge you directly for the balance.

The next step is for all the baseboards, doors and trim to be replaced and painted.

Once all this has been completed, it will be time for your contractor to bring back all your belongings that were salvageable and restore them in the room(s) as they were.

I hope that this post helps anyone who has had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of Mother Nature’s sense of humour lately. It’s been a wet year so far and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight but I’m sure the sun will come out someday!

I should add at least one shameless plug here, Lakeside Interiors has IICRC trained and certified technicians on staff to handle your flood emergency.
We are fully equipped and can be reached by any of the following methods:


This article was published by:
Keith McGorlick,
Author, Blogger,
Home Improvement Expert &
President of, Lakeside Interiors
Windsor, Kitchener & Barrie Ontario
In Windsor, call 226-787-5835 or,
lakesidewindsor@gmail.com
lakesidebarrie@gmail.com
lakesidekitchener@gmail.com